What NYU 2031 Means to You

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
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<p>NYU 2031 is the name of NYU's proposed expansion in Greenwich Village over the next 19 years. Although it has been approved by the New York City Council, the Greenwich Village community and NYU's faculty remain adamantly opposed. </p>

<p>Nineteen NYU departments and divisions, including the Stern School of Business, have voted their opposition to the plan. A faculty group, Faculty Against the Sexton Plan, is bringing a lawsuit in conjunction with the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The faculty is currently considering a no-confidence vote against NYU's president, John Sexton. And residents of Washington Square Village, site of part of the expansion, have also brought suit.</p>

<p>Before going further, let me take a moment to tell you about myself, so that you can evaluate any biases I may bring to this discussion. I am an alumnus of NYU's University College (University Heights, The Bronx). My father and grandfather, both, also graduated from the Heights campus. And my son, while attending Stuyvesant High School, took math courses at NYU (Washington Square) for HS credit. As you may well imagine, NYU has been important to both me and my family. I look back fondly on my college days, and I have contributed financially to the school over the years.</p>

<p>Together with my wife, I have also been a resident of Greenwich Village/NOHO for the past 40 years. We've lived across the street from the site of the Coles Gymnasium (when we moved in, it was Little League ball field) for 37 years. Our son was born and raised here. So you may also note that I care deeply about my home and my community.</p>

<p>While perusing this board, I've come across discussions about life in the Village, but few that have paid attention to NYU 2031 and what it will mean to students, faculty, administration, residents and business owners. I think it's time that we all had this discussion. And while I'm taking it upon myself to get it started, please note that I expect to be joined shortly by several faculty members and students. Others may follow over time.</p>

<p>Among the questions that I'm going to address in my posts are these:</p>

<p>What exactly is the NYU 2031 plan?
Why does NYU feel the need to expand?
How do they plan to use the extra space?
How much will it cost? And who is going to pay?
Will this affect tuition? Financial Aid? Student debt?
How will this affect the lives of students? Faculty? Businesses? Residents?
Was the faculty consulted? Did the community have a voice?
What will happen to the Village community? Will this plan really add to open spaces/parks?
Are there alternatives to NYU 2031?
Some of you may well have additional questions and I invite you to ask.</p>

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<p>Hi! Thanks for posting this. I’m a prospective student that loved the urban campus of NYU. (i’m from new york too but i lived in shanghai now) From my July campus visit i did notice there were a lot of construction going on and our tour guide simply addressed it as summer construction and will be done before school starts. But after reading your post, and going to the websites, i became worried that will my study environment be heavily altered? Lacking a campus and already exposed to the city, an addition of constuction may make it unbearable. I may have to reconsider my decision of applying ED2 here.</p>

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<p>Construction doesn’t begin till 2014. But either way, you’re in NYC, a constantly changing environment. There will ALWAYS be construction, whether it’s NYU or another building. It’s simply a city full of noises so be aware of that when applying.</p>

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<p>Construction will not be happening near the academic buildings or freshmen dorms.</p>

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<p>For students, the construction itself may not be the issue. Though you should know that one of the first things up on the schedule will be the demolition of the Coles Gymnasium. It will be years before it’s replaced.</p>

<p>What definitely are issues for students are likely steep tuition increases, reduced financial aid, and significant turnover in faculty.</p>

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<p>I think the construction will just add to the new york city lifestyle and atmosphere. Thanks for posting!!</p>

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<p>Thanks for posting about this, nycdad. I myself graduated from NYU (from a graduate program) and have taught undergraduates at NYU for several years. I care deeply about the NYU community. I also think that prospective students should find out as much as they possibly can about NYU 2031. The main reason would be, for me (if I were thinking of applying to NYU, and also because I’m contemplating whether to stay at NYU), that it’s a multi-billion-dollar expansion project being taken on during a period of economic stress (and while NYU has also just built 2 new campuses across the world). I would want to know if the school I was interested in was embarking on an enormous project that will be a key part of the university’s resources in the coming years.</p>

