The Lafayette College board of trustees unanimously approved a contract extension to keep President Nicole Hurd in office through June 2030, seven months after the faculty passed a vote of no confidence in her leadership.
The board has consistently backed Hurd, issuing a statement of “complete confidence” three days after the Jan. 28 faculty vote approved the no-confidence motion 102-86.
“We are grateful for President Hurd’s leadership, for her dedication to providing our students a truly life-advancing educational experience, for her commitment to promoting faculty research and scholarship, and for her joyous capacity to welcome alumni home,” board Chair Robert Sell said in an Aug. 11 statement announcing the contract extension.
The board’s statement highlights an increase in applications, which reached a record high of 10,528 for the fall 2025 class, fundraising successes and the school’s strong credit ratings.
Hurd began her tenure as president in 2021. She previously served as CEO of the College Advising Corps. At Lafayette she has simplified the financial aid process and increased the maximum income level for the school’s no-loan policy.
The no-confidence motion cited concerns ranging from “ineffective leadership” to “alarming staff attrition.” Faculty argued that poor communication and a lack of shared governance had created a leadership crisis.
The motion also called for more attention to be paid to retention issues and claimed Hurd had overpromoted the college’s athletics division while neglecting its academic division.
Lafayette’s board of trustees holds the sole authority to appoint or remove a president from office.
