This office was launched at an unprecedented time, in which the calls for equity, inclusion, and social justice in the United States were urgent, visceral, and unyielding. It was launched at a time when we explicitly proclaimed that Black Lives Matter, with the aim
of saving and protecting Black lives, dismantling institutionalized racism, and building a more equitable and inclusive society. The office was also launched during a global pandemic that dramatically affected the world, particularly those made
most vulnerable among us.
Audre Lorde said, “There are no new ideas, only new ways of making them felt.” The principles and values of equity, inclusion, and social justice are not new in general and certainly not new to The New School. Our challenge as an office and a community
is to ensure that they are lived, practiced, and experienced in a new way.
The New School is committed to ensuring an equitable, inclusive, and socially just environment for all students, staff, and faculty. That commitment requires bringing together students, staff, and faculty who reflect the diversity of thought and identities
of our society. It also requires pedagogy, policies, and practices that institutionalize the values of equity, inclusion, and social justice.
No single message, initiative, or office can cure the ills that challenge us. Moreover, institutional change does not happen at the speed demanded. With society as our mirror and our values and principles as our guide, we can be sure that there is a lot
of challenging work ahead. To be sure, the work of ensuring equity, inclusion, and social justice belongs to all of us; we all bear responsibility for our community. The EISJ Office will serve as a fulcrum for strategy, policy, and practice across
the university. Using the Campus Climate Assessment as a foundational driver for change and engagement, the office collaborates with partners across the university to strengthen our community so that our
values are evident in the ways we learn, teach, create, gather, research, hire, engage. and operate. In areas ranging from policy to programming, the EISJ Office will serve as a catalyst for the changes we want in our community. And it will be with our equally unwavering
collective commitment, focus, and collaboration that we can effect these changes.
Spring 2022 Updates
Below are some of the spring 2022 university-wide efforts of The New School’s Office of EISJ to advance equity, inclusion, and social justice at The New School.
- Campus Climate Assessment Implementation Task Force—This task force is charged with operationalizing the recommendations of the campus climate assessment.
- University Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Committee—This committee draws on and aligns the various efforts across colleges and departments to ensure that all members of the community are served and to promote fidelity in operation and
implementation.
- University Ombudsperson—Under the leadership of the Office of EISJ, the university has expanded its capacity to serve students, staff, and faculty through a full-time university ombudsperson.
- The Office of Government and External Affairs—This office is designed to protect and advance the university’s interests through civic and political engagement in support of students, staff and faculty, and the university’s academic mission.
Visit the EISJ community message page to learn more.
Policies
The Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice will collaborate with members of the New School community on implementing university-wide strategies and policies that advance and support equity, inclusion, and social justice. Below you will find links
to policies that support this work.