The Proposed and Completed Merger - An Administrative and State Perspective
This document contains a draft proposed by Dr. Hollander, the Deputy Commissioner of Education for New York State, of the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (PIB) and New York University (NYU) engineering merger. It was distributed by E. J. Smith, a member of the merger committee, on November 20th, 1972. It was distributed as an informational document, not necessarily in its final form.
The merger was part of Chapter 463 of the laws of 1972, which “contemplates the negotiation and merger” of NYU and PIB and their respective engineering programs. As it would turn out, there was a merger agreement signed on July 26th, 1972, but there was a failure in implementation due to certain conditions not being met during the timeframe. However, Dr. Hollander states in his judgment that “The preservation of educational resources available at both New York University and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn is essential to the education needs of the people of New York State.” He also suggests that the implementation of the merger conditions would be more efficient with the introduction of an impartial third party. Therefore, it was decided by the Board of Regents to intervene directly and re-establish negotiations. He also “Call[s] upon the faculties and administrations of both institutions to design a new institution that draws upon the academic strengths of both faculties" (E.J. Smith, 1972).
The terms of the merger would include:
- A merger of the appropriate programs and faculty from both NYU and PIB
- Strengthening the engineering programs at this new institution in an orderly process of consolidation so as to assure academic and financial success while also enhancing the position of the school as one of the top in the country.
- The consideration of establishing PIB as an affiliated institution of NYU operating a primary campus in Brooklyn, but offering programs that may be necessary in Washington Square. (E.J. Smith, 1972)
As it would turn out after further research, the origins of this merger start a good deal prior to the singular merger of PIB and NYU. In the very early 1970’s, the state of New York was very insistent that it create an institution to compete with the likes of MIT or Harvard. In a report directed to the Chancellor of the State University of New York written by F. Karl Willenbrock and sent October 22nd, 1970, he states that while New York State has more talented engineering students than any other state in the nation, 80% of these students leave the state for schooling, while states like California and Massachusetts retain 75% of their students. It was believed at the time that no singular institution in New York State could make a major enough change to rise to that level. However, if the resources of several institutions were combined - namely Columbia, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, New York University, and City University - it could result in a top-ranking institute on a national scale; the only school with a comparable amount of faculty and scientists would be the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The institute would be part of the State university system, but have academic affiliations with NYU, Columbia, and the senior campus of City University. The state felt that the University Heights campus in The Bronx owned by NYU would be a convenient and desirable site for this new institute, adaptable to new needs and accessible to expressways and subways (Willenbrock, 1970).
In summary, the State of New York wanted several qualities in this new institution. It wanted an engineering school that could compete for a number 1 spot on a national level, retaining students and faculty within the State. It also wanted the use of “advanced educational technologies such as instructional television” that would supply part time students education that are not close to the school of engineering. In addition, the school should be able to provide research capabilities strong enough for the use of the State, City, and local government. And finally, there should be a research capability that will attract industrial organizations dependent on the exploitation of the technology developed. (Willenbrock, 1970).
On April 23rd, 1973, New York University's School of Engineering the the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn were merged into a single institution. The State Education Commissioner, Ewald B. Nyquist, presided at the signing ceremony, "stating that the move, 'reflects the fact that the only salvation for some of our colleges and universities during the current decade may be through affiliation.'" At the time, both engineering schols were running at a deficit year after year, and state subsidies of millions of dollars a year were being poured into the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. The merger also included the sale of the University Heights campus to the Bronx Community College. The school must also become self‐supporting by the 1975–76 school year (The New York Times, 1973).
This article comes from a more State and administrative side of the merger. However, the positive tint to the merger from this persepctive overshadows what was going on behind the scenes. The divide between faculty + students and the presidential and board administrations of each school was wide and growing by the day. The next section of the "1973 Merger" will explore those divides with letters and official documents presenting differing opinions on not only the merger, but also the sale of the University Heights campus.