New York State Police will take over future sexual assault investigations at Cornell University following mounting criticism of the school’s handling of a former student’s allegations that she was drugged and gang-raped by members of a fraternity.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the agreement Thursday, saying sexual offense complaints that would typically fall under the jurisdiction of campus police will instead be referred to state police for criminal investigations, unless the accuser requests otherwise.

Effective immediately, the agreement — signed by Cornell and state police — is intended to ensure that sexual assault allegations are thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies trained to handle such cases.…