In line with President Hamilton’s ongoing affordability efforts, the office of the President hosted the first of five public discussions on Wednesday afternoon to brainstorm ideas for improving affordability at NYU.

This public discussion follows Hamilton’s numerous steps to improve affordability, including increasing the student worker minimum wage to $15 an hour within the next three years. Hamilton has also announced his proposal to  freeze housing and meal plan costs, a reduction to the yearly increase of tuition rates and conversion of over 600 beds in NYU housing as “low-cost.” While NYU admits the steps are modest, public discussions as held today in the Kimmel Eisner and Lubin Auditorium help collect more student input to continue to improve affordability.

However, student turnout was scarce. Most of the discussion took place between different members of the Affordability Steering Committee and Working Group representing different parts of NYU.

The brainstorming session began with the participants writing down ideas onto pink note cards. They were then tasked with placing them on boards to most efficiently organize their ideas according to certain categories; the categories included “Time to Degree,” “Administrative Efficiencies,” “Masters / Grad School Programs,” “Policy Changes” and “Indirect Costs” such as food, transportation or books.

Participants then discussed the ideas they wrote on the pink note cards, creating a group orange notecard that would then also be placed on the board. At the end of the event, all participants would have three votes to demonstrate what the most important or innovative idea presented was.

The highest voted idea at Wednesday’s event was allowing for undergrads, mainly upperclassmen, to pursue “intentional pathways” to full-time employment, an option now only available to graduate students. Other ideas included having online lectures to cut cost, and providing a sort of NYU Craigslist, where students can offer services online that other students could benefit from as a form of work. All ideas brainstormed will be evaluated by the Affordability Steering Committee and taken into consideration.

The Affordability Steering Committee also created a website where students are already giving substantial amounts of feedback and ideas to improve affordability.

Ellen Schall, Senior Presidential Fellow and organizer of the event, noted the vast number of students who have already participated in the online forums.

“We have had 2,382 people have logged in, 142 ideas, 8,733 votes, and 252 comments,” Schall said. “We realized that the bigger moves [on affordability] would have to take the thought process of the whole community.”

Emily Gadd, Administrative Manager of the President’s office, noted that the discussion on the online platform has inspired different ideas and collaboration online.

“We’ve learned things from people commenting on ideas, as well,” Gadd said. “People saying ‘well actually, this wouldn’t help,’ or ‘this is why we do this!’ which has been very helpful.”

The next “How Might We” Affordability Brainstorming Session will take place on Wednesday, April 13 at 4 p.m. at the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life Grand Hall.

Email Carlos Rodriguez at [email protected].