Earlier this month, the Boards of Trustees of NYU and the Polytechnic Institute of NYU approved the final steps to formally make NYU-Poly the NYU School of Engineering.
After the official steps are taken, all NYU-Poly students will become NYU students and will be able to participate in NYU student events, have access to university buildings and participate in NYU student clubs. NYU-Poly undergraduate and graduate students will also be able to take classes at the schools of NYU and apply to study at the university’s global sites.
The process is expected to be complete by September 2014.
“The announcement by the boards of NYU and NYU-Poly marks an important milestone in the integration of the two institutions,” said K.R. Sreenivasan, provost of NYU-Poly. “It will make both of our schools stronger and more competitive.”
In 2007, the Polytechnic Institute and NYU began conversing about a possible affiliation. A year later, Poly renamed itself NYU-Poly.
NYU spokesman Philip Lentz said the affiliation from 2007 benefites NYU-Poly by increasing applications, geographic diversity, research funds, graduation rate and new faculty hires.
“[The integration will] enable NYU to re-establish technology and engineering capabilities within our comprehensive research university,” Lentz said.
He added that the strength of NYU and NYU-Poly’s partnership helped gain approval from the city for a new applied science institute, the Center for Urban Science and Progress.
But many students have yet to feel a connection between the schools. Eugene Dobry, a NYU-Poly sophomore, said he does not feel connected to the general NYU community.
“While we are technically NYU students, us Poly kids don’t feel like we’re really a part of NYU,” Dobry said. “We’re mostly engineers, [NYU kids are] mostly liberal arts students. There’s a lot of mutual disdain.”
Tisch sophomore Caroline Kaplan agreed with Dobry.
“I don’t feel connected to NYU-Poly at all,” she said. “I sometimes forget that it’s even associated with NYU.”
Though NYU-Poly sophomore Sandy Amoakohene said she does feel connected to NYU, she said being in Brooklyn makes it a bit harder to become involved in the NYU community. As a member of the Poly and NYU Navigators, Amoakohene attends weekly meetings at NYU. She eats in NYU dining halls and studies at Bobst Library.
“I believe the merge will give Poly students access to a lot more resources,” Amoakohene said.
Jason Blonstein, a professor of Science Education, said the official merge will be beneficial.
“A major university ought to have a school of engineering, not only as a focus of applied science but as a university hub of creativity in art and design, and associated information technology,” he said. “Poly having engineers of so many kinds complements the pure arts and sciences offered at NYU.”
Bruce Garetz, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Poly, agreed.
“Engineering and technology are key areas of endeavor that can interact strongly with the medical, dental and scientific research done at various schools of NYU, to provide a synergy that hasn’t existed at NYU for forty years,” Garetz said.“Students will have a broader range of course offerings and research opportunities. Faculty members will have greater opportunities for research collaboration across the different schools of NYU.”
A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Oct. 22 print edition. Lesley Greenberg is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].
