Academic Year 2006-07

We want to update you on the status of some ongoing campus priorities, provide information on some matters on which we have been working, and highlight some new issues for this academic year.

ACADEMICS

We are drawn together as a great gathering of scholars and students. This is the essential nature of our research university: amassing people of talent to create new knowledge, to teach, and to learn.

Partners Update

Building on the current stellar faculty at NYU, we have embarked on an effort to expand and strengthen our arts and science core, which lies at the heart of all great universities. The Partners Plan had great success in the 2005-06 academic year: 57 new faculty members were appointed - 11 senior appointments, 18 mid-career appointments, 24 junior appointments, three Global Distinguished Professorship appointments, and one Distinguished Writer in Residence. In the past two-plus years of the Partners Initiative, the Faculty of Arts and Science, Courant Institute, and Institute of Fine Arts have hired 122 new faculty (ultimately, these schools expect to hire some 250 new faculty, 125 of whom will expand the arts and science faculty, and 125 of whom will replace existing faculty who leave or retire). The recruitment successes we have seen in the Partners Initiative are emblematic of the outstanding faculty hiring across the University.

New NYU Global Programs

New York City is the most global of all cities, and NYU shares its outlook. Our vision of globalization takes many forms: sending students to study abroad at our many overseas sites; recruiting international students to New York and other facilities; and creating special professorships and fellowships that bring top international scholars to our campus for an extended time. NYU also sends more students to study abroad than any other college or university. This fall, we are again expanding our global reach: we have opened two new Study Abroad sites, one in Shanghai in partnership with East China Normal University, and one in Paris in partnership with the American University of Paris. NYU in Shanghai, our first campus in Asia, is currently hosting 18 students (Fall 2006), with expectations to expand to 40 students this coming spring. We intend to reach at least 100 per semester within a few years. NYU at AUP, which currently hosts 17 students, is expected to host approximately 40 students next semester and grow to 100 students per semester in coming years. Ten years ago, less than 10 percent of undergraduates studied abroad. Today, approximately one quarter of our students do so. Our goal is to raise this number to 50 percent within the next few years and, in conjunction with our faculty, we are now considering new options in Latin America and the Middle East.

The Institute for Study of the Ancient World

The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World has been established through a gift from the Leon Levy Foundation. The institute will be a graduate research and degree-granting program that will be dedicated to the study of the ancient world and to advancing our knowledge of the past. The institute will revolutionize the study of antiquity by examining the ancient world across spatial, temporal, and disciplinary boundaries, and will bring together scholars from diverse fields for the purpose of research and study. A search committee, composed of outstanding scholars and chaired by Professor Daniel Fleming, is currently seeking strong candidates for the institute's first director and hopes to submit recommendations to President Sexton early next term.

The General Studies Program

This fall, the General Studies Program, which had reported administratively to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, was administratively transferred to the Faculty of Arts and Science. The decision to transfer GSP was made to bring the administrative and budgetary functions of GSP in line with its academic function as primarily an undergraduate liberal arts program. GSP's curriculum is a liberal arts curriculum; its faculty is a liberal arts faculty; and the vast majority of its students want to pursue a liberal arts education after completing GSP. In the short term, the transfer will be largely invisible to GSP students, since there were no academic changes involved in the transfer. The provost, together with the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Affairs chaired by Dean Matthew Santirocco, expects this move to start a broader conversation on the issue of undergraduate liberal arts programs at NYU.

Gallatin Dean's Search

The search committee is pursuing its dedicated effort to identify and present outstanding candidates to become the next dean of Gallatin. We are grateful that Interim Dean Ali Mirsepassi has agreed to continue serving in that position for this academic year, ensuring a smooth transition when a permanent appointment is made.

Humanities Initiative

A new university-wide "Humanities Initiative" will enhance and expand the role of the current Humanities Council. Led by Jane Tylus, the vice provost for academic affairs, beginning in 2007 the initiative is expected to sponsor a number of new programs, including annual fellowships for full-time humanities faculty and graduate students, two-year working research groups, summer stipends for faculty interested in preparing team-taught courses, and an annual major conference on the state of the humanities.

Information Technology

Our information technology infrastructure is a crucial element in the conduct of research; communication; and teaching, learning and studying at NYU.

• Since September 2005, the University has increased access for wireless users in the area of the Washington Square campus by making NYU Roam available in an additional 700,000 square feet of University space through the installation of an additional 300 wireless transmitters. Next semester, wireless access will become available at Villa La Pietra, and we are working on mechanisms to make it easier for those attending conferences to access the network temporarily beginning in the spring.
• ITS has created a Podcasting Production Studio and greatly expanded the Advanced Media Studio at its Multimedia Center.
• All four ITS computer labs were upgraded to gigabit networking, and last year the labs had over 500,000 visits, a record number.

