The Honorable
Eric Schneiderman
Attorney General of the State of New York
Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224-0341

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

We the Cooper Union Alumni Association (CUAA) welcome and support your investigation into the mismanagement and wrongdoing of the Board of Trustees and administration of our alma mater. For 156 years, Cooper Union has been at the center of New York City’s civic life, a beacon of egalitarian education, “free as air and water.” With the introduction of tuition by the Board of Trustees, that light has been diminished. Moreover, we have concerns about the long term impact of imposing tuition on admission standards, size of applicant pool, and caliber of academic excellence. The continuing viability of Cooper Union is in grave danger, and each day that passes brings the school closer to destruction.

We, therefore, appeal to you for swift and decisive intervention to save Cooper Union and restore Peter Cooper’s mission of free education based on the school charter, adopted by the New York State Legislature in 1859.

We call for the immediate removal of President Jamshed Bharucha, and we support the appointment of an interim manager with the stature, experience, and authority to put Cooper Union’s house in order. We also call for the replacement of those members of the Board of Trustees who are ultimately responsible for the current crisis. Board members must reflect the unique diversity of New York City, including women, minorities, and the continued representation by elected officers of the Cooper Union Alumni Association.

The CUAA also advocates the creation of “the Associates of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art” as prescribed in the charter of 1859, to promote the work of the school within the broader community and to act as a check on the Board of Trustees.

Although small in number, we are prominently represented in our fields here in the city and around the world. As the torchbearers of Peter Cooper’s mission, we are builders, designers, engineers, architects, and artists, of the past and present, and most important, of the future.

The Cooper Union Alumni Association stands with you in rebuilding our institution.

On behalf of The Cooper Union Alumni Association, Inc.