Mayor Bloomberg chose the members of a new commission that will study and revise the city charter [PDF]—the document that outlines how New York City government works. According to the Times, the 15-member panel of "longtime loyalists, educators, political operatives and community leaders" will study the document and suggest changes, which could include reinstating two-term limits on city politicians, encouraging nonpartisan elections, and abolishing the city's public advocate and borough presidents. more ›

The Chronicle of Higher Education released its annual salary survey of the heads of educational institutions and the value of a college education is evidenced in the paychecks being cashed by institutions' presidents. More than a dozen heads of private universities took home more than $1 million during the 2005-06 school year. According to the New York Post, the dean of higher earning was Donald Ross, who took home $5.7 million--most in deferred compensation after... more ›

The City University of New York is planning on raising math and English requirements for 2008 freshman at 11 colleges. CUNY's chancellor, Matthew Goldstein, told the NY Times, "We are very serious in taking a group of our institutions and placing them in the top segment of universities and colleges. This is the kind of profile we want for our students." more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an unusual rescue on Beverly Rd. in Brooklyn, a car vs. building incident at Myrtle Ave. and 74th St. in Queens, and a shooting at 125th St. and 1st Ave. in Manhattan.
• Matthew Goldstein, a CUNY alumnus and present chancellor of that school system, won the Carnegie Corp.'s Academic Leadership Award and will receive $500,000.
• Queens state assemblyman Rory Lancman wants an appointed member of NYC's Human Rights Commission removed for his involvement in a lawsuit against airline passengers who reported behavior they found suspicious. Bloomberg is backing his appointee.
• A temporary compromise is reached on big-dog and little-dog areas in Upper East Side dog run.
• The FCC wants in on the Don Imus fiasco and is reportedly investigating the controversial radio host.
• The detectives charged in the Sean Bell shooting appeared in a Queens courtroom today as lawyers and the judge worked on scheduling issues. Outside of court, advocates, supporters, and detractors for and against the defendants argued over who was conducting the worst public smear campaign.
• The city breaks ground on the 2nd Ave. Subway tomorrow; for the final time we hope.
• A 73-year-old woman fell partway into a gap between the station platform and an LIRR train this morning in Syosset.
• Get your hands on a printed subway schedule. It should give you something to read when your train is running late.

Last night, Streetsblog noticed that the City University of New York had just announced that Department of Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall was appointed Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management. A few hours later, there were press releases about Weinshall's resignation from the DOT and the Mayor. The Mayor said:

When I became Mayor, the people of New York were already very fortunate to have an innovative thinker like Iris Weinshall leading the Department of Transportation, and I was fortunate that she agreed to stay on and serve for what has now been an extraordinary seven year tenure. Iris tried new ways to solve problems that had plagued New York City for decades, and she worked with local communities to mitigate dangerous conditions, resulting in the lowest pedestrian fatality rate in recorded history and infrastructure changes and improvements in all five boroughs. more ›

A day after the Daily News reported that City College had allowed a campus center to be named after two controversial figures on its cover, complete with scorching editorial criticizing the school, City College's chancellor Matthew Goldstein had the sign taken down. The center was called the Guillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Community Center. Guillermo Morales was a radical for Puerto Rico's independence and made bombs, including one that killed four people at Fraunces Tavern in 1975. His fingers blown off while making a bomb, but he escaped from Bellevue to Mexico and now lives in Cuba. Shakur, born Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army. In 1973, she killed NJ State trooper Wayne Foerster, she escaped from prison in 1979, headed to Cuba and now goes by Assata Shakur. There is still a $1 million reward for her capture. more ›

Chronicle of Higher Education, once a year we turn to you to find out what kind of crazy compensation the executives of our nations educational institutions are making (every year they make a bit more!). And this year you haven’t let us down. Of course since we don’t subscribe to the Chronicle we have to depend on those who do to let us know who is making what. Good thing then that there is a Daily News recap. more ›