Washington Square News

From the WSN Editorial Board: NYU prides itself as a global institution. It has the largest number of international students of any university in the United States, and time and time again, has remained unwaveringly committed to the safety of its international community. In 2017, former NYU President Andrew Hamilton said that the university would “vigorously uphold the privacy protections” of its international students days after the Trump administration’s executive order barring entry into the United States from several countries. He backed the student body, and said the university would not permit federal officials to gather information about members of NYU’s international community regardless of changes to immigration policies. However, today — amid a blatantly repressive and consequential crackdown on immigration — NYU has remained deafeningly silent. Over the last few months, President Donald Trump has weaponized immigration enforcement against noncitizen students and faculty who have protested Israel’s ongoing siege in Gaza as part of his crusade against higher education. The federal government has targetted at least nine student and faculty protesters from several U.S. colleges under fire for pro-Palestinian activity under the characterization of “antisemitic harassment” — regardless of whether the students have a green card, a student visa or undocumented status. Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, Brown University professor Rasha Alawieh: These noncitizens have been abducted outside their homes or on their way to class by officers in plain clothing, transferred to detention facilities hundreds of miles from where they live. NYU — alongside a slew of higher education institutions in the country — has played a role in enabling the Trump administration’s reckless response to anti-war protest. In response to on-campus demonstrations, NYU had authorized the New York City Police Department to arrest students and faculty on three separate occasions, and has issued an onslaught of suspensions for those who publicly spoke in favor of Palestinian rights. The university has even updated its own student conduct guidelines to stifle speech opposing Zionism. Given that NYU itself has been at the forefront of punishing on-campus activists over the last two years, it isn’t surprising that the university has yet to publicly shield its students and faculty from federal retribution. Photo by Manasa Gudavalli Click the link to read more. https://lnkd.in/gthXS8BU

On Monday, Feb. 17, CAS senior Kaya Walker publicly resigned as president of the NYU College Republicans after facing backlash for calling Stern first-year Barron Trump “an oddity on campus” in an interview with Vanity Fair. Both her comments and her resignation were reported by major publications like The New York Times, People Magazine and The Daily Mail. In the wake of the controversy and in response to Walker’s “inappropriate” words, Will Donahue, the president of the College Republicans of America, invited Trump to join the student organization. Over one month after her resignation, Walker opened up to WSN about her side of the story. She discussed what it is like to be a Republican at NYU, facing national pressure to resign and why she no longer wishes to remain quiet. Written by Emily Genova Photo courtesy of Kaya Walker Click the link to read the full interview. https://lnkd.in/gDX9hFcT

NYU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, which sued the federal government last week for its detainment of noncitizens on college campuses protesting the war in Gaza, asked a Massachusetts court on Tuesday to block the Trump administration from carrying out mass arrests and deportations of student and faculty protesters during the ongoing lawsuit. The March 25 complaint — in conjunction with AAUP chapters at Harvard University and Rutgers University, as well as the Middle East Studies Association — claims the government has arbitrarily discriminated against noncitizens and created a “climate of repression and fear” on university campuses. It specifically challenges the detainments of nine pro-Palestinian protesters over the last three weeks, including Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk. “It’s not only the people, in this case noncitizens, being silenced with these threats that are harmed — but their students, their colleagues, everybody else at the university is harmed when those people are silenced,” CAS professor Sonya Posmentier told WSN. “The complaint hinges on this important part of the First Amendment that guarantees our right to listen.” Written by Yezen Saadah Photo by Daniel Arensberg Click the link to read more. https://lnkd.in/gmugcApy

NYU is facing 10 class action lawsuits alleging that it mishandled applicants’ personal information and failed to meet national cybersecurity standards after a hacker leaked files with more than 3 million names, hometowns and GPAs on the university’s website last week. The lawsuits, each filed by an individual applicant, claim that NYU’s cybersecurity practices do not follow guidelines set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Center for Internet Security, leaving those who applied to the school at risk of identity theft. Cybersecurity experts Zack Ganot and Arnaud de Saint Méloir, who help run databreach.com, told WSN that the amount of information included in the files — which were publicly downloadable on NYU’s main website for over two hours — could have sold for tens of thousands of dollars on the dark web. “Almost for sure, NYU will settle and people will receive compensation — it was a real breach,” Ganot told WSN. “Without putting it too bluntly, it was NYU’s fault. They did not secure the data as they should have, and it’s kind of hard to get around.” A university spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Written by Dharma Niles and Krish Dev Visuals by Krish Dev and Kyra Reilley Click the link to read more. https://lnkd.in/gvrHGSe3

