An email provost Dan Linzer sent to the faculty of the Buffett Institute indicates that retired Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry will no longer be stepping in as executive director of the Buffett Institute.
Dear Members of the Buffett Institute Faculty:
Last fall, we announced that Ambassador Karl Eikenberry would be joining the Buffett Institute for Global Studies as the inaugural Executive Director, charged with implementing the University’s vision for the new Institute. This vision is to transform the Institute into one recognized nationally and around the world for high-quality interdisciplinary research and education on globally relevant topics.
Over the past several months, together with Ambassador Eikenberry, we continued to assess the conditions required for an executive director to achieve the desired change, and agreed that several are not yet in place.
We thank Ambassador Eikenberry for his strong belief in the new Buffett vision and his considerable investment of time to help us elevate Northwestern's engagement with the world.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with him as a friend to Northwestern, the Buffett Institute, and the University’s faculty and students.
Sincerely, Dan Linzer
Provost
According to an email from professor Jorge Coronado, Eikenberry cancelled an April 4-8 visit to Northwestern, leading several faculty to speculate that the general was considering stepping down. According to the email, the administration said that Eikenberry had simply been busy.
The announcement comes after 46 faculty members wrote a letter to the editor in The Daily calling for the University to rescind Eikenberry's appointment. After debating over his appointment, the faculty senate voted to support Eikenberry. ASG debated, too, and a vote on a resolution to rescind Eikenberry's appointment was postponed to next Wedensday after a debate over conflicting information last Wednesday.
Faculty opposing the Eikenberry celebrated the email as news that Eikenberry is leaving.
"Yes, the language is ambiguous. [Eikenberry] withdrew, or the offer was rescinded. Big news!," Coronado said in an email to NBN.
This article will be updated with additional information as this story develops.