UNIVERSITY SENATE | NYU unveils details about genomics center

Faculty from NYU's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology gave a presentation to the university senate Thursday, detailing some of the Center's science goals and its new building at 12-16 Waverly Place.

The building is expected to be completed in spring 2010 and will preserve the current building's facade and will feature a rooftop greenhouse, laboratories and classroom space.

Debra LaMorte, NYU's senior vice president for university development and alumni relations, also announced the launch of a "mini-campaign" to raise $40-50 million of the building's cost, which she said would "liberate" budget funds for other purposes.

LaMorte also announced naming opportunities for the building - a donor could have the building named after them for $25 million, for example, with the greenhouse set at $2.5 million and classrooms set at $500,000 each.

Committee on organization and governance

SCOG, the Senate's Committee on Organization and Governance, announced it planned to meet with the university's Office of Public Affairs to discuss the creation of a website for the University Senate. The committee also said it was discussing the integration of schools like NYU's College of Nursing, General Studies Program and regional campuses into the university's governance structure, as well as the establishment of an Office of the University Senate.

Public affairs committee

Arthur Tannenbaum, the chair of the Senate's Public Affairs Committee, said NYU would be choosing a new venue for this year's commencement. Last week, a judge approved the city's plans to renovate Washington Square Park, ousting the university from its traditional commencement venue. This year's graduation will likely take place in Shea or Yankee stadiums, although NYU President John Sexton said he had asked the Office of Government and Public Affairs to see if Madison Square Garden will also be available.

Budget transparency

Members from both the Faculty and Student Senators' Councils also mentioned concerns about budget transparency at the meeting. Earlier this week, WSN reported that the councils had submitted separate proposals asking the university to provide more budgetary information to the Senate's Financial Affairs Committee, the group tasked with developing the budget.

"I think everybody is on the same page," Sexton said, adding that he hoped to achieve a "proper level of disclosure so input is meaningful."

Question time

The meeting concluded with the "President's Question Time," which featured a question from Student Senators Council chairman Justin Lee about how NYU's new project in Abu Dhabi will affect the university - and its budget, specifically - in New York.

Sexton said NYU Abu Dhabi would "only have a positive impact" on NYU in Washington Square, and said that although the project will be completely funded by the Abu Dhabi government, development at the campus would be based solely on academic pursuits.

In fact, Sexton even announced he would be traveling to Abu Dhabi every other week to teach his "Supreme Court and Religion" course at the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute next year. Sexton also said the university would be taking faculty members and administrators to Abu Dhabi, and said he would consult with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi about sending a group of NYU delegates to visit the new campus.

Sergio Hernandez is university news editor. E-mail him at news@nyunews.com.