Announcing the President Search Process
A Message from Linda E. Rappaport, Chair, Board of Trustees; and Dominique Bluhdorn, Trustee
Dear Members of The New School Community,
We are writing to you today to share important information about the search for the next president of our university. As you know, Donna Shalala is serving as our president for this academic year. Bearing this in mind, it is vital for us to begin the formal search process for the next president now to ensure the best possible presidential transition.
Choosing a president is one of the most important functions of a board of trustees, and as co-chairs of the search committee we are committed to keeping you well informed about our progress at key points along the way. In this first message, we are happy to report that we have formed a search committee, engaged an executive search firm to support the committee, and outlined a process that is now moving forward.
The search committee includes students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees. We begin our work with a commitment to consider broad perspectives and to uphold the highest standards of integrity.
We are pleased to share with you the members of the search committee, in addition to ourselves:
Zed Adams
Associate Professor of Philosophy, New School for Social Research and Eugene Lang College and Member of the University Faculty Senate
Ben Allison
Part-time Lecturer, College of Performing Arts and Co-Chair of the University Faculty Senate
Franci J. Blassberg
Trustee
Steven H. Bloom
Trustee and Member of the Board of Governors for the College of Performing Arts
Christopher J. Castano
Trustee and Chair of the Board of Governors for the Schools of Public Engagement
Mike Harrington, MS Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management ’18
Sustainability Engagement Director, Tishman Environment and Design Center, Member of the University Staff Senate, and PhD Student, Public and Urban Policy, Schools of Public Engagement
Julie Kim, BM Orchestral Instruments (Cello) ’20
Graduate Student, MM Performer-Composer, College of Performing Arts
Jane McNamara
Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives and Civic Partnerships, Eugene Lang College
David Poma, MA Economics ’02
Trustee and Member of the Board of Governors for the New School for Social Research
Timothy L. Porter
Trustee and Member of the Board of Governors for the College of Performing Arts
Ahana Sharma
Undergraduate Student, BFA Integrated Design, Parsons School of Design, and Chair of the University Student Senate
Lilian Shiao-Yen Wu
Trustee and Member of the Board of Governors for the Schools of Public Engagement
Lucille Tenazas
Henry Wolf Professor of Communication Design, Parsons School of Design
Kay Unger, Fashion Design ’68
Trustee and Member of the Board of Governors for the Parsons School of Design and Advisory Board for Parsons Paris
We want to thank the many people throughout the university who helped us assemble the members of the committee.
Having a search firm with proven experience is a necessity and we are excited to be working again with Isaacson, Miller the same firm that helped recruit President Shalala to our community. Our partners at Isaacson, Miller have also recently facilitated the hiring of presidents at Howard University, New York University, Rhode Island School of Design, and the University of Michigan, among other notable universities and colleges.
We know that a successful outcome can only be achieved with wide-ranging input from the community. We are aware that the search committee cannot reflect the full diversity of our community, and we will do our best to provide ways for everyone to participate. To this end, we will be holding a series of open listening sessions for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. For those who are not able to attend the listening sessions, or prefer to share their thoughts in writing, please consider participating in this confidential community survey, which will be open through November 3. We have also begun a series of discussions with university leadership, including the university’s student, faculty, and staff senates.
Further details about the president search are available on the university website. This website will also serve as a resource for up-to-date information.
We care deeply about The New School and its future, as we know you do. We are grateful to have President Shalala’s leadership at this pivotal moment, and we are enthusiastic and energized by the opportunity to work together with the community to find an outstanding president to serve our remarkable university in the years to come.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Linda E. Rappaport
Chair, Board of Trustees
Member of the Board of Governors for the College of Performing Arts
Co-Chair of the President Search Committee
Dominique Bluhdorn
Trustee
Vice Chair of the Board of Governors for Parsons School of Design and Member of the Advisory Board for Parsons Paris
Co-Chair of the President Search Committee