Environmental Studies

This year we are in the process of adding a new interdisciplinary undergraduate major housed in CAS: environmental studies. Our faculty is working to launch the program in fall 2007. The issue of climate change is one of the most pressing and important of our time, and the creation of this new major reflects the high degree of student interest in sustainability and the environment.

STUDENTS

Over the last five years, one of our most important undertakings has been a sustained, dedicated effort to building a sense of community for NYU's students. At NYU, we are not building a single community, but a complex set of communities, reflecting the diverse interests of our students and the diverse character of our city.

Career Development

The Office of Career Services has been reborn in its new, state-of-the-art facility in the Palladium Residence Hall as the Wasserman Center for Career Development, with expanded hours and services.

Student Resource Center

The Student Resource Center, which provides guidance and support to students in their academic and co-curricular lives and answers their questions, is increasing its visibility and presence with a new awareness effort aimed at students. Last year, the center saw dramatic expansions in the number of students assisted - walk-in visits increased by 60 percent and calls increased by 40 percent. This year a new awareness campaign will raise the SRC's profile even higher.

Residential Education

• We have once again expanded our academically-themed "Exploration" floors throughout the residence hall system. This fall, there are 40 floors, bringing students and faculty members together around intellectual interests ranging from "Science and Technology in the 21st Century" to "Writing New York."
• Following the unanimous recommendation of a committee of students, faculty, and staff concerned with student health, this fall NYU's residence halls were made smoke-free as of September 2006.
• This fall, we enhanced the community-building we've been doing in the last few years through the creation of freshman clusters by giving sophomores priority in the housing lottery, thereby creating communities of sophomores closer to campus.

Student Health

• A new operational model has been implemented at the Student Health Center to increase healthcare access for students. Students now have access to primary care services, women's health, counseling and wellness, and basic diagnostic tests at no cost or minimal cost. Even at this early stage of the 2006-07 academic year, the SHC has already provided more health care than last year.
• Our student health insurance plans also saw enhancements this year. For those with the Basic Plan, the lifetime maximum was increased by 33 percent, and the annual outpatient maximum per condition was increased 100 percent. For those with the Comprehensive Plan and GSHIP Plan for graduate assistants and fully-funded graduate students, not only was the lifetime maximum increased by 67 percent, but the pharmacy annual maximum benefit was increased by 50 percent.
• As part of an eight college consortium, NYU received a $382,000 grant to improve care for depression by better integrating primary care and counseling services.
• As part of several cosponsored events, free flu shots will be offered in the student residence halls and at Coles Sports and Recreation Center during the fall semester.

Reynolds Fellowships in Social Entrepreneurship

This fall, our first group of nine undergraduates and 16 graduate students has begun participating in the NYU Reynolds Program in Social Entrepreneurship. Created through the generosity of Catherine Reynolds, the program supports a group of competitively selected students who are trained through a cross-disciplinary approach to solve social problems and add social value.

Graduate Student Voice

Over the summer, a Structure Committee composed of graduate and teaching assistants throughout the university worked on the process of electing a new governance mechanism for all GAs and TAs who are fully funded with stipends and benefits. The basic construct was proposed by the university-wide Graduate Affairs Committee last spring. The election of a representative House of Delegates is expected to take place this term; this group will, in turn, select a Special Conference Committee to meet with the University administration on issues of concern to fully-funded graduate assistants on various issues including future financial aid and benefits.

Jump Start

Since the inception of the America Reads program in 1997, NYU has distinguished itself by having the largest program in the nation. Currently 900 - 1,000 students participate in America Reads/America Counts, offering 10,000 hours per week of instructional assistance to New York City school children in over 100 public schools. This fall, NYU is participating in a new program: Jump Start. Jump Start will take the same successful energy of America Reads/America Counts and apply it to early childhood education sites. A cadre of 50 NYU students will inaugurate the program this fall.

Student Responsibility Campaign

As a University in and of the city, each member of the NYU community is, in effect, an ambassador to the neighbors who live nearby. We believe that our students take that relationship seriously, as evinced by the thousands and thousands of hours of community service they undertake each year in local schools and social service organizations. To make that relationship stronger, the Office of Government and Community Relations - working in conjunction with student groups, student affairs offices, and local community leaders - will lead an effort to create a "responsibility campaign," to reduce underage drinking and to help students understand their responsibilities to our neighbors to behave well and create a neighborhood atmosphere of which we can all be proud.

