Plea to President Sexton

November 7, 2005

Dear President Sexton,

We are now entering the lonely hour before the GSOC strike. Our NYU community, already wounded, will soon be deeply riven, and, whatever the outcome, it will not recover easily or quickly. We are writing to plead with you to avert the conflict, and to re-open negotiations with the union. The power to prevent the damage lies in your hands, and we are asking you to exercise that power to bring peace to our community.

We are the faculty who best know the GAs. They are our students, and we have seen the strength of their commitment. When they say that GSOC is not going away, we believe they mean it. Should there be no negotiations now, GSOC will still be here next semester, next year, and for a long time thereafter. If the union is not restored, we will have no peace on this campus for years to come. The result will bring a general malaise to this campus that will be debilitating, not only to teaching, research, administration, and recruitment of top faculty and graduate students, but also to our self-esteem as an institution that has made such progress of late.

We have been astonished by the breadth of faculty sympathy for the strike. More than 400 faculty have requested help in moving their classes off-campus, and many more have decided to teach in their own apartments. Faculty at Tisch, Gallatin, Steinhardt, and many FAS departments have passed resolutions to respect the right of faculty and students not to cross the picket line. We know of no other university where faculty have responded, in such overwhelmingnumbers, to a request for voluntary support from a union. This is a clear indication of how deeply NYU faculty feel about supporting the rights of our graduate students.

For the sake of the health of our community, we are asking you to sit down with GSOC reps and recognize, as the administration did before, the two principles that are normative in every other NYU contract (the agency shop, and neutral arbitration). We have resolved to talk to you inperson about this issue. A group of us will gather at the Arch tomorrow (Tuesday) and proceed to Bobst at 12.30pm. We sincerely hope that you will meet with us to discuss this last-minute plea.

Faculty Signatories

Thomas Abercrombie, Anthropology, FAS

Gerard Aching, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Rodolfo Aiello, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Gwendolyn Alker, Drama, TSOA

Richard Allen, Cinema Studies, TSOA

Julian Everett Allgood, Bobst Library

Edwin Amenta, Sociology, FAS

Emily Apter, French, FAS

John Archer, English, FAS

Adam Becker, Classics and Religious Studies, FAS

Brigitte Bedos-Rezak, History, FAS

Zvi Ben-Dor, History and Middle Eastern Studies, FAS

Thomas Bender, History, FAS

Lauren Benton, History, FAS

Amy Bentley,   Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Steinhardt

Edward Berenson, History and French Studies, FAS

Diane Bertolo, Photography and Imaging, TSOA

Renee Blake, Linguistics, FAS

Eliot Borenstein, Russian and Slavic, FAS

Neil Brenner, Sociology and Metropolitan Studies, FAS

David Brimmer, Drama, TSOA

Barbara Browning, Performance Studies, TSOA

Joy Gould Boyum, Humanities Education, Steinhardt

Jane Burbank, History, FAS

Craig Calhoun, Sociology, FAS

Eduardo Capulong, Lawyering Program, Law School

Herrick Chapman, History and French Studies, FAS

Una Chaudhuri, Drama, TSOA, and English, FAS

Vivek Chibber, Sociology, FAS

Robby Cohen, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Jan Cohen-Cruz, Drama, TSOA

Christopher Collins, English, FAS

Joy Connolly, Classics, FAS

Frederick Cooper, History, FAS

Catherine Coray, Drama, TSOA

Nina Cornyetz, Gallatin

Pam Crabtree, Anthropology, FAS

Patricia Crain, English, FAS

Suzanne Cusick, Music, FAS

Laura Daigen-Ayala, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Arlene Davila, American Studies and Anthropology, FAS

Patrick Deer, English, FAS

Mark Dery, Journalism, FAS

Dipti Desai, Art and Art Professions, Steinhardt

Angela Dillard, Gallatin

Carolyn Dinshaw, Gender and Sexuality and English, FAS

EL Doctorow, English, FAS

Georgina Dopico Black, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Ana Dopico, Comparative Literature and Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Thomas Drysdale, Drama, TSOA

