ATLANTA — A faculty senate group at Emory has voted "no confidence" in the university president after a week of protests on campus.
Last week, the faculty senate for Emory University's College of Arts and Science approved a motion to call for a college faculty no-confidence vote over President Greg Fenves. 11Alive learned from faculty Friday that the final vote came down to 358-119.
The university issued the following statement:
"On May 3, the Faculty Senate of the Emory College of Arts and Sciences shared that faculty passed a vote of no confidence in President Fenves. The faculty eligible to vote on this measure were those within Emory College, one of the university's nine schools. Such votes are non-binding.
"While we take any concerns expressed by members of our community seriously, there are a wide range of perspectives being shared within the Emory community."
Groups started gathering on campus last Thursday to show support for Palestine as the war continues in Gaza. The protesters set up encampments with the school, describing it in a statement as a "trespass."
University officials soon rallied in heavy law enforcement descending on the campus quad, leading to a dramatic clash between the protesters and law enforcement. More than two dozen people were arrested, including some school community members.
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Then, about 1,000 people gathered that same evening in the center of campus. Many are calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine. Those moments have led to days of demonstrations on campus.
Protests have also popped up at other college campuses recently. Students want universities to separate themselves from companies and organizations that support the war.
Emory has also been in the spotlight after Georgia's Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said they were notified this week that the U.S. Department of Education would be investigating claims that the school fostered a "hostile environment" towards students and with Palestinian, Muslim, and Arabic heritage. The Title VI complaint was against Emory University on behalf of Emory Students for Justice in Palestine on April 5.
An Emory spokesperson confirmed that the university had been contacted by the U.S. Department of Education regarding the complaint, but they were "unable to discuss an open investigation."