Statement of Bill Pfeiffer
Director, Office of Civic Engagement
Before the New York City Planning Commission
For the Public Hearing on The New York University Core Project
Good Afternoon
My name is Bill Pfeiffer. I have lived in both the East and West Village for 19 years, and over the last 17 years, I have had the privilege of working within the Office of Civic Engagement at New York University.
Today we've heard a number of people speak about NYU as one of the city's largest employers and one of the nation's leading universities for scholarship and research, but NYU is also a model institution for how through its civic engagement and community service programs, help strengthen and contribute to the larger community.
From year long volunteer commitments, to community-based internships and employment programs, NYU's community engagement is nationally recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching & Curricular Engagement as well as the President's Higher Education Service Honor Roll.
As you might imagine, coordinating and properly preparing for the engagement of nearly 15,000 individuals annually requires a great deal of space and resources.
For example, each and every year we are faced with the challenge of finding classroom, event and training space to hire and train our 950 America Reads/America Counts and Jumpstart tutors who collectively work in over 75 NYC public schools and nonprofit organizations...
Every year it becomes increasingly difficult for us to help our nonprofit and DOE partner schools to identify space on campus for:
- Committee and board meetings
- Events and performances
- As well as graduation ceremonies for scores of NYC elementary and high schools.
In addition to generating new knowledge, critical research and new technologies, NYU needs ore space in it’s core area to continue our long tradition of providing the 'human capital" to our beloved schools and nonprofit organizations, as well as to ensure that we properly prepare the next generation of nonprofit, educational and public leaders.
NYU has been an integral member of the village community for close to 200 years and a lifeline to the NYC economy. In order for NYU to remain competitive and to continue to live up to its motto as a "private university in the public service", it desperately needs more space to fulfill its mission – and it deserves the endorsement of it’s 2031 plan.