<p>FYI, some of the key questions that are on the minds of faculty these days – and some students, as they come to learn more about what the Plan actually is:
-How will NYU finance the plan? How will they pay for such a large project without raising tuition further and enlarging the student population (when NYU”s already one of the 2 largest private universities in the country)? NYU’s also one of the most heavily indebted student populations in the US… is the 2031 Plan worth extra student debt, tuition dollars, administrative resources, and bigger class sizes?
-Will the Plan benefit you as a student? While you’re there? Find out what the new buildings are for. After 10 years of construction, only 18% of the new space will be for academic usage (classrooms, labs, and the like). The rest will be parking lots, retail space, dorms, and various offices.<br>
-NYU’s Arts & Sciences provost wrote to the faculty just today and called NYU “a tuition-dependent university with a small per student endowment.” Your tens of thousands of tuition dollars (or the money you borrow, or your scholarship money) will go directly into this plan (in other words, it won’t be investment or endowment money, which might be the case at a richer school), which will last 19 years (if it’s completed on schedule). Is it what you want your University to focus on? What will happen to the outlook of financial aid figures if this is a priority? </p>

<p>I’m not against expansion or refurbishment overall – I think NYU has lots of good reasons to want more and new space. Based on what I’ve seen over the years, if I were a student, I would want more space for student organizations, sports, performances… I would also want resources going to health services, financial aid, advising and mentoring, etc. It’s important to ask if NYU’s priorities for the next 2 decades are your (and your family’s) priorities. And is NYU"s academic excellence and reputation going to increase… or would this plan not affect it or even damage it?</p>

<p>Just a small point: It’s incorrect that, as argued above, “Construction will not be happening near the academic buildings or freshmen dorms.” The main area of new construction is directly south of Washington Square Park – and will begin across Bleecker St from the main library, Bobst. Where students spend a great deal of time researching, writing papers, studying for exams, going to class, and meeting with other students.</p>

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<p>So let me add some facts on the propaganda being spewed by this guy. This is some bitter old dude who lives across the street from where the construction is going to occur. He has been sending this nonsense to anyone who would listen. </p>

<p>When NYU sold it’s Bronx campus in the 1970s, it was during a tough economic climate that brought to light the infeasibility of two separate campuses, especially so far from one another. </p>

<p>NYU has already been through the worst economic crisis since the great depression (did you all for get the 2008 market crash already???) and no significant issues arose. To me, this university has done a fantastic job at creating a quality institution that it never was just 20 years ago. NYU was a lame commuter school and now is an academic powerhouse. </p>

<p>The faculty (who are near by the construction) and this “Village resident” only are thinking about themselves here. Folks: WELCOME TO NYC. Where construction happens EVERYWHERE. Not to mention, that the property value for this guys house has probably skyrocketed with the developments that NYU has made over the years. YOU’RE WELCOME.</p>

<p>Just a small point: The construction will occur in Washington square village, a complex that houses no undergrads and is between two enormous (and ugly) structures. Near the library but not next to it.</p>

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<p>Oh yes, the Bronx campus was incredibly far from Washington Square. Much further than Abu Dhabi, I’m sure. </p>

<p>Just the faculty and one lone village resident? What about the thousands of residents, faculty, alumni, students and shopkeepers who turned out for dozens of Community Board and City Council hearings to voice their overwhelming opposition to this plan. The Community Board voted unanimously against the plan. But NYU wasn’t listening, and apparently you weren’t either.</p>

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<p>And how conveniently you forgot to acknowledge the law suit filed by the faculty, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and nine other local community groups. For GVSHP, this is the first time in its history that it’s gone to court to block a building plan.</p>

<p>For those who’d truly like to better understand why the expansion plan has set off such a large debate throughout the entire Greenwich Village/NYU community, I suggest you get a copy of “While We Were Sleeping,” a collection of essays written by writers and artists from the Village. It’s available from the Faculty’s web site, [NYUFASP</a> :: NYUFASP & StandUp4NYC](<a href=“http://www.nyufasp.com%5DNYUFASP”>http://www.nyufasp.com), or from the McNally-Jackson bookstore, [McNally</a> Jackson Books](<a href=“http://www.mcnallyjackson.com%5DMcNally”>http://www.mcnallyjackson.com)</p>