Profile for a 21st Century Presidency at NYU

The American Association of University Professors is the originator and steward of the basic principles of governance and academic freedom observed by U.S. universities. Inspired by the Vote of No Confidence process set in motion by NYU's Faculty of Arts and Science, we offer the following list of requisites for a 21st century presidency at NYU.

New York University, as one of the nation’s leading universities, needs a president who is deeply committed to

1.      The Ethos and Practice of Shared Governance

      and who therefore supports

a.       the right and obligation of faculty to define and shape all new academic and curricular initiatives, including those at global locations

b.      the right and obligation of faculty to be represented on the Board of Trustees

c.       the right and obligation of faculty to participate fully in the choosing of new presidents and provosts

d.      the right and obligation of faculty to serve, as elected representatives, not as ad hoc appointees, on top level committees

e.       the right and obligation of faculty to hold regular, plenary assemblies with the president and senior administrators in order to voice concerns and present new initiatives

f.       the right and obligation of faculty to have full knowledge of the fiscal affairs of the university

g.      the right and obligation of faculty to review and participate in the approval of all new building and expansion plans

h.      the right of faculty, should a majority so decide, to union representation and collective bargaining

2.      The Institutional Protections of Tenure and Academic Freedom for Faculty

      and who therefore supports

a.       the steady conversion of NTT into TT faculty positions at every NYU location 

b.      the extension of protections comparable to those that accrue to tenure to all fulltime faculty who have served continuously for seven years,

c.       the upholding of academic freedom among all faculty, including those not on the tenure track 

d.      the careful protection of academic freedoms through contracts and intellectual property regulations relating to commercialization of university research

3.      The Principle of Making an NYU Education Affordable to All Students
and who therefore supports

a.       the right and obligation of student representatives to participate in a university-wide plan to reduce the student debt burden by expanding needs-based financial aid

b.      the right and obligation of students to be represented on the Board of Trustees

c.       the right and obligation of students to have full knowledge of the fiscal affairs of the university

d.      a moratorium on the growth of non-academic personnel, offices, programs, and costs that are extraneous to core academic functions. 

4.      The Cultivation of Mutually Respectful Town-Gown Relations
and who therefore supports

a.       the right and obligation of community representatives to review and participate in the approval of all new building and expansion plans

b.      the right and obligation of community representatives to serve on a committee for developing university-community initiatives that will benefit from NYU’s research and resources

5.      The Abatement of Salary Polarization

      and who therefore supports

a.       the reduction, by at least 25%, of the salaries of the president and senior administrators

b.      the establishment of a more equitable range spread between the highest and lowest paid of NYU employees 

c.       a suspension of the practice of passing on the costs of benefits spending to employees 

6.      The Upholding of Fair Labor Standards for All University Employees
and who therefore supports       

a.       the right of all employees, including graduate student employees, should a majority so decide, to union representation and collective bargaining.

b.      the right of employee union representatives to expect good faith in collective bargaining from the NYU administration

c.       the right of all employees, including those contracted to construct and maintain GNU buildings, to be protected by the ILO's basic international labor standards.

Andrew Ross, NYU-AAUP president

Molly Nolan, NYU-AAUP vice-president

Marie Monaco, NYU-AAUP secretary

Anna McCarthy, NYU-AAUP treasurer

Rebecca Karl, NYU-AAUP at-large executive member

Rana Jaleel, NYU-AAUP student member