Even though the majority of NYU students left the Washington Square campus following the end of the spring term, the world of news kept spinning throughout the summer break. In addition to the appointment of Gene Jarrett as the new CAS dean and the sentencing of the NYU student who, along with his friends, murdered albatrosses in cold blood, here are some of the top stories you might have missed from this summer.

The 2017-18 Budget

NYU Provost Katherine Fleming and Executive Vice President Martin Dorph emailed NYU’s 2017-18 budget to the NYU community May 15. NYU’s proposed operating budget will increase by seven percent for a total of $3.276 billion.

The memorandum reiterated NYU President Andrew Hamilton’s commitment to affordability by citing that tuition and fees will increase by 2.9 percent and room and board will increase by 0.6 percent for most incoming freshmen. In previous years, tuition and fees had increased by 3.5 to 3.9 percent each year, according to an affordability update from Feb. 18, 2016.

The email also noted the new provision of a low-cost meal plan option for freshmen and the increased availability of low-cost housing options. The scholarship aid budget will increase by 6.1 percent to a total of $435 million. As well as detailing a $130 million increase in endowment, the email listed all of the projects NYU will undertake this academic year, including 181 Mercer St., the renovation of Tandon’s Rogers Hall and 404 Lafayette St., which will house the College of Global Public Health.

NYU Shanghai Has First Graduation Ceremony

NYU Shanghai, the university established by NYU and East China Normal University, celebrated its first graduation ceremony May 28, according to NYUSH’s website. The 264 graduates and their loved ones packed Shanghai’s Oriental Arts Center and listened to various speakers from the NYUSH community impart advice and bode their farewells.

Hamilton was among those who addressed students. He discussed the symbolic importance the graduates would have in the university’s history.

“The members of the Class of 2017 graduating today from NYU Shanghai are pioneers — they are the first class to graduate from this extraordinary experiment in global education,” Hamilton said. “They also are the embodiment of our hopes for the future as they leave this campus ready to assume the responsibilities of global citizens and leaders in the arts, sciences, humanities, business, and engineering.”

Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl TV Tower lit up violet May 27 and 28 to congratulate the new alumni.

NYU IT Revamps Online Systems

NYU Global Home officially replaced NYUHome July 1, according to NYU’s website. When NYU IT first made the new platform available to the entire NYU community in January, students could opt out of usage, but it is now a permanent fixture. Along with a more modern, interactive interface, Global Home also allows users to customize their profiles, creating a more personalized user experience.

NYU IT also announced via email that this fall, NYU IT will require users to set up Multi-Factor Authentication in order to access most NYU digital services. MFA makes it harder for hackers to access students’ account by having students confirm their identity on a separate device — like through a text message sent to smartphones — when logging in with their NYU NetID and password, according to NYU’s website. More information about how to implement MFA can be found on NYU’s website, under the University Life and Information Technology tabs.

A version of this article appeared in the Sunday, Aug. 27 print edition. Email Sierra Jackson at [email protected].