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Edited by: Fern Sidman
The University of Pennsylvania finds itself embroiled in a controversy involving its ousted chairman, Scott Bok, and influential donors who withdrew substantial contributions over the institution’s handling of anti-Semitic incidents on campus, as was reported in the New York Post. Bok, the CEO of investment bank Greenhill & Co., argues that donors should not wield significant influence in determining university policies, sparking a debate over the role of financial contributors in shaping academic institutions, the report added.
Bok contends that donors, while free to contribute or withhold funds for any reason, should not have a decisive say in university functions. The Post report indicated that in an interview with Bloomberg TV, he emphasized that donors are not shareholders, and their impact on how universities are run should not be disproportionately loud. Bok expressed similar sentiments in an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer, asserting that donors should not dictate campus policies or academic content, according to the report.
Bok’s resignation as chairman of the University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees came after several wealthy businessmen, led by Apollo Management CEO Marc Rowan, withdrew significant donations. Rowan, a Wharton graduate who had donated $50 million to the business school in 2018, spearheaded the effort to oust Bok and then-president Liz Magill, as was mentioned in the Post report. The push gained momentum after concerns were raised about the university’s response to anti-Semitic incidents on campus.
In October, Rowan penned a letter to the board, demanding the resignation of both Bok and Magill. The catalyst for this demand was the university’s perceived inadequate response to calls for the genocide of Jews on campus, the Post report noted. The controversy deepened when former Utah Gov. John Huntsman joined the chorus, asserting that the university needed to sever ties with its leadership.
Rowan and other donors have expressed dissatisfaction with the university’s response to anti-Semitism, leading to calls for the resignation of key figures, including Bok and former president Liz Magill, as was reported by the Post. Rowan, in a letter to the board, highlighted broader cultural issues within the university and called for a reevaluation of faculty qualifications.
While Rowan and some donors argue for a more significant role in shaping the university’s direction, others, including the University of Pennsylvania chapter of the American Association of University Professors, view this as an encroachment on academic freedom, as was mentioned in the Post report. They assert that trustees without academic experience are attempting a hostile takeover of core academic functions.
Bok, the CEO of investment bank Greenhill & Co., who served on the board of trustees for 19 years, expressed in his op-ed piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer that there was a longstanding, unspoken consensus among various university constituencies, including the board, donors, alumni, faculty, and administration, according to the Post report. However, he noted a shift in this consensus, leading to his decision to step down. His caution against overreacting suggests that the trustees, traditionally focused on an institution’s financial health, are grappling with the delicate balance between donor interests and the autonomy of academic institutions.
“It’s a small fraction of 1% of the people at these elite schools that are actively involved in a way that anybody would find troubling,” he claimed of those who were engaging in anti-Semitism, as was reported by the Post.
“We shouldn’t fundamentally tear up a governance model that has worked for a very, very long time and made our universities the envy of the world because of a very short-term crisis.”
During the Bloomberg TV interview, Bok shed light on the board’s struggles to determine the best course of action, citing a lack of recent crises or controversies.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has criticized the university’s board for not taking concrete action amid allegations of anti-Semitism, the report in the Post said. Meetings were held following events such as the “Palestine Writes” literary festival and Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. The governor sought information on the university’s measures to hold professors accountable for creating an unsafe environment.
Bok, in acknowledging conversations with Governor Shapiro about anti-Semitic incidents, emphasized that decisions involving limiting what tenured professors can say on campus require thorough consultation with faculty, the Post report said. This process is not something a university president can unilaterally implement.
The university’s ability to find a delicate equilibrium between these factors will shape its policies, leadership, and the broader academic environment in the coming months.
