NYU said it had reviewed over 70 more conduct cases “related to current concerns” — adding to the 90 student conduct cases the university had initially investigated in November — in an update on the university’s website yesterday. In the update, signed by NYU president Linda Mills and vice president for university life Jason Pina, administrators said a “significant number” of the cases involved individuals unaffiliated with the university or who were not identifiable, and that most of them have been processed and closed.
Mills and Pina also said that the pace of incident reports has consistently declined since last semester, and that while NYU had “received hundreds of reports that students had defaced or removed posters depicting Israeli hostages,” most of them referred to “the same few underlying incidents.” Administrators reiterated that the university is prohibited from sharing specific details on any investigations due to federal privacy laws. A link to the update was included in an email from administrators communicating spring semester updates Monday afternoon.
The update included information on changes to security on campus, with administrators saying the university has added more than 28,000 extra hours for Campus Safety officers since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and over 6,000 additional hours for New York City Police Department officers. Administrators said that NYU has “experienced more significant engagement” with student groups and advocates surrounding “rules around protest and dissent.”
“We appreciate that, even when there is strong disagreement, many try to find ways to share and express their views in a way that does not interfere with others’ ability to learn and live in peace,” the update reads. “A number of protests have occurred this semester without restriction and without incident, in compliance with NYU’s rules and in keeping with our commitment to academic freedom.”
Administrators also said the university has continued to offer trainings for combating antisemitism and Islamophobia more frequently, and that hundreds of NYU community members have participated in these programs. They said that all senior administrators and chiefs of staff had completed “Jewish Ally Zone and Muslim Ally Zone trainings.”
The update noted listening sessions hosted by Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life and the Islamic Center during the fall semester, which involved hundreds of students. It also included information on planned constructive dialogue programs for all first-year residential students.
The recent update builds on the university’s 10 Point Plan, a series of guidelines for safety and conduct first announced in October. The plan, which has received some criticism for increasing law enforcement presence on campus and been accused of restricting protest activity, was rolled out amid reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents on campus.
Over the last few months, there have been various protests related to the Israel-Hamas war on and near campus, with most being pro-Palestinian. In response, NYU issued guidelines for student conduct, which included rules on signs, social media activity and protest behavior.
A university spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Contact Maisie Zipfel at [email protected].
