Brandeis University announced on Wednesday that Ronald D. Liebowitz, its president for the past eight years, will be stepping down. The decision followed a vote of no confidence by the faculty, who criticized his leadership, pointing to “serious errors in judgment and weak leadership.”

The faculty’s concerns centered around budget deficits, inadequate fundraising, and what they viewed as an overreaction to pro-Palestinian student protests last year. Over the past five years, the university had seen a 9 percent drop in enrollment.

The no-confidence vote, passed narrowly last week with 159 votes in favor and 149 against, urged the board of trustees to take action. The trustees responded the next morning, announcing that Dr. Liebowitz would resign effective November 1.

His resignation makes him the fifth university president to step down amidst campus tensions related to the Gaza conflict.

Founded during a time when Jewish applicants faced discrimination at elite schools, Brandeis, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, remains a secular institution, though about one-third of its 5,500 students are Jewish. It is a small research university known for its close-knit academic community and low student-to-faculty ratio.

In response to the Israel-Hamas conflict last fall, Brandeis severed ties with the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. A pro-Palestinian protest on campus led to the arrest of seven individuals, a rare occurrence at a university known for its history of student activism.

In April, Dr. Liebowitz sought to capitalize on Brandeis’s Jewish identity by inviting Jewish students to transfer to the university. In an open letter, he extended the transfer application deadline, assuring students they would find a welcoming environment “free from harassment and Jew-hatred.” However, the outreach campaign was met with criticism from faculty, and it attracted only a handful of new students.

Julie Jette, a spokesperson for Brandeis, stated that Dr. Liebowitz was unavailable for comment. In his letter to the Brandeis community, he acknowledged the difficult timing of his decision, referencing the university’s founding purpose.

The no-confidence resolution, originally introduced in May, resurfaced when the new academic year began and passed on September 20. Faculty documents leading up to the vote criticized Dr. Liebowitz’s management, citing the elimination of 60 staff positions, restructuring of doctoral and social policy programs, neglected campus infrastructure, and weak fundraising efforts. Notably, there had been no capital campaign during his tenure.

At 67, Dr. Liebowitz, who previously served as president of Middlebury College and holds a Ph.D. in geography from Columbia University, said in his letter that his departure would give him the opportunity to explore new avenues for innovation and reform in higher education.

Arthur Levine, a Brandeis alumnus and former president of Teachers College at Columbia University, will serve as interim president. Lisa R. Kranc, chair of Brandeis’s board of trustees, praised Dr. Liebowitz’s work, especially his stance against antisemitism, reaffirming the board’s support of his efforts to ensure a harassment-free environment at the university.