DETROIT — University of Michigan faculty members passed a series of resolutions accusing the UM Board of Regents of "increasingly exhibiting authoritarian tendencies" to silence free speech.

The university's Faculty Senate called for a censure of the board, which consists of six Democrats and two Republicans, and also accused the university of doing too little to address gender-based violence.

The University Record, an internal UM publication for faculty and staff, said 2,171 Senate members, or about 28.6% of eligible electors, cast ballots over three days of electronic voting following a Nov. 4 Senate meeting where the measures were discussed.

The vote followed the Board of Regents' Oct. 17 decision to adopt an "institutional neutrality" bylaw, which prevents some officials from publicly taking a stance on political or social issues unless the issues are related to the internal governance of the university.

The board's approval of the bylaw was one of several complaints Faculty Senate members cited in one of the four resolutions. The Senate said when the regents approved the measure, they ignored representatives for University President Santa Ono and for the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA), who recommended it first be reviewed by the Senate Assembly.

The non-binding resolution calls for a censure of the board. It also "demands, in the name of the values on which the United States and its public universities were founded, that the Regents cease the use of surveillance, policing, physical violence, and legal power as mechanisms to silence speech."

Critics said some universities have adopted neutrality policies in the past year since campuses have been divided by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments have been dismantled by university police for violations.

The UM Faculty Senate alleges that via the neutrality bylaw, along with other recent policy changes enacted without proper Senate input, the regents have "fostered a climate of repression at the university, by authorizing police violence against students; the use of chemical irritants against students, faculty, and staff at protests; hiring private security which have maintained a presence on campus since the spring; increased surveillance and intimidation of students on and off campus," among other perceived signs of free speech suppression.

UM students and allies organized demonstrations and disruptions as Israel expanded and intensified its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. Students had demanded the university divest from its portfolio any holdings linked to Israel.

Eleven people were charged in September with crimes in connection to incidents involving protests at the UM campus. Muslim students and their allies have said they had been peaceful but were still subjected to unfair treatment by university administrators and police.

" … The above, taken as a whole, demonstrate the Regents have little inclination to engage in shared governance and are increasingly exhibiting authoritarian tendencies antithetical to a public university in a democratic nation," the Senate resolution said.

University spokesperson Colleen Mastony said the board would take the resolutions under advisement.

“The regents recognize the importance of all of our faculty and remain committed to working constructively with them,” Mastony said. “The regents will carefully consider these resolutions and will continue to welcome collaboration that strengthens our community and advances the mission of the university.”

Gender-based violence and other issues

In addition to the vote in support of censuring the regents, the voting UM Faculty Senate members also strongly support resolutions calling on the university to:

— Pause implementation of the revisions to the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities (SSRR).

The Senate alleges that the regents on July 18 amended the SSRR off-cycle, without following their own adopted policy that allows for an off-cycle amendment period upon unanimous agreement by the vice president of student life, Student Relations Advisory Committee chair and the Central Student Government president.

— Establish a committee of faculty representatives to review and modify the Standard Practice Guides, which govern staff and faculty.

The Senate says the SPGs contain significant inconsistencies, typos, errors, broken links and outdated statements, and that documentation surrounding the SPGs is "overly opaque and highlights a confused approach to formulating and distinguishing rules," among other issues.

— Take immediate action to take gender-based violence more seriously.

According to the resolution, the university's 2021 climate survey found that 18% of students reported experiencing sex discrimination over the prior 12 months and far more cases likely have gone unreported. The university also was home to potentially the largest sexual abuse scandal ever in U.S. higher education as hundreds of people have accused the late Dr. Robert Anderson of sexual misconduct during his 35-year tenure, the resolution said.

The Senate said these and other indicators illustrate an "ongoing and systemic pattern of gender-based violence" at UM. Members called on the university to "introduce an independent annual audit by a reputable and highly independent third-party intermediary of how the University handles all reports of gender-based violence."

The faculty also suggest that UM issue more effective accountability measures for discrimination, adopt national best practices to ensure complainants are not punished for reporting harassment and other steps to curb abuse.

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