Cardozo Dean Resigns

In a letter to University President Rabbi Norman Lamm, Paul R. Verkuil, Dean of Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law, informed the university administration that he would not be renewing his contract after it expires June 30th of this year. The letter, dated January 5th, cited personal reasons for the decision not to opt for an extension.

Verkuil, who officially declined a contract extension with Yeshiva to continue as dean of the Law School after the date of his contract's termination, plans to stay on as a member of the faculty and will expand his teaching curriculum. Verkuil has also offered to remain acting dean of the law school until a search committee completes its selection of a new dean.

Additionally, Associate Dean Michael Herz confirmed that he too will be leaving his office following the end of this academic year. Upon completion of his term as dean, Herz plans to visit another law school for at least a year with the intention of returning to Cardozo as a member of the faculty after his sabbatical.

A well respected and formidable legal mind, Verkuil began at Cardozo in 1997. Before he came to the law school Verkuil was a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. He also worked administratively as Dean of Tulane Law School and President of the College of William and Mary.

"Now I could spend more time teaching and working on some research projects," said Verkuil explaining the impetus behind his opting out of a contract extension. "Dr. Lamm and my fellow colleagues urged me to stay, but now, with less administrative duties I will have more time for my teaching, and more time for myself and my family," Verkuil continued.

Although Verkuil insisted that he was stepping down for personal reasons and stated that he enjoyed his time working at Cardozo, there were hints that he was unhappy with Yeshiva's treatment of the law school.

"I am glad that we now have an administrator like Lowengrub. We've needed more of a balance on the academic side," said Verkuil referring to Dr. Morton Lowengrub, the university's new Vice President of Academic Affairs. "Without him," Verkuil continued, "there has been more power and influence coming from the budgetary side." Verkuil was referring to Sheldon Socol, Vice President of Business Affairs, who in the past has displayed an authoritarian grip over the University's practices throughout its colleges and affiliated schools. Apparently, Verkuil believed the business office of the university's administration has had a greater impact on the academic tone of the law school than it should have.

Among Verkuil's more notable accomplishments, is his recent appointment by the American Bar Association to chair a committee charged with beginning the ambitious initiative of assessing the federal regulatory process and determining how it can be reformed to ensure better government. The ABA will focus on the Administrative Procedure Act-essentially the constitution for the regulatory state. The APA, which was enacted in 1946 and has not been revised significantly since, categorizes governmental actions, sets forth the framework for rulemaking and adjudication proceedings, creates rights for judicial review of agency actions, and establishes standards for the scope of review.

Undoubtedly, Verkuil is representative of the high caliber faculty and staff at Cardozo. However, Verkuil's letter is the fourth such announcement coming from a high-level university administrator since September. Although he is temporarily working in the office of the Academic Vice President, Rabbi Melvin Davis resigned as university registrar earlier this year. Dr. Harold Neirenberg, Dean of the Sy Syms School of Business announced his resignation last month and Dean of Students Dr. Efrem Nulman, too, resigned just after a large clash between students and administrators had seemed to be resolved. Assistant Registrar Lea Honigwachs, Assistant to the Dean of SSSB Dianne Persky, Professors Ross and Zilbert among others have also followed this trend of reassignment and resignation.

While administrative shuffling in universities is common place, it is not so usual in Yeshiva. In an institution where the President and the Vice President of Business Affairs have collectively a full century of time at the university between them, such movement is not common at all.