March 12, 2013

Behind No-Confidence Vote at New York U., a Torn Faculty

Behind No-Confidence Vote at New York U., a Torn Faculty 1

Daniel Acker, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Faculty members in NYU's School of Arts & Science will conclude on Friday a five-day vote on whether to express no confidence in the university's president, John E. Sexton. Critics accuse Mr. Sexton of foisting his vision upon the university rather than engaging with faculty members as true partners.

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close Behind No-Confidence Vote at New York U., a Torn Faculty 1

Daniel Acker, Bloomberg via Getty Images

Faculty members in NYU's School of Arts & Science will conclude on Friday a five-day vote on whether to express no confidence in the university's president, John E. Sexton. Critics accuse Mr. Sexton of foisting his vision upon the university rather than engaging with faculty members as true partners.

By Jack Stripling

To hear it from many New York University faculty members, John E. Sexton, the university's president, needs to either change his style or be run out of town. But there is considerable debate about which option is preferred.

After months of complaints about what Mr. Sexton's critics describe as his autocratic streak, faculty members in NYU's School of Arts & Science will conclude a five-day vote on Friday over whether to express no confidence in the president. If the measure