"Know Where to Go"

Over the last few years, NYU has done extensive emergency planning work. This year, we have started a new awareness campaign: "Know Where to Go." NYU's Security Officers are a ubiquitous, round-the-clock presence on campus. In the event of an emergency, they have multiple mechanisms for receiving the latest guidance from the University about where to go and what to do. In an emergency, know where to go - look for an NYU Security Officer.

THE HEALTH ENTERPRISE

The new academic year will be a significant one in many ways for the health enterprise at NYU. Before going on to discuss specific health-related initiatives, we would like to note the recent passing of our long-time colleague Saul Farber, a true leader in the world of academic medicine. His contributions to NYU's students, faculty, and patients, over a half a century of dedicated work, will bring benefits to us all for years to come.

Global MPH

Seven weeks ago, a spectacular inaugural class began what is a first for NYU - a University degree that is offered through a collaboration among faculty from five schools: Medicine, Wagner, Steinhardt, Dentistry and Nursing, and Social Work. The Masters in Global Public Health is designed for individuals with at least one degree beyond the bachelors who desire to integrate theory, research, and practice in global issues in public health to enrich and expand their knowledge and reach as professionals. Many faculty have contributed to this new venture under the leadership of Professor and former dean Jo Boufford in the Wagner School and Professor Karen Day, Chair of the Department of Medical Parisitology in the School of Medicine. By drawing on faculty across schools, the degree enables students to prepare for the complex challenges they will face in global public health. The 45 students who have enrolled include physicians, dentists, health policy analysts, pharmacists, social workers, finance experts, and nurses, just to name a few.

The Smilow Research Building

Several months ago, we celebrated the opening of the Smilow Research Building, a state-of-the-art facility devoted to translational research. Along with the appointments of outstanding faculty, including many new chairs, this stands as one of Dean Bob Glickman's most significant accomplishments.

School of Medicine Dean's Search

This past spring, Bob Glickman, dean of the NYU School of Medicine and CEO of NYU Hospital, announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the 2006-07 academic year, ending an outstanding nine year run. A search committee for a new dean/CEO, composed of faculty, trustees, a student, and a fellow, began its work in May under the leadership of Professor Joe Zuckerman, chairman of the Department of Orthopedics. The committee expects to present a list of candidates to President Sexton early in 2007. We want to thank the entire committee for its commitment to this search.

College of Dentistry

Leadership changes are also taking place in the College of Dentistry with Dean Mike Alfano having assumed the post of NYU's executive vice president this past July. We are fortunate that Richard Vogel, executive associate dean for academic programs, has agreed to serve as interim dean until Mike's successor begins. The search committee for Dean Alfano's successor - composed of faculty, students, and administrators, and led by Professor Louis Terracio - was charged by President Sexton last month. We expect the committee to submit its list of candidates in the first few months of 2007. Also of note:

• The College of Dentistry and the College of Nursing have completed their first year as an integrated academic unit, and the initial reviews have met or exceeded the objectives set for this unique merger. Strong bonds have been initiated between the dental and nursing faculty, and the transition was seamless for students.
• Under the leadership of Dean Terry Fulmer and her colleagues at the College of Nursing, enrollment has been growing and we expect an increase in nursing faculty. The seeds have been planted for joint research projects and several exciting new models of healthcare delivery.
• In the College of Dentistry, research funding continues to increase, and the college now ranks sixth in terms of NIH research support, up from 41st eight years ago. A new thematic based, technology enhanced curriculum has been implemented, and the use of the faculty-staff development center has reached an all-time high. The College of Dentistry has also set a school record in philanthropy, much of which has funded its ambitious capital renovation program.

The NYU Medical Center

Since 2001, when the relationship with Mt. Sinai Hospital effectively ended on the operational side, the NYU Hospital and the School of Medicine have been operating independently as an academic medical center; however, the two hospitals have jointly shared debt. This month, the joint and several debt was refinanced, and this chapter in hospital governance will be completed. Among other matters of note:

• The merger between NYU Hospital and the Hospital for Joint Diseases (HJD), inaugurated on January 1, 2006, has progressed well, and HJD's strength in musculoskeletal diseases will prove to be important as our population ages and new forms of treatment emerge.
• Both Bellevue Hospital, a city hospital, and the Manhattan VA Hospital are staffed by NYU faculty through major affiliation agreements; along with NYU's Tisch Hospital, all three are sites for clinical care, teaching, and research. Our relationship with Bellevue Hospital has never been stronger, and the recent decision by the Department of Veterans Administration to strengthen the Manhattan VA Hospital was due in part to the relationship with NYU and the high-quality care we provide for veterans. Bob Glickman, Vice Dean Andrew Brotman, Medical Center Board Chair Ken Langone, and Senior Associate Dean Gilda Ventresca-Ecroyd played key roles in representing NYU in the VA decision-making process.
• The NYU Clinical Cancer Center, a powerful example of the high quality that emerges when research and teaching are combined with clinical care, has achieved an excellent reputation, and it is now operating in a new integrated facility on 34th Street.
• The NYU Child Study Center, an area of excellence at NYU, has recently been recognized and designated a New York State Center of Excellence by Governor George Pataki, paving the way for an expanded effort to address the difficult and often under-researched mental health problems in children and adolescents.
• In a survey by the Leapfrog Group - a business consortium that represents 34 million employees from Fortune 500 and other companies and that is dedicated to improving patient safety and quality - NYU Medical Center has been named among the top 50 hospitals in the nation. This year's Hospital Quality and Safety Survey asked hospitals about their awareness and action on 30 practices related to four categories of quality and patient safety: computerized physician ordering systems, ICU physician staffing, performance in high-risk procedures, and prevention of medical errors. Of the 1,200 hospitals that participated in the survey, only three from New York were recognized as "Leapfrog Top Hospitals."

The Center for Catastrophe Preparedness

The Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response has tapped the expertise of faculty to develop projects across the University, ranging from disaster response plans in the School of Medicine and College of Dentistry; to assessment of federal legislation in the Wagner School; to computer modeling of mass health emergencies by faculty in Courant, Medicine, and Dentistry; to an examination of the interface between public perceptions and societal trends by faculty in sociology; and to the sophisticated legal analysis of issues related to terrorism at the Law School's Center for Law and Security.

SPACE AND FACILITIES

The Green Action Plan

At the October 5 University Senate meeting, the University unveiled a new sustainability initiative, the "Green Action Plan." As a key first step in this effort, we announced that NYU would purchase 118,000,000 KWh of wind energy, an amount equal to the electricity the University purchases from Con Ed each year. This purchase makes NYU the largest buyer of wind energy among U.S. colleges and universities, and the largest buyer in New York City. We have established a committee, to be headed by Sr. Vice President Lynne Brown and Vice President Alison Leary, to elicit and analyze suggestions for increasing sustainability on campus and to fund worthy projects submitted by students, staff and administrators, and faculty members. Importantly, NYU will be moving forward with the modernization and expansion of the University's co-generation facility, which will produce energy more efficiently and with fewer emissions.

Construction Projects

In a dense urban setting, creating new space for our academic enterprise or maintaining and upgrading existing space is a constant challenge. We would like to share with you a select sample of projects that have been completed, are underway, or that will soon begin:

• A new, state-of-the-art recording studio has been completed for the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music in the Tisch School of the Arts.
• Work has been completed to provide the sociology department with newly renovated and expanded office space in the Puck Building, which we hope will also allow for natural interactions with faculty from the Wagner School.
• New laboratory and office space has been completed for the physics department in the Meyer Building.
• Construction is underway on a new student residence hall on 12th Street, allowing us to leave the 200 Water Street facility, which we currently lease, and move our undergraduates closer to campus in a building NYU will own.
• New exam rooms were completed for the College of Nursing program in the College of Dentistry's Schwartz Building, furthering the integration of these important programs. Moreover, the College of Dentistry has just completed construction of a large sterilization facility, a modern pre-doctoral clinic, and a substantial increase in state-of-the-art research laboratory space.
• Sprinklers and a new fire alarm system were added to the Weinstein freshman residence, and other residential upgrades were also made over this past summer.
• As part of our deferred maintenance program, a number of Local Law 11 projects - which require building owners to inspect and repair facades regularly - have just been completed, are near completion, or are underway. These include the Silver Center, Bobst Library, the 26th Street Residence Hall, and Warren Weaver Hall, among others.
• Renovation is currently underway at 269 Mercer Street for the Departments of Politics and Economics; at 5 Washington Place for the Deparment of Philosophy Department; for the Creative Writing Program at the Lillian Vernon House; for the Department of Physic's Center for Soft Matter in the Meyer Building; for the Chemistry Department's Molecular Design Institute in Silver; and for the Department of Journalism at 20 Cooper Square, among other projects.
• The University is also finalizing plans for a major new science facility near Washington Square.

