The New School has launched a comprehensive initiative to enhance the university’s academic offerings through a review aimed at improving students’ educational experience, supporting the critical work of faculty, and amplifying the interdisciplinary learning
for which we are known. This work builds on the university’s mission and vision and draws on our extensive experience in curricular innovation and on the full range of The New School’s
academic, scholarly, and creative practices. This process reflects a move from ideation to clear direction and decision making. Each college has a significant role to play in contributing to The New School’s future as we review the structure of academic
units, align programs, and reduce duplication of offerings for a more accessible, integrated, and compelling learning environment that supports student retention and degree completion. Our focus is to strengthen the undergraduate experience and explore
opportunities for the university’s array of graduate programs.
The Work Ahead
Charge: Develop a proposal that strengthens the university’s academic offerings by focusing on opportunities for growth and stability and identifying areas of alignment and overlap.
Vision: Focus on the existing strengths of The New School that build our reputation as a leader in innovative transdisciplinary scholarship and creative practice. Enhance academic structures that support students, the student experience, and retention
as essential priorities.
Core principles: Safeguard the academic core, including our renowned programs and institutes; respect and protect faculty and staff positions; and focus on areas of opportunity that advance the university's mission. Plans will include steps to make us
a more transfer-friendly university; retaining a focus on equity, inclusion, and social justice; and the integration of graduate programs with undergraduate liberal arts degrees and of undergraduate liberal arts programs with one another.
Who will lead this work: The Executive Deans, their academic leadership, and the Provost.
Faculty and staff involvement: The Executive Deans will schedule meetings with academic programs in their colleges, so that every program has an opportunity to directly offer ideas about and insights into this important project. Executive Deans will
create ways to collect input from their faculty and staffs and facilitate cross-college collaboration. There will also be an opportunity for these constituents to give feedback.
After May 1: The President and the Board of Trustees will review the proposal. Following their review, the university will begin the next phase of planning and implementation and launch working groups to consider the implications for all of the colleges and areas including operational transactions and planning; staffing and resourcing needs for the new support structure; additional opportunities for strengthening our approaches to the undergraduate and graduate experience, expanding transfer initiatives,
and bringing our structure into alignment across our global and New York campuses; and deepening the integration of research centers and institutes into the college structure.
College-Led Convenings
Cross-college convenings are currently and will continue to be scheduled to include discussions about best alignments for the following programs:
Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students/School of Undergraduate Studies (Lang College of Liberal Arts, Schools of Public Engagement);
Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management (Lang College of Liberal Arts, New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design, Schools of Public Engagement);
Languages (Lang College of Liberal Arts, Schools of Public Engagement);
Management (College of Performing Arts, New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design, Schools of Public Engagement);
Media (College of Performing Arts, Lang College of Liberal Arts, New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design, Schools of Public Engagement);
Urban/Policy (Lang College of Liberal Arts, New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design, Schools of Public Engagement);
Writing (College of Performing Arts, New School for Social Research, Parsons Paris, Schools of Public Engagement).
Timeline
Below is a summary of milestones in the process. Please watch this space for updates as we make progress over the coming months.
April 8 through April 16, 2024
Executive deans convene college-led conversations with programs to solicit proposals, ideas, and concerns.
April 22 through April 25, 2024
Proposal shared with faculty and staff for comment.
May 1, 2024
Finalized proposal shared with President Shalala.
May 2024
Progress updates from the President and Provost.
June 2024
Additional topic-specific working groups to support further planning and implementation will be formed by the Provost and Executive Deans.