Now that a formal investigation and Regent Jordan Acker’s own remarks have verified earlier allegations of obscene comments he made about an undergraduate UM student, among others, we call on him to resign from the Board of the University of Michigan.
The statement Mr. Acker delivered at the Regents meeting on June 25, 2026, was neither a genuine apology nor accountability, and we do not accept any claim that it was either. A true apology would have specified what he was apologizing for and indicated to whom he was making the apology. Accountability would have involved some form of atonement, as well as recognition that it does not help the university to have a leader confirmed to have made such comments. He could have resigned; reimbursed UM for the significant costs of what could have been an unnecessary investigation; assigned himself relevant community service; or perhaps all of the above. Continuing on the Board as if nothing has happened is not accountability. It demonstrates that his judgment has not improved since the reported events, and that, in turn, suggests he is unfit to influence such important decisions as selecting UM’s next president.
As faculty who share in the governance of this university, we feel ashamed. And, as no true apology appears forthcoming from Mr. Acker, we apologize both to the victims of his remarks for his aspersive, derogatory, and deeply invasive comments and to the broader University of Michigan community for his failure to model our values.
Approved by the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA) on July 1, 2026.