LOS ANGELES — The body that represents the University of Southern California's faculty voted on Wednesday to censure the university’s president, Carol Folt, and provost, Andrew Guzman, citing both leaders’ mishandling of events around commencement.

In the USC Academic Senate’s vote, 21 members favored censuring the president and provost, seven opposed, and six abstained.

The vote carries no legal force, but was viewed as a symbolic expression of anger and frustration among USC’s legion of professors during weeks of turmoil over a singularly academic process: the ceremonies for the awarding of diplomas.

It followed a nearly three-hour meeting in which faculty members criticized decisions by Folt and Guzman, including the choice to rescind valedictorian Asna Tabassum‘s speaking slot at commencement; the cancellation of the main-stage commencement ceremony; and the posture of administrators toward pro-Palestinian protesters on campus, including the arrest by Los Angeles police of 93 protesters, most of whom were students.

The resolution voted on by faculty members cited “widespread dissatisfaction and concern among the faculty about administrative actions and decisions” by Folt and Guzman.

“I understand there are many different viewpoints among members of the Trojan Community regarding our recent decisions,” Folt said in a statement after the vote. “I’m committed to working with the Academic Senate, and the wider faculty who weren’t present at today’s session. 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.”

Folt and Guzman had defended their leadership during the meeting, with Folt calling the current atmosphere at USC a “very humbling moment.”

“I don’t make every decision right, but I try,” she said.

Guzman acknowledged the anger and anguish among faculty.

“We know our decisions will leave people disappointed,” Guzman said. “We are all doing our best to find a way through this moment.”

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