USC faculty censures president and provost over 'widespread dissatisfaction' in handling of protests

The Academic Senate at the University of Southern California voted to censure the school's president and provost on Wednesday, over the pair's handling of the anti-Israel protests that erupted on campus last month.

Nearly 100 students were arrested at protests on the Los Angeles campus, and the encampments forced USC President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman to cancel the university's main commencement ceremony, including a speech by its valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim and expressed pro-Palestinian views, citing safety concerns.

The vote to censure Folt and Guzman passed in a 21-7 vote with six abstentions, according to The Hill. The censure resolution also “endorse[d] the immediate creation of a task force” to investigate USC's handling of Israel related controversies. The task force would also include a report on the findings.

“I’m committed to working with the Academic Senate, and the wider faculty who weren’t present at today’s session,” Folt told the Daily Trojan in a statement. “Provost Guzman and I welcome ongoing engagement with the newly created task force. For now, our focus is on celebrating the 19,000 graduates of USC’s Class of 2024.”

The censure does not hold any legal power, but is a way for faculty members to share their dissatisfaction with the administration. 

It comes after thousands of students were arrested at universities nationwide for unruly protests. The encampments and protests are still going on at some universities, including the Rhode Island School of Design, where protesters still occupied an administrative building as of Tuesday.