This past Wednesday, April 2, students and faculty crowded into Yagoda Commons for the second and final Town Hall Meeting of the year. After receiving a number of emails from the President over the course of the semester, students were anxious to hear what announcements President Joel would make in person.
President Joel began his remarks by acknowledging the quadrennial Chag HaSemikhah celebration which took place on the Wilf campus. He also announced that the Presidential Medallion will be awarded to previous provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Morton Lowengrub at this year’s commencement.
President Joel proceeded into the issue at the forefront of everyone’s minds: Yeshiva University’s current financial status. President Joel explained that the current dismal fiscal situation was a result of overspending in order to provide the best education possible. He added that although YU has over two billion dollars in assets, it is currently facing liquidity challenges. YU will continue to provide an excellent education for its students, but will need to become more sustainable in order to do so.
A decision that resulted from this mode of thinking is the selling of residence buildings in Washington Heights, for which YU received a substantial profit. President Joel confirmed that class sizes will increase and sections will need to combine. He assured students that both financial and merit-based scholarships will continue and that shuttle services will continue to run. President Joel announced that renovations to the outdoor mall on 185th St. will be completed by the end of next summer, and that the Gottesman library will undergo renovation as per a private donor’s request. After listing some of the achievements YU has accomplished this year, President Joel concluded that, “If you want to blame anyone, blame me.”
Following his announcements, President Joel introduced incoming Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Selma Botman. Dr. Botman expressed her excitement about joining the YU community and encouraged students to introduce themselves, both inside and outside the classroom. Next year she will be teaching a class on the Beren campus in the history of modern Egypt and the Arab Spring.
The first question from the students came from Adena Kleiner (SCW ’14). She asked President Joel to comment on the four Yeshiva University faculty members—Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dr. David Pelcovitz, Rabbi Ezra Y. Schwartz, and Aliza Abrams—who wrote personal pleas of leniency on behalf of Evan Zauder (YC ’09) to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the United States District Court in New York. Zauder, a recent YU graduate, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty in January to one count each of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, transportation, receipt, and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
President Joel declined to make an official statement. However, he did express that YU is an institution that holds the need to be sensitive to such issues and speaking about such issues to the highest degree. He also added that these these letters were not written in the name of YU.
Following up on President Joel’s statement regarding the selling of property uptown, many students had questions for the President regarding downtown property. President Joel assured the audience that selling property on the Wilf campus would have no effect on Beren campus buildings. Despite suggestions to relocate Stern College, President Joel staunchly maintained that the best Stern College experience is in midtown Manhattan. He also addressed a question raised by Elana Kook (SCW ’15) regarding the increased price for residency in the 35th St dorm and the social pressures that exist regarding housing in this building. President Joel answered that while obviously he does not want anyone to be made uncomfortable, this is ultimately a market driven question. When this dorm was opened, a conscious decision to use differential pricing was made. The 35th St dorm is a luxury option and needs to be priced accordingly.
Talia Kugelman (SSB ’15) asked about the lack of meal plan options. Having previously done research into this issue and learning that the lack of options was due to a need to sustain a steady cash flow in the cafeteria, she asked President Joel if the numbers regarding this assessment could be reviewed. President Joel responded that he will not approve a meal plan that would drain the university’s educational system. He said that the Food Services department constantly reviews their numbers and tries to provide the best food options for Stern women.
In a final attempt before her upcoming graduation, Nomi Gofine (SCW ’14) asked President Joel (for the fourth year in a row) regarding the possibility of women having access to the gym and pool uptown. She inquired about this question from both a financial and an experiential perspective. President Joel answered the question that both from a financial and experiential angle it does not make sense to give women access to these facilities. He noted that these facilities are already overpopulated and it would not be feasible to give Stern women access. Also, despite the fact that he is thrilled by the amount of women who come uptown on a nightly basis, President Joel said that he does not think the seriousness of the Yeshiva could be maintained if the schools were co-ed.
President Joel was also faced with students regarding the faculty and the academic experience on the Beren campus. One student asked about the ways in which the university plans to ensure that faculty members do not leave the university because of lack of funding for their research, such as in the case of Organic Chemistry professor Evan Mintzer. President Joel despondently responded that they are not doing nearly enough to combat this issue and that there are no major changes in place. Daniella Lazar (SCW ’15) asked about the lack of young professors teaching in Stern. President Joel explained that while of course there is a need to have young and innovative professors, age is not synonymous with quality and that this question is complex because of tenured faculty.
The final question of the afternoon was raised by Rivka Hia (SCW ’16) regarding the lack of Talmud classes for Stern women and the scheduling conflicts that often occur because of a lack of class options. President Joel answered that like all other courses, the number of Talmud classes will be correlated with the size of the demand. He concluded that because of the number of classes that will need to be cut, the number of scheduling conflicts would only increase. On a comedic final note, President Joel encouraged Rivka to recruit future students so that there can be a greater demand for more Talmud classes.