Re-engineering

On March 7, 2008, Executive Vice President Michael C. Alfano outlined for the NYU community a new effort: a plan — called "Re-engineering" — to achieve $25 million per year in administrative savings that could be directed to supporting financial aid and our academic enterprise. On May 20, 2009, in response to the effects of the national recession and accompanying economic challenges, Dr. Alfano announced an expansion of the Re-engineering program called "Re-engineering II" that sought new savings from within the University administration, as well as savings within school-based administration. As of January 27, 2010 the Re-engineering efforts from the University Administration, not including school based Re-engineering efforts which are ongoing, have created structural efficiencies of $66 million per year which may be redeployed to academic programs and projects. This has the equivalent impact of increasing the NYU endowment by $1.3 billion.

Re-engineering I Task Forces

One of the key mechanisms for achieving the Re-engineering goals was the establishment of five task forces led by deans — on information technology, construction and facilities management, human resources policies, revenue programs, and university finance systems — to bring a fresh perspective and offer recommendations on these University management functions. For information on the work of these task forces (which was finished in the early summer of 2009) — their leadership, their membership, and notes and documents the task forces thought were relevant — please click here.

Re-engineering II Task Force

The original Re-engineering effort — announced in March 2008 — was intended to be accomplished without measures such as lay-offs, using other tools instead to achieve efficiencies and savings. As the national economy worsened in 2008 and 2009 and began to have an impact on the University budget, Re-engineering II was launched, and with it a new and more aggressive set of tools, including job eliminations. Because some of these strategies either required collaboration across schools or units or because the strategies might have a significant impact on components of the University not actually implementing the strategy, it was deemed wise that these restructuring techniques be subjected to more careful centralized review before implementation. The Re-Engineering II Task Force was composed of administrators and faculty drawn together from across the University who could offer objective, analytic views on the proposed strategies; working together in teams, members of the Re-Engineering II Task Force prepared reports on all the proposals described as "Specific Strategies" in Dr. Alfano's May 2009 memo to the NYU community, evaluating them for possible savings and service impacts. To view their final findings and recommendations and link to other Re-Engineering II information, click here.