Allegations of Antisemitism
Northwestern Provost Kathleen Hagerty to Step Down Amid Controversy Over Campus Protests
Northwestern University Provost Kathleen Hagerty, who has served as the university’s chief academic officer since 2020, will step down at the end of the academic year. Her departure follows President Michael Schill’s recent resignation.
Northwestern University announced that Provost Kathleen Hagerty, the institution's chief academic officer since 2020, will depart her role by the end of the academic year. In a statement, Hagerty said she will "move on to the next phase of my career with full confidence that the University will continue to support world-class teaching and research."
The university stated it will "soon name a search committee" to find her replacement, and Hagerty will assist in the transition to the new provost, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
The announcement follows the recent resignation of Northwestern President Michael Schill, who stepped down on September 4, 2025, the same day the House Committee on Education and the Workforce released a transcript of its August interview with him.
Schill had faced significant scrutiny, including congressional investigation, after becoming the first university president to negotiate a formal agreement with pro-Palestinian student encampment organizers in spring 2024.
The deal included commitments to reestablish an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility, provide scholarships for Palestinian undergraduates, and support visiting Palestinian faculty and students.
Text messages cited in the congressional interview revealed Hagerty communicating with management professor Nour Kteily, a faculty liaison to the encampment organizers. In one exchange, Kteily wrote that he would secure the students "some amazing wins." Hagerty responded that she was willing to consider boycotting Israeli products as part of a potential deal, stating she would support such a measure if it helped resolve the encampment.
The departures of both Schill and Hagerty come amid ongoing federal scrutiny of Northwestern’s handling of campus antisemitism and protest activity, including a House committee investigation into the university’s response to the 2024 encampments and allegations of discrimination against Jewish students.