Lisa Duggan, American Studies and Gender and Sexuality, FAS

Stephen Duncombe, Gallatin

Troy Duster, Sociology, FAS

Ada Ferrer, History, FAS

Hartry Field, Philosophy, FAS

Alla Fil, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Sybille Fischer, Spanish & Portuguese, FAS

JoEllen Fisherkeller, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt

Miriam Frank,General Studies, SCPS

Elaine Freedgood, English, FAS

Sharon Friedman, Gallatin

Everett Frost, Film and Television, TSOA

Norm Fruchter, Education Policy, Steinhardt

David Garland, Law School and Sociology, FAS

Brett Gary, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt

Kathleen Gerson, Sociology, FAS

Michael Gilsenan, Middle Eastern Studies and Anthropology, FAS

Faye Ginsburg, Anthropology and Culture and Media, FAS

Jeff Goodwin, Sociology, FAS

Linda Gordon, History, FAS

Manu Goswami, History, FAS

Greg Grandin, History, FAS

Adam Green, American Studies, and History, FAS

Ed Guerrero, Cinema Studies, TSOA and Africana Studies, FAS

Douglas Guthrie, Sociology, FAS

Sally Guttmacher, Health Studies, Steinhardt

Yukiko Hanawa, East Asian Studies, FAS

Lynne Haney, Sociology, FAS

Phillip Brian Harper, American Studies and English, FAS

Martin Harries, English, FAS

Christine Harrington, Politics, FAS

Vicki Hart, Drama, TSOA

Barbara Heyns, Sociology, FAS

Robert Hinton, Africana Studies, FAS

Martha Hodes, History, FAS

Ruth Horowitz, Sociology, FAS

Philip Hosay, International Education, Steinhardt

Diana Hughes, Psychology, FAS

Kathy Hull, General Studies, SCPS

Bernd Huppauf, German, FAS

Steve Hutkins, Gallatin

Virginia Jackson, English, FAS

Walter Johnson, American Studies and History, FAS

Jonathan Kahana, Cinema Studies, TSOA

Marion Kaplan, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, FAS

Rebecca Karl, History and East Asian Studies, FAS

Eric Klinenberg, Sociology, FAS

Terry Knickerbocker, Drama, TSOA

Barbara Krauthamer, History, FAS

Karen Kupperman, History, FAS

Andrew Lee, Bobst Library

Susie Linfield, Journalism, FAS

Zachary Lockman, Middle Eastern Studies and History, FAS

Laurence Lockridge, English, FAS

Michele Lowrie, Classics, FAS

Robert Lubar, Institute of Fine Arts, GSAS

Steven Lukes, Sociology, FAS

Richard Maisel, Sociology, FAS

Robert Malgady, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Jane Malmo, Drama, TSOA

Julie Malnig, Gallatin,

Emily Martin, Anthropology, FAS

Randy Martin, Art and Public Policy, TSOA

Paul Mattingly, History, FAS

John Mayher, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

John Maynard, English, FAS

Anna McCarthy, Cinema Studies, TSOA

Robert McChesney, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, FAS

Micki McGee, Draper Program, FAS

Elizabeth McHenry, English, FAS

Sally Merry, Anthropology, FAS

Mark Crispin Miller, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt

Toby Miller, American Studies and CLACS, FAS

Bella Mirabella, Gallatin

Nicholas Mirzoeff, Art and Art Professions, Steinhardt

Timothy Mitchell, Politics and Middle Eastern Studies, FAS

Sylvia Molloy, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Harvey Molotch, Metropolitan Studies and Sociology, FAS

Jairo Moreno, Music, FAS

Jim Morgan, Fine Arts, FAS

Jose Munoz, Performance Studies, FAS

Fred Myers, Anthropology, FAS

Judith N é methy, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Eug P ne Nicole, French, FAS

Lara Nielsen, Drama, TSOA

Molly Nolan, History, FAS

Pedro Noquera, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Lorie Novak, Photography and Imaging, TSOA

Tavia Nyong=o, Performance Studies, TSOA

Bertell Ollman, Politics, FAS

Christopher Otter, History, FAS

Crystal Parikh, American Studies and English, FAS

Carol Parness, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Cyrus Patell, English, FAS

Michael Peachin, Classics, FAS

Marta Chaves Peixoto, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Ann Pellegrini, Religious Studies, FAS, and Performance Studies, TSOA.

