On Monday, two days before the federal government halted for the first time in six years, NYU administrators sent a universitywide email briefing students and faculty on the then-potential shutdown. It didn’t say much, affirming that the shutdown would not have “immediate or significant repercussions” for the university. But the gesture marked a refreshing change of pace from NYU’s pattern of vague, delayed or entirely nonexistent communication with students.
Summarizing how the shutdown could affect financial aid, research funding and issuance of U.S. passports and visas, the email was brisk and reassuring. In just over 300 words, it clearly addressed the most well-known examples of federal influence at NYU — a rare occurrence, despite constant shifts in higher education policy. This past year’s leadership can be characterized by a stark disconnect between students and administration.
Universities, including NYU, have faced an onslaught of public threats since President Donald Trump took office in January. But in that time, students received only a few scant memos ambiguously addressing “Changes in Washington” — and almost all of them read as if administrators were trying to meet a word count without disclosing any real information.
In March, NYU President Linda Mills froze administrative hiring amid Trump’s escalating taunts, saying administrators identified “a number of financial risk areas” that could influence the university. Notice of the freeze, however, was quietly sent to faculty, staff and administrators — and students weren’t directly told until an annual budget overview at the end of June. Even when pressed for comment and clarification on specific topics, the university rarely offers more than 10-word statements that do little but remind students they’re left in the dark. Mills is an enigma to the student body, barely seen or heard, and has refused to display the administrative presence required to build trust with students and confront our tumultuous political landscape.
NYU has historically branded itself as a progressive institution and continues to boast its political programming and initiatives. But the university will not foster civically engaged students by merely mentioning these concepts in abstract. Instead, it can encourage political involvement by helping students understand how federal policies can directly affect their scholarships, research projects and club budgets.
At a 2019 University Senate meeting shortly after the last government shutdown, then-NYU President Andrew Hamilton noted that the 35-day pause did not affect NYU as much as anticipated. But that was over six years ago, and we live in a vastly different political climate. In fact, NYU directly suffered the ramifications of Trump’s executive power when multiple grants were terminated in January and “some” students and faculty faced visa revocations in April. Whatever safety net universities once had is now shrinking, if not completely gone already — leaving both institutions and millions of students in jeopardy.
NYU’s faltering in communication comes as both the university and New York City face heightened federal scrutiny. The president recently said that he wants to use cities he described as crime disaster zones as “training grounds for our military.” He is withholding $18 billion for public transportation in New York, and threatened to roll back even more if mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election. This, combined with Trump’s vows to investigate NYU for alleged antisemitism and “illegal” diversity initiatives, shows that assuming the president won’t shatter higher education on a petty whim is dangerously naive.
Administrators are naturally withholding information out of caution of speaking prematurely, foregoing clarity in fear of consequences. However, Monday’s email demonstrates that political developments can be addressed in a clean, comprehensive way while still adhering to the truth. Ideally, NYU would have the bandwidth to firmly stand up to Trump. But keeping students informed and giving them a reason to trust leadership is a critical step in the process.
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