EASTON, Pa. — Lafayette College's faculty passed a majority vote of no-confidence against President Nicole Hurd on Tuesday.
The vote was 102 in favor of the measure, 86 opposed and six abstentions, said sociology professor Caroline Lee — one of 10 professors who presented the motion.
Among the grievances cited in the 12-page motion, first reported by the college's student newspaper, The Lafayette, were that Hurd prioritized athletics over academics and excluded teaching staff from decision-making.
The motion cited concerns "regarding the steadily declining conditions at the College, the ongoing crisis of leadership, and threats to the role of the faculty and to shared governance."
The vote came in a late-afternoon faculty meeting despite a crowd of students outside Marquis Hall who gathered in support of Hurd.
"It's not a good day when you have to do this," Lee told LehighValleyNews.com after the vote.
She said the atmosphere inside the hall was serious.
"It wasn’t the first thing where it’s like ‘We won, high-five’ — the college is still in a leadership crisis and we hope the Board of Trustees will get the message and we will continue doing our jobs," Lee said in a phone interview.
Some spoke in favor of the motion and some spoke in favor of Hurd, too, Lee said.
"It doesn’t feel like a win when it’s something so serious for the College."Caroline Lee, a sociology professor at Lafayette College
The Lafayette reported the no-confidence vote was the first to go against a president in the college's nearly 200-year history. The Easton school's bicentennial will take place from fall 2025 to fall 2026.
Hurd joined Lafayette as president in 2021.
"It doesn’t feel like a win when it’s something so serious for the College," Lee said in a statement. "Lafayette is an outstanding and really special institution.
"It’s a tremendous privilege to teach the talented students here, and the faculty and students are excellent. We deserve excellent leadership."
Other faculty who signed the motion include: William Bissell, an anthropology professor; Mary A. Armstrong, a women’s, gender & sexuality studies and English professor; Robert Blunt, a religious studies professor; Alessandro Giovannelli, a philosophy professor; Michael Nees, a psychology professor; Monica Salas Landa, an anthropology professor; Angelika von Wahl, an international affairs professor; Jeremy Zallen, a history professor; and Eric Ziolkowski, a Bible/religious studies professor.
What's next?
Lee said since the college operates under "shared governance," the vote means "we're asking the [Board of Trustees] to address our leadership crisis," since the board determines who runs the institution.
"It’s not our job to decide the next step, but I hope that we have a quick resolution and can get back to moving forward at this incredible institution," Lee said in a prepared statement. "As the motion says, the faculty of Lafayette College will continue, as we always have, to provide steadfast service and leadership to this institution and deliver a world-class academic experience to the students of the College."
Board of Trustees Chairman Bob Sell previously declined to comment before the vote, saying it would be "inappropriate and disrespectful to the faculty process."
LehighValleyNews.com reached out to Sell for comment after Tuesday's vote.
"Lafayette College is fortunate to have faculty and staff who care deeply about the institution and its future success."Scott Morse, a Lafayette College spokesman
Scott Morse, a college spokesman, released a statement praising the college's "incredibly strong position," with "the largest admission applicant pool in the College's history," for the fall 2025 semester with 10,528 applicants.
"Lafayette College is fortunate to have faculty and staff who care deeply about the institution and its future success," Morse said in the statement. "During her tenure at Lafayette, President Hurd has always valued constructive dialogue with faculty and staff in all departments.
"She acknowledges the vote and pledges to continue working closely with the faculty to advance the academic mission of the College."
Morse also said a statement from trustees is anticipated later this week.
"I’m hopeful about it," Lee said of the vote. "I think the people on the Board of Trustees are really smart individuals that care about the institution a lot."
