NYU president Linda Mills and other administrators addressed restricted access to the Kimmel Center for University Life staircase and “a number of complaints about doxxing trucks” on campus since October at a student government-led discussion Thursday, which focused on tensions on campus due to the Israel-Hamas war. At the discussion, Mills also raised the possibility of NYU establishing “an India site.”
Student government chair Ryan Carney monitored the webinar, which included Mills, Interim Provost Georgina Dopico, Campus Safety head Fountain Walker and Senior Vice President for University Life Jason Pina, as they answered questions submitted by students and other attendees.
At the start of the conversation, Mills recognized the loss of life in the Israel-Hamas war, and said she is “painfully aware” that students from different backgrounds are being affected by the conflict. Mills reiterated NYU’s 10 Point Plan, which saw the university increase Campus Safety and police presence at its Washington Square and Brooklyn campuses, and said the last few months “have tested the bars of our community.”
“Members of our community have lost loved ones in the terrorist attack on Oct. 7, and they have lost loved ones in Gaza,” Mills said. “People on our campus are hurting and in many cases have turned to those that are closest to them to protect and support them.”
Walker said the Department of Campus Safety has received “a number of complaints” about “doxxing trucks” around Bobst Library and the Kimmel Center, adding that the department’s collaboration with the New York City Police Department has been “instrumental” in preventing suspicious activity on campus. Walker noted the absence of an “explicit policy” at NYU prohibiting “doxxing” or identifying students online, and also addressed the recent closure of the Kimmel staircase, attributing it to safety concerns and providing no estimate as to when they would reopen.
“Given the level of activity in and around Washington Square Park, we felt that it was reasonable to have a balanced approach to temporarily restrict the access to them in order to ensure your safety and ability to participate in all aspects of university life,” Walker said. “As far as when it will be open, time will tell.”
Since the beginning of the war, NYU has reviewed more than 90 student conduct cases “related to current concerns,” according to a Nov. 30 universitywide email from administrators. The university also said several students have faced disciplinary action since the start of the war, including “significant suspensions.”
At the webinar, Mills clarified that international students will also be included in the NYU Promise, which will cover tuition for all incoming students in households earning annual incomes of $100,000 or less starting in the fall 2024 semester. Toward the end of the discussion, Mills also spoke about the university’s global partnerships, briefly mentioning the possibility of opening a “global academic center” in India.
“I intend to take a trip at some point in February to visit so that I can better appreciate the complexity and the interest of our students, faculty and staff in terms of what an India site looks like,” Mills said. “Just as we do with any new global academic center and global opportunity, we will bring faculty together to start to ask questions about what the curriculum looks like and engage students in that process.”
In an interview with WSN, Carney said the SGA had been planning for the fireside chat since this past spring semester, and that it is planning a similar event for next semester.
“We really wanted to make sure that when we get questions, that administrators that work directly on that would be able to answer it,” Carney said. “It was a good opportunity for administrators to hear directly from students.”
Contact Krish Dev at [email protected].
