Business

No-confidence vote for NYU president Sexton

NYU faculty gave president John Sexton a vote of no-confidence yesterday, accusing him of a high-handed management style as he pursues aggressive growth plans.

The school’s board of trustees, however, reiterated its support for the hard-charging boss, setting the stage for more conflict.

In a vote by faculty at NYU’s School of Arts and Science, 298, or 52 percent, voted against Sexton, while 224 voters, or 39 percent, supported Sexton. 8 percent of voters abstained. More than 83 percent of eligible faculty participated in the vote.

Arts and Sciences is NYU’s largest school, accounting for about 700 of the university’s 2,000 faculty members.

“We hope the trustees will respect this very clear consensus and accept the president’s resignation as soon as possible,” said Mark Crispin Miller, a professor of media studies who has helped lead the charge against Sexton.

“He cannot function as president of the university if the faculty has no faith in him.”

That looked like wishful thinking, as NYU’s board of trustees has consistently expressed unanimous support for Sexton, who has kept the helm for 12 years.

“The vote – although supported by fewer than half the tenured faculty in FAS – is a disappointing outcome, in part because it does not seem to take account of NYU’s progress over the last decade,” board of trustees chairman Martin Lipton said in a statement.

Critics charge that Sexton has paid himself and other top administrators fat salaries and spent lavishly on new facilities despite feeble financial aid for students and flat faculty wages.

But supporters note that Sexton recently raised a record-breaking $3 billion to fund his initiatives, and back his view that NYU must grow to remain competitive with other top schools.

“Faculty must be at the center of the academic endeavor and involved in the decision-making,” Sexton said in a statement. “We have taken some important steps in that direction and, particularly with this vote in mind, that effort will continue.”

jcovert@nypost.com