NYU.edu
New York University
New York University is a major, coeducational research university in New York City, specifically, in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. Chartered in 1831, the school opened in 1832 as the University of the City of New York and was renamed as New York University in 1896.
With a total enrollment of 39,408 (2006 estimate), New York University owns the distinction of being the largest private, not-for-profit university in the US.
General Information
New York University is located in New York, NY. Its motto is "Perstare et praestare," which is Latin for "To persevere and to excel."
As of 2006, the private university had a total endowment of US$1.55 billion. Its total student population stands at 50,917, including 19,401 undergraduates. The university has a faculty of 6,240.
The university's current president is John Sexton. In athletics, New York University has 19 varsity teams. Its nickname is Violets while its mascots are Bobcat and Fighting Violet.
History
New York University was founded on April 18, 1831 by a group of prominent New Yorkers, particularly traders, merchants and bankers who felt strongly about the city's need for a university where young men could be admitted based on merit rather than social class or birthright. The group was led by Albert Gallatin, the Secretary of Treasury under Thomas Jefferson.
At that time, colleges offered a mostly classical curriculum and the school's founder's believed that the American educational system needed to be modernized to provide a practical education. They took note of developments in the field of education in London, Paris and Vienna where a new form of learning was beginning to take shape. This new form covered the classics and religion but also put great emphasis on mathematics, political economy, history, philosophy, modern languages and physical science. As a result, their schools produced students who were better suited to become merchants, bankers, physicians, lawyers, engineers and architects.
Unlike many colonial colleges during that time which provided a classical education strongly rooted in theology, the founders of New York University wanted their school to be non-denominational.
By providing education to all men regardless of background and abandoning the conventional classical curriculum, New York University emerged as a pioneer on many fronts. However, in its early days, New York University's student body was still composed mostly of the sons of wealthy, white, Protestant families.
On April 21, 1831, the New York State Legislature incorporated the University of the City of New York and its first classes were held at Clinton Hall in 1832 and its first professional school, the School of Law, was founded in 1835. Although it only was officially renamed as New York University in 1896, it was already known by that name since it inception. In 1833, the university purchased land on the east side of Washington Square and, in 1835, it would occupy its permanent home in Greenwich Village.
In 1894, New York University would move to University Heights in the Bronx, which had a more spacious campus. Most of the school's operations moved there, except for the Law School which stayed at the Washington Square campus until 1914 when the Washington Square College, the university's arts and sciences division, was founded. The school's Long Island extension began in 1935 and would later become Hofstra University.
During the 1920s, the university became a magnet for the most talented Jewish students around, particularly since Ivy League institutions had so-called Jewish quotas which excluded first-generation Jewish immigrants, among others, in New York City. At that time, a large number of New York University's students were of Jewish descent, Today, the university has students from all races and creeds and 90% of students are from outside New York.
In 1973, reeling from the financial crisis that gripped the whole city, New York University sold is University Heights Campus to the City University of New York. Shortly afterwards, the School of Engineering was merged with Polytechnic University in Brooklyn.
The university's popularity with non-New Yorkers began in the mid-1980s and about a billion dollars was spent to update facilities to meet the increasing demand for housing and classroom space. In 2003, the university again launched a $2.5 billion campaign to support financial aid resources.
Programs and Facilities
New York University has 14 schools and colleges that are housed in six major centers. These include (in chronological order) the College of Arts and Science (1831), School of Law (1835), School of Medicine (1841), College of Dentistry (1865), Graduate School of Arts and Science (1886), Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development (1890), School of Business (1900), Institute of Fine Arts (1922), School of Continuing and Professional Studies (1934), Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (1934), Wagner Graduate School of Public Service (1938), Ehrenkranz School of Social Work (1960), Tisch School of the Arts (1965), Gallatin School of Individualized Study (1972), College of Nursing (2005).
New York University has had a number of divisions that were either closed down or merged with other institutions, including the New York College of Veterinary Surgeons (1857-1922), School of Engineering (1894-1973, merged with Polytechnic Institute of New York), Daniel Guggenheim School of Aeronautics (1927-1973), Washington Square College (merged with College of Arts and Science); University College (merged with College of Arts and Science) and College Hofstra Memorial of New York University (1935-1963, now Hofstra University).
New York University's research units include the Institute of Finance, the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Its other facilities include the special holdings of its library such as the Wagner Labor Archives and the Tamiment Library of American Radical History as well as the Town Hall (a concert center) and a popular fine arts center.
In addition, New York University also has facilities in Paris, London, Berlin, Florence, Prague, Madrid, Shanghai and Accra. Its facilities in Singapore are due for completion by Fall 2007. Future plans also include expansion into the Middle East and Latin America.
Sources
Languages
English
Contact
Administrative:
- NYU Network Operations Admin Role Account
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- New York NY
- UNITED STATES 10003
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- (212) 998-3431
Registrant:
- New York University
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- New York NY
- UNITED STATES 10003
Additional Information
Related Domains
External Links
- Alexa: Nyu.edu
