‘I really feel like I’m attending my very own funeral,’ Hamilton says at farewell occasion

College students had been outnumbered by college directors at a farewell occasion through which NYU president Andrew Hamilton spoke to the coed authorities chair about his time on the college.

A pupil authorities occasion that includes Andrew Hamilton, NYU’s outgoing president, noticed lackluster attendance on Thursday, with round 30 individuals within the viewers — most of whom had been college directors, although eight pupil authorities representatives and one different pupil had been current. On the occasion, Hamilton spoke to pupil authorities chair Ron Corridor about relations between NYU and native residents, authorized challenges to training and his eight years on the college’s helm.

“I’ve nonetheless bought three months, by the best way,” Hamilton mentioned. “I really feel like I’m attending my very own funeral.”

In the course of the dialog, Hamilton mentioned that NYU has made “very vital progress” throughout his tenure, together with advancing its teachers, range, sustainability efforts, affordability and increasing NYU’s world community. He additionally defended the development of the Paulson Heart — which has for years been a supply of frustration amongst Greenwich Village residents — and individually mentioned that he thinks NYU is the rationale many eating places within the Village survived the pandemic.

“I want I may say our relationships with the group are higher than they had been once I first arrived,” Hamilton mentioned. “I believe they’re — now others might profoundly disagree with me, however we embrace disagreement at NYU. I truly assume this college has by no means been extra vital to Greenwich Village and to New York Metropolis than it’s at the moment.”

Hamilton additionally spoke in regards to the upcoming Supreme Court docket choice that may determine whether or not race-sensitive college admissions are constitutional, and the way NYU is making ready for the consequence. He mentioned that the college’s admissions staff is making ready for various outcomes of the case and that he’s consulting specialists on the subject at NYU.

“We don’t know at this level what the choice will likely be and even when it’ll be overturned — everybody appears to assume it should, however we don’t know,” Hamilton mentioned. “I’m assured within the professionalism of our enrollment administration staff — the best way through which they method holistic admissions, wanting on the entire particular person, taking a look at not simply the educational achievements, but in addition the experiences of that particular person.”

Pei Lin Lu, a first-year, was the one pupil in attendance who is just not concerned within the pupil authorities.

“I noticed this on the Instagram and I felt like, since he’s resigning, that I get an opportunity to really meet him as a result of I didn’t get an opportunity through the welcome week,” Lu mentioned. “I felt like this was a good time to know the previous president and get to know his work at NYU.”

Contact Max Getty at [email protected]