Dear Washington Square News readers, We are living in the midst of an unprecedented federal crackdown on higher education. In just two months, President Donald Trump has ferociously followed through on his promise to “reclaim our once-great educational institutions” from the “radical left.” Since taking office, Trump has crudely threatened universities with the cancellation of federal funding if they do not comply with his staunch crusade. WSN has been at the forefront of reporting on his attacks on universities and holding NYU accountable for the decisions it has made in response. Since Trump has taken office, NYU has denied gender-affirming care to transgender children, refused to protect international students amid heightened immigration enforcement, enacted an administrative hiring freeze and is one of several institutions under fire for pro-Palestinian activity on campus and programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion. As the Trump administration — in conjunction with our university — quickly created a campus environment of fear and uncertainty, WSN’s incredible team of editors and reporters have worked tirelessly to serve and inform the campus community, covering the government’s discernible effects on NYU ever since his reelection in November without fail. On March 8, WSN won an online Pacemaker award, the most prestigious in college journalism, for all content published after June 2024 — nearly a year of rigorous coverage defined by a federal onslaught against higher education. WSN will continue to work toward serving our campus community in the face of adversity and financial hurdles. In spite of this, Trump’s crackdown, especially where DEI is concerned, won’t only affect NYU’s operations — it could have a severe impact on WSN’s funding and the compensation of our student journalists. As demonstrated by several college newspapers across our peer institutions, student journalism is more vital now than it has ever been, and with that comes a heightened demand for support and engagement. We at WSN ask for your support to ensure that we can continue our mission for years to come: Please consider donating to the Sarah Raybin Portlock Fund for WSN. Your generosity will help us keep the tradition of independent journalism thriving on our campus and beyond. In order to persevere in our goals to hold NYU to account, our readership must show its support. If you believe in the mission we hold dear, please stand with WSN. The future of student journalism depends on you. Please consider supporting and empowering student journalists. With hope, Yezen Saadah Click the link to read more.

NYU’s acceptance rate dropped to 7.7% for the 2024-25 admissions cycle, the lowest ever recorded at the university’s New York campus. Newly admitted students were selected from a pool of over 120,000 applicants — the highest number of applicants received by any private university. The College of Arts & Science, the Stern School of Business and the Rory Meyers College of Nursing all saw acceptance rates of less than 5%. The university also saw a new record for the largest early decision applicant pool in its history, considering over 25,000 applications — a 10% uptick from last year. Students entering the class of 2029 come from 128 countries, 50 states and around 1,000 come from New York City public schools. According to NYU, about 20% of the class of 2029 will be federal Pell Grant recipients, and 20% will be first-generation students. “Year after year, we are in awe of the talent and ambition of the many students who aspire to join the NYU community and are thrilled to offer admission to this group of students,” Carol Kim, the vice president for global recruitment, admissions and financial aid, said in a press release. “The perspectives of these remarkable individuals will enrich our classrooms, their curiosity will fuel groundbreaking research, and most importantly, their commitment to collaboration reflects the very essence of our mission — building bridges of understanding and cooperation.” Written by Yezen Saadah for the Washington Square News Photo and visuals by Krish Dev for the Washington Square News

Under the Arch, WSN’s magazine, returns with a new issue to welcome first-year students attending NYU. This year’s Welcome Home issue contains everything a new student needs to know to make the most of their first semester at the university, from finding school spirit to navigating protests on campus. https://lnkd.in/ecZTJsgJ

Human rights scholar Martha Minow to speak at this year’s commencement Minow, who is the former dean of Harvard Law School, will be among three women to receive honorary degrees at NYU’s commencement ceremony in May.

NYU acceptance rate stays at 8% for class of 2028 Overall applications to NYU decreased for the 2023-24 admissions cycle for the first time since 2007, but the university saw its greatest-ever number of early decision applicants. 📝 Carmo Moniz 📸📊 Manasa Gudavalli