Where Are We Headed? Reflections for the Year Ahead
A Message from Dr. Renée T. White, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dear students, faculty, and staff,
I am delighted to welcome our new and returning students, faculty, and staff back to The New School this week. The start of the fall semester is a busy and exciting time on campus with many opportunities for us to learn from and engage with one another, and I extend my gratitude to our staff and faculty for the work they have done over the summer to prepare for a successful academic year. I have been meeting with President Shalala this month to find ways to foster continuity during this time of leadership transition and we look forward to working closely with all of you on cultivating a supportive and sustainable environment for teaching and learning, research, scholarship, creative practice, and community building.
This semester, I’d like to begin by sharing my priorities as Provost for the year ahead, which expand on important discussions I have participated in with students, faculty, and staff, and reflect the themes which have emerged through open office hours I’ve held, Strategic Planning Compassionate Critique sessions this past spring, and many other forums throughout the colleges and across the university.
Many of you have asked what it means for us to holistically practice community as a group of people with diverse experiences and perspectives. From the start of our strategic planning process, which began in earnest in Fall 2022, faculty, staff, and student representatives have worked together on the Steering Committee to develop tools and resources to support an inclusive and participatory community engagement process. Over the summer, the Strategic Planning Steering Committee has been meeting and reflecting on what this process has meant to us as a university, and how this work can move forward in a new iteration to meet this moment of transition. We look forward to sharing what we’ve learned from everyone who has been able to participate in this process thus far, how this work will continue, and how you can get involved in the coming weeks.
Intentional engagement is another priority area I plan to dedicate my energy to throughout the year with my colleagues in leadership. This includes: continued partnership with the University Faculty, Staff, and Student Senates; increased consultation and connection with our full- and part-time faculty through meetings at the college level, committees and working groups, celebratory events, among other opportunities; and the creation of new and improved spaces to bring us together in dialogue. When I first joined The New School as Provost, I began hosting office hours to hear firsthand about your experiences as students, faculty, and staff. These conversations were an opportunity for us to learn from and connect with each other, and I look forward to hosting open forums throughout the year to continue the conversation. Please look for more information in the coming weeks on how you can participate in a future session.
Each year, I have the pleasure of joining orientations and events held on campus before the semester begins to welcome our incoming students, their families, and our new cohort of faculty. And each year, I am inspired by the energy and enthusiasm our students and faculty express for what drew them to The New School to pursue their research, scholarship, and creative practice. Creating new pathways to support your work, celebrate your accomplishments, share opportunities, and improve structures to help us all flourish is another important goal I have for the year ahead.
I invite you to connect with the Provost’s Office and let us know how you are doing this semester. We would love to hear what you are looking forward to most this year in your work, studies, and scholarship at The New School and how we can support your academic journey here. You are always welcome to reach out to us at provost@newschool.edu with questions and feedback.
I look forward to hearing from you and wish you all a wonderful start to the semester.