Kimberly Phillips-Fein, Gallatin  

Dana Polan, Cinema Studies, TSOA

Mary Louise Pratt, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Arvind Rajagopal, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt

Rayna Rapp, Anthropology, FAS

Christopher Ratte, Classics, FAS

Nancy Regalado, French, FAS

Timothy Reiss, Comparative Literature, FAS

Fred Ritchin, Photography and Imaging, TSOA

Moss Roberts, East Asian Studies, FAS

Susan Rogers, Anthropology, FAS

Avital Ronell, German, FAS

Renato Rosaldo, Latino Studies and Anthropology, FAS

Andrew Ross, American Studies, FAS

Kristin Ross, Comparative Literature, FAS

Kathleen Ross, Spanish and Portugese, FAS

Jeffrey Sammons, History, FAS

Sukhdev Sandhu, A/P/A and English, FAS

Bambi Schieffelin, Anthropology, FAS

Martin Schain, Politics and European Studies; FAS

Ned Seeman, Chemistry, FAS

Richard Sennett, Sociology, FAS

William Serrin, Journalism, FAS

Svati Shah, Gender and Sexuality, FAS

Karen Shimakawa, Performance Studies, TSOA and A/P/A, FAS

Beth Shinn, Psychology, FAS

Ella Shohat, Art and Public Policy, TSOA, and Middle Eastern Studies, FAS

Patrick Shrout, Psychology, FAS

George Shulman, Gallatin

Richard Sieburth, Comparative Literature and French, FAS

William Simon, Cinema Studies, TSOA

John Singler, Linguistics, FAS

Lok Siu, A/P/A and Anthropology, FAS

Robert Sklar, Cinema Studies, TSOA

Trika Smith-Burke, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Alan Sokal, Physics, FAS

Jeffrey Spear, English, FAS

Judith Stacey, Gender and Sexuality and Sociology, FAS

Robert Stam, Cinema Studies, TSOA

Mitchell Stephens, Journalism, FAS

Guenther Stotzky, Biology, FAS

Lisa M. Stulberg, Humanities and Social Sciences, Steinhardt

Marita Sturken, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt

Eduardo Subirats, Spanish and Portuguese, FAS

Constance Sutton, Anthropology, FAS

Diana Taylor, Performance Studies, TSOA

Jack Tchen, A/P/A and Gallatin

Paul Thompson, Film and Television, TSOA

Sinclair Thomson, History, FAS

Elayne Tobin, General Studies, SCPS

Diana Turk, Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt

Jim Uleman, Psychology, FAS

Siva Vaidhyanathan, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt

Keith Vincent, Comparative Literature and East Asian Studies, FAS

Robert Vorlicky, Drama, TSOA

Joanna Waley-Cohen, History, FAS

Daniel Walkowitz, History and Metropolitan Studies, FAS

Marc Walters, Chemistry, FAS

Bryan Waterman, English, FAS

John Waters, English, FAS

Ellen Willis, Journalism, FAS

Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Psychology and Public Policy, FAS

Marilyn Young, History, FAS

George Yudice, American Studies and CLACS, FAS

Caitlin Zaloom, Metropolitan Studies and American Studies, FAS

Xudong Zhang, Comparative Literature and East Asian Studies, FAS  

Edward Ziter, Drama, TSOA

Angela Zito, Religious Studies and Anthropology, FAS