MTA, YU, and the Tyranny of the Few

The decision to close MTA was made; the verdict was sealed and done; all that remained was for the axe to drop. The powers that be sat in secluded judgment and reached their conclusion. MTA as a YU high school was history, the only remaining question was would it go independent or merge with another school.

After word of the University's decision leaked out, heavy community pressure was brought to bear upon Rabbi Lamm and others, with the predictable result - the University waffled and YU administrators found themselves with egg all over their faces. Beating a tactical retreat from an unpopular decision, the bureaucrats changed their tune, and the official story is now that the matter is "under discussion."

MTA parents and faculty are understandably incensed, for who is going to send their kid to a school that may or may not be around next year?

The future of MTA is an important issue that requires level-headed thought and serious contemplation. Decisions of this magnitude should not be made by a small group of individuals led exclusively by the University's chief financial officer. What results from such a solitary and capricious process is now painfully obvious to all as the University grapples with the public relations fiasco that it has created.

The decision making mechanism that has brought us to this absurd moment in YU history is fatally flawed. To allow one individual and his minions to dictate the course for an entire university undermines the logical and effective manner in which an institution should be run. Are the students the only people on this campus that understand that this is madness?

Related Stories:

• MTA May Close Doors
• MTA: Pros and Cons
• MTA--The Historical Dimension