Strategic Planning

The concept of Compassionate Critique was born out of the desire by the Steering Committee to provide a space for reflection and dialogue as we collect information from as many people in our community as possible. Our objective is to take advantage of critique as the pedagogical approach used by many disciplines at The New School, and adapt it as a process that will be integral in seeking community input. These sessions are meant to capture all of the feedback our community has in an atmosphere that is compassionate and generative. 

We will continue these sessions through May and conduct a few more in the early part of the fall semester. Find additional details and register on the Be Part of the Change event page. We also encourage all members of our community to explore the information and resources below.  

• How is Strategic Planning happening at TNS? View the March 21 Information Session

• Where are we in the process? View the Roadmap.

• What in the World Is Compassionate Critique?  View the Playbook. 

We encourage you to send us your questions and ideas at [email protected].

The Steering Committee is charged with leading the university’s strategic planning process, which seeks to translate the university’s four pillars into possible action through a participatory process with the community. They will lead a deliberative, inclusive, and rigorous inquiry into the core values of The New School in order to identify, define, and formalize areas of need and themes to inform the university’s future. The Steering Committee will also set the tone of collaborative co-creation and transparency within the strategic planning working groups and community planning sessions. They will:

• Coordinate the overall activities of the strategic planning process from June 2022 to June 2023
• Select the external firm specializing in participatory processes
• Ensure the timely progress and completion of the strategic planning process
• Establish and lead the strategic planning working groups
• Set up and participate in community planning sessions
• Ensure that strategic planning is coordinated with other university-wide planning initiatives, including Middle States re-accreditation and strategic enrollment planning
• Produce the final report of the planning process

Steering Committee Membership, 2022–2023

• Lara de S. Penin, Professor of Transdisciplinary Design, School of Design Strategies, Parsons School of Design, Co-chair
• Renée T. White, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Co-chair
• Lorenley Baez, Associate Provost for Academic Advising and Career Development
• Rita Breidenbach, Associate Provost for Faculty Development, The Faculty Center for Innovation, Collaboration and Support
• Adam Brown, Vice Provost for Research, Associate Professor of Psychology, The New School for Social Research
• Christopher J. Castano, Trustee and Managing Director, Grosvenor Capital Management, LP
• Lina Maria Celis Rengifo, MFA student in Textiles, Parsons School of Design '23
• Antonia Craig, Assistant Dean, Strategic Academic Planning, Parsons School of Design
• Julia Ott, Associate Professor of History, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
• Laura Cronk, Assistant Professor of Writing and Chair of the Undergraduate Creative Writing Program, Schools of Public Engagement
• Maria-Elena Grant, Associate Program Director, Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, The New School, and Co-Chair of the University Staff Senate
• Melanie Hart, Senior Vice President for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice and Chief Diversity Officer
• Frank Nemhauser, Associate Professor, Director of Vocal Studies, Mannes School of Music, College of Performing Arts
• Luciana Scruchten, Assistant Professor of Fashion, Parsons School of Fashion
• John Sharp, Professor of Games and Learning, School of Art, Media and Technology, and Co-Director, PETlab, Parsons School of Design
• Kamilah Tibbitts, BA student in Media Studies, Schools of Public Engagement '23
• Bhawani Venkataraman, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chair and Departmental Faculty Advisor for Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
• Miranda Young, PhD student in Philosophy, The New School for Social Research
• Lin Zhou, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Support provided by

• Zoe De Freitas Melo, Graduate Student Assistant
• Holly Frisbee, Senior Director for Strategic Planning and Assessment, Provost's Office
• Dan Napolitano, Chief of Staff, Provost's Office
• Eren Hock, Director of Strategic University Programs
• Lucille Tenazas, Henry Wolf Professor of Communication Design, Parsons School of Design

The Steering Committee membership breakdown is as follows:                 

• 5 faculty members, either part-time or full-time, representing each of the five colleges (selected by each college’s faculty governing body)
• 3 staff representatives (selected by the Staff Senate [self-nominations are welcome])
• 3 students, one undergraduate, one master degree, one PhD student (selected by the Student Senate [self nominations are welcome])
• 2 other university leaders (selected by the provost)
• 1 co-chair of the Middle States re-accreditation process (selected by the provost)
• 1 member of the university’s Board of Trustees (selected by the provost in consultation with the president and board chair)
• 1 member of the President’s Leadership Team (selected by the provost)

FLOX Studio is our community partner in guiding this work. Founded in January 2019, FLOX Studio is a community design and strategy studio on a mission to alter the future of work by integrating community & social justice values, design thinking, and organizational development. FLOX Studio works with nonprofit capacity builders, design institutions, and social impact leaders to foster collaborations, facilitate meaningful conversations, and prepare for the near future.

As our Strategic Planning community partner, FLOX will be working closely with the Provost’s Office and the Strategic Planning Steering Committee to ensure that every member of the New School community has an opportunity for robust and meaningful participation with the planning process. FLOX has conducted similar engagements with Bennington College, Rutgers University, The National Institute for Reproductive Health, and The Opportunity Agenda.

FLOX was founded and is led by Sloan Leo (they/he), a Community Design theorist, educator, and practitioner. Leo is a consistent contributor to Forbes magazine, a 2020 recipient of Queer Archive Works residency, and was the 2019/2020 School of Visual Arts, Design for Social Innovation Graduate Program, Designer in Residence. Currently they are a mentor in residence at the New Museum’s New Inc program and on the faculty at The School of Visual Arts Product of Design School. They split their time between Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

The Community Dialogue series involves students, faculty, and staff, as well as thought leaders throughout higher education, as we embark on our university-wide strategic planning process. Through these conversations, we hope to explore many important issues and expand upon the potential for The New School to be an active and vibrant citizen of New York City.

Past Events
Community Dialogue: Diversity and Inclusion in Education with Professor Anthony Jack (October 19, 2022)

Universities and Civic Life Dialogue, a conversation hosted by Provost Renée T. White with President Dwight A. McBride and Rutgers University-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor (December 10, 2021)