News and Reflections on the New Academic Year
Over the past two weeks, I have enjoyed welcoming new faculty and students, celebrating with you at the Block Party, and seeing our campus truly come alive again. It has been inspiring to be in conversation with our incoming class of 3,500 aspiring scholars, creatives, and change makers from across the United States and around the world. Equally exciting are the ideas, expertise, and experience added by 46 new faculty members this year. We are glad you are here and proud of the intellectual and creative depth and breadth of our entire faculty.
Please mark your calendar to attend the fall Town Hall meeting to be held on Thursday, September 29, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the University Center’s Tishman Auditorium. Town Halls are an opportunity to come together to share news and hear from the Faculty, Student, and Staff Senates, the provost, and others—and to ask questions, offer ideas, and engage in dialogue about the university. You can expect to receive updates on our academic programs, social justice efforts underway across campus, and ways we are leading climate change responses. We will also share information about the university’s finances and the investments we are making to support students. Below are a couple of highlights:
The Making Center at Parsons (66 Fifth Avenue on the second, third, and basement levels) is our latest and greatest space. This state-of-the-art facility for interdisciplinary making was made possible by the generous family foundation gift of Parsons alumna, designer, and New School trustee Kay Unger. With equipment ranging from 3D printers to industrial tools to sewing machines, plenty of open space for collaboration, and expansive views onto Fifth Avenue, the Making Center is fantastic space–and we are very excited to see the work that will emerge from it.
We are taking steps to ensure that our campus will continue to evolve well into the future. The New School was able to take advantage of a rare opportunity to purchase the building at 39 West 13th Street, which is perfectly configured for our use and just steps from Arnhold Hall. After closing on the purchase in early 2017, we will develop plans for its eventual academic use when we can take full possession in about 10 years. Not only will this new facility add to our campus corridor along 13th street, it will help to improve the university’s financial health by substantially reducing our over-reliance on expensive rented properties. Thanks to the leadership of our board of trustees, generous donors, and income from the building’s commercial tenants, we are able to make this investment without it impacting our operating budget in the short term and it will improve our financial health significantly over time. It is a vote of confidence in our long-term future and will enable us to accommodate the vast majority of our core academic work in owned facilities—particularly important for non-profit institutions. We look forward to telling you more at the Town Hall.
Please stay engaged with the life of our university, our city, and the world beyond. Make the most of opportunities to connect with peers throughout programs and schools at The New School. Read Public Seminar for some of the most insightful writing about a range of critical topics. Visit our robust Events Calendar often and read New School New_S. Stay connected on social media @TheNewSchool or you can follow me on Twitter @DavidVanZandt. Even better, when you see me on campus, please say hello and let me know how things are going. I look forward to it.
David E. Van Zandt, President