Yesterday a screed arrived in our inbox denouncing the deal between NYU and Downtown’s Polytechnic Institute. Joel S. Hirschhorn, a Polytechnic grad and former professor at the University of Wisconsin, writes that the so-called merger between the schools will in fact be a takeover, and that NYU simply wants to get its hands on some valuable real estate. Hirschhorn, who submitted his op-ed to the Times (no response from the paper of record, though it’s available here), uses findings from a state Committee on Higher Education report (PDF here) to make the case that Polytechnic’s board has hushed up critics of the NYU deal and that no one knows how sweet a pot NYU is offering for the agreement. Hirschhorn concludes his piece, which urges the Board of Regents to put the kibosh on the plan, thus: “Like so many others, I fear that unless the Regents stop this deal Poly will lose its identity and academic independence. It is being sold out by incompetent managers that failed to continue the success Poly had enjoyed for over 100 years. NYU needs Poly more than Poly needs NYU, and NYU would end up making money, not paying handsomely for or investing in Poly.” Our question is this: Even if Poly doesn’t need NYU, does Downtown?
The Sellout of Polytechnic University [On NY Turf]
Violet Tide Coming to Downtown? [Brownstoner]
Photo by dibnerlibrary.