Campus Heritage Grant

This summer, NYU became the recipient of a Getty Foundation "Campus Heritage Grant." These prestigious grants have funded preservation planning projects at campuses across the nation. At NYU, the grant will be used to help identify the most historically and architecturally important of the University's buildings, to enable NYU to recapture the missing pieces of the history of those structures, and to create a plan to be even better stewards of those buildings going forward. These efforts will be an integral part of the University's strategic campus plan.

FUNDRAISING

NYU has just completed its largest and most successful fundraising year ever. Alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and foundations contributed over $397 million in gifts this past academic year, which is over $60 million more than last year's total and $35 million more than NYU's largest fundraising year back in 2001.

Now in its sixth year, the Campaign for NYU has raised over $1.8 billion towards our goal of $2.5 billion by 2008. We continue to emphasize idea-generated gifts that correspond to our academic strengths and priorities, that will change the face of the University, and that will create a lasting legacy in terms of the way knowledge is created and disseminated globally.

Some examples:

• Philanthropist and NYU alumna Constance J. Milstein (Arts '69) has pledged an initial $10 million to establish the "Collegiate Professorships/Collegiate Seminar Program," which will support the appointment of some 25 NYU faculty of any rank who will commit to teaching a Freshman Seminar for three years. As part of this commitment, faculty will also sponsor special mentoring activities such as monthly events related to the theme of the course and annual reunions of seminar participants. In addition, they will serve as informal academic advisers to their students both during the seminar and in subsequent years.
• As a part of the University's 175th anniversary this year, we launched the 175th Anniversary Scholarship Fund Campaign to increase support of financial aid across the campus. As a result of this important initiative, NYU received $67 million in new gifts and established 94 new scholarship or fellowship funds.
• This spring saw the opening and dedication of the new Jeffrey Gould Welcome Center, which provides a "gateway" to the campus for prospective students, families, alumni, and members of the local community.
• In addition, our alumni and parents continue to support the Fund for NYU, which provides each of the schools and institutes with the discretionary dollars they need to take advantage of opportunities for students and faculty. This year, our annual giving campaign had 1,800 more donors than last year, with the year's total reaching $18.3 million.

The Campaign for NYU is on track and continues to provide the resources needed to maintain NYU's position as one of the finest global research institutions in the world. It is also worth noting that on a recent list in USA Today of the largest gifts to colleges and universities, only one school appeared more than once: NYU (we made three appearances on the list).

NEW INITIATIVES FOR FACULTY, STAFF,
AND ADMINISTRATORS

Budget Recommendations from the Faculty Senators Council and the Administrative Management Council

Over the summer, the University administration worked with representatives of the Faculty Senators Council and the Administrative Management Council to continue conversations from spring 2006 on their budget recommendations. As a result of those consultations, we are pleased to announce the following enhancements will be made:

• Employee Health Insurance Improvements: The maximum out-of-pocket health costs that employees will have to pay through the NYU POS Plans will be reduced: out-of-network costs will be reduced from a planned maximum of $10,000 to $8,000, and maximum out-of-pocket, in-network costs will be maintained at the 2006 level of $3,500 for the POS Value Plan and $2,000 for the POS Advantage Plan.
• Improving Dental Coverage: NYU will increase the maximum annual reimbursement for dental coverage from $1,500 to $2,000 per covered person, and will increase the rate of reimbursement for dental procedures by 30 percent, costing employees less in out-of-pocket payments for dental care.
• More funds for Child Care: In response to interest to assist faculty members and administrators with childcare, the University has reserved an additional $750,000 per year. Vice Provost e. Frances White will be working with the two councils on how best to make use of these funds.
• Enhancing Tuition Benefits: Many employees take advantage of the tuition remission benefit; indeed, many consider it a particularly attractive aspect of working at NYU. The University will now reduce the fees associated with registration in a degree program by 50 percent for employees. In addition, we have established and announced an improved policy with regard to job-related graduate tuition remission.

Free Flu Shots for Employees

This year, for the first time, NYU invited all its employees to take advantage of free flu shots. The shots were offered on several days at several sites in a manner that optimized convenience to University employees.

CONCLUSION

The commitment of this community to improve the University is extraordinary, and it can be clearly seen in this select list of accomplishments and undertakings, as well as the many, many others we did not have space to mention here.

We look forward to an extremely successful 2006-07 academic year, and to working with everyone in a collegial environment on a campus that we trust will be "greener," healthier, and academically enriched.