Forging A New Path Forward
A Message from The Board of Trustees of The New School
Dear Fellow Members of The New School Community,
Since its founding, The New School has risen to meet innumerable social and economic challenges, faithful to its aim to innovate, educate and inform. The Board of Trustees understands this aim is as necessary and important today as ever. We remain fully committed to it and to the members of the community who share it.
We write to you today at an important moment in our history to update you on work that is underway to secure a strong future for The New School.
As many of you know, the university is facing a serious budget deficit. With this budget deficit and the potential for more headwinds ahead, we know that our path to financial health will require difficult decisions and concerted action. While we have resources to help us weather this storm in the short term, those resources are limited, and we have a responsibility to ensure that the university is soundly positioned for a sustainable future as an educational leader.
The Trustees have tasked President McBride and Provost White to guide this work and to gather input from all areas of the community to address our current and future needs. They have our full support. Several efforts have already been initiated.
- The University Budget Committee (UBC+) has been asked to evaluate proposals to improve every aspect of The New School’s financial situation. To provide for a collaborative process, the UBC has been temporarily expanded to become the UBC+, which in addition to the existing four faculty members now includes a representative from the staff senate, a college executive dean, a member of the part-time faculty as well as our two student trustees. The UBC+ will seek viable and bold ideas from across the community that have the potential to yield savings or additional revenue to match the expected deficit.
- University Leadership has also been asked to develop a plan to address the deficit, taking into consideration every aspect of the university, including the findings of the UBC+.
In addition and importantly, the University Strategic Planning, which began in the spring last year and paused in the fall during the strike, has now recommenced. President McBride has asked Provost White and faculty co-chair Lara Penin to lead this process for the community. We expect the strategic planning process to be carefully thought out, inclusive and inspiring. The Provost will provide updated information about the process and how members of the community can become involved in the coming weeks.
To help inform the community about the progress of our initiatives, the university has created a dedicated website. This site will be the central hub to find updates, opportunities to participate and a range of important informational resources.
The goal of these efforts is to ensure that The New School is strong, stable and thriving for many years to come. We have a lot of work to do, including building trust and reestablishing civility in our interactions and discourse. We are confident that we cannot only solve problems together, but we can continue to set an example of respect and inclusion that remains at the core of The New School ethos. We are a community that values every individual and rejects any notion of hatred and bigotry.
We are grateful for the community’s support, participation and understanding of the work ahead. We know that we are stronger when we all work together and it will take contributions from all parts of the community for us to forge our best path forward. The Board is fully committed to this critical work and will be devoting its time, attention and care to providing for a successful future for The New School.