Dear colleagues,

At NYU Steinhardt, we dedicate ourselves, our creativity, and our perseverance to the advancement of the education, health, and wellbeing of people and communities around the world. While all of higher education continues to face uncertainty and novel challenges, our demonstrated strength and resilience to overcome hurdles gives us confidence as we enter the new year. Today, I am proud to share some of our community’s amazing accomplishments from this fall. Despite the ongoing obstacles presented by the global pandemic, this work paves the way for even more exciting work to come this spring.

I wish you and your communities a happy and healthy 2022.

Jack H. Knott, Dean
Gale and Ira Drukier Chair

Recent reports confirm that the long-term decline of men attending and completing college has accelerated, with men now representing less than 40% of college students. The decline of male participation cuts across race and socio-economic status and impacts all types of colleges and universities. The current crisis in community college enrollment in particular spotlights the precipitous drop in enrollment for Black men.

On November 18, Ann Marcus, professor of Higher Education and director of the NYU Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy, spoke with Michael Rodriguez, director of the Kingsborough Community College (CUNY) Men’s Resource Center, Niobe Way, professor of Applied Psychology at NYU Steinhardt, and Jonathan Williams, assistant vice president of NYU Undergraduate Admissions. 

The Young Women's Freedom Center (YWFC), a partner organization of NYU Steinhardt's Institute of Human Development and Social Change, released its latest report, Reflecting on YWFC's COVID Emergency Housing. The report discusses the Center's 90-day program to provide emergency housing during COVID-19 for cis and trans women, trans men, and gender-expansive people. These people were unhoused or unsafely housed and system-impacted, formerly incarcerated, and survivors of gender-based and intimate partner violence and exploitation.

In 2021, five members of the NYU Steinhardt community were recognized with prestigious awards for art and scholarship – including two MacArthur fellowships, a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award, and a Guggenheim fellowship – that seek to advance an understanding of indigenous culture, social justice, and technological innovation.