When University President Richard Levin steps down in June, he will leave behind a transformed relationship between Yale and New Haven.
Levin assumed the presidency in 1993 in the midst of what many alumni, administrators, city officials and local residents consider to be the lowest point for the Universitys relationship with its home city. Between 1970 and the early 1990s, Yale neglected its surrounding home, and decades of disconnect left students wary of venturing beyond campus and New Haven residents distrustful of an expansive neighbor. But Levins inauguration marked a change in Yales attitude toward New Haven at the highest level he made engaging New Haven an institutional priority, leading to numerous educational, economic development and outreach efforts over the past 19 years.
It was a conscious effort by the Yale Corporation to choose Rick and grow a collaborative relationship between Yale and the city, said Mayor John DeStefano Jr. If you look at his policies one at a time, you are missing the arc of the accomplishments Ricks leadership and collaboration redefined healthy university growth and engagement in a host community.
At the level of University governance, Levin institutionalized the importance of building a strong relationship with the city early in his tenure by establishing the Office of New Haven and State Affairs (ONHSA) in 1996. The office, a liaison between Yale and the city, is charged with supporting public school and youth programs, revitalizing neighborhoods, creating a vital downtown and fostering economic development, according to its website. A vice president position was created to oversee the office, and in 1998, former real estate developer Bruce Alexander 65 was appointed to the post.
Alexander said the creation of the vice president role marked a pivotal change in town-gown relations, since being a part of Levins cabinet meant that whenever a major decision on behalf of the University was made, there was input from the community.
Rick and I tried to get Yale out of the quid-pro-quo relationship with the city. We tried to develop a partnership, Alexander said. I spent a lot of time listening to members of the community, and because I knew what Rick and the trustees were doing, I could speak credibly on behalf of the University.
This partnership between the University and the city resulted in an array of outreach and community development initiatives, many of which target New Haven public schools, said Claudia Merson, the director of public school partnerships for ONHSA. Prior to Levins tenure, she said, strained relations between city school officials and Yale administrators inhibited collaboration on youth learning projects.
I went into the job in 1995 and was astounded that people were very mistrustful it was clear that there was not really a good and amicable relationship between the University and the town, Merson said. In the earlier days there was obviously a lot of residue from an earlier time.
But over the years, ONHSA established many youth programs and partnerships with public schools in the Elm City, Merson said. In 1997, Yale partnered with the Hill Regional Career High School and enriched the schools programs through several initiatives such as allowing the schools anatomy and physiology class to perform dissections alongside second year medical students twice a week. During the summer, Yale operates a residential summer science program to expose public school students to fields in science and technology, and the Universitys partnership with the Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School on College Street gives students the opportunity to write and produce a play with the help of professional playwrights.
Throughout Levins tenure, Merson said the new youth programs have impacted thousands upon thousands of students. This past summer alone, more than 750 children participated in programs organized by Yale.
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During 20-year tenure, city partnership forged