Welcome Message and Spring Highlights
A Message from Dr. Renée T. White, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Welcome to the start of a new year! The spring semester is an especially generative time for our campus and I personally look forward to all of the opportunities we will have to recognize and celebrate the work of our students, faculty, and staff in the coming months. As Provost, my highest priority remains working closely with all of you on cultivating a supportive and sustainable environment for teaching and learning, research, scholarship, and creative practice, and grounding this work in actionable principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice.
As we make progress in university-wide initiatives, you can expect to learn more about our Strategic Planning process as we enter the final phase of this collective work, the Middle States (MSCHE) reaffirmation of our accreditation as it reaches its conclusion this spring, and university finances from the Expanded University Budget Committee (UBC+) and Financial Transparency Council (FTC).
The goals I outlined last semester remain central to the work ahead of us: fostering more intentional engagement with our community, improving structures to help us all flourish, creating new pathways to support your work, and celebrating the incredible intellectual and creative energy that draws each of us to The New School. Here are a few highlights to be aware of as the semester begins:
Strategic Planning Community Survey
The Strategic Planning Steering Committee has gathered data and input from our community over the past year through compassionate critique sessions in Spring ‘23 and visioning sessions in Fall ‘23. As we enter the final stages of our process, we invite you to participate in a final round of engagement to confirm our findings and offer additional insights. The survey will remain open through February 15.
Building Community
As we return to campus this week, I want to acknowledge the challenges we experienced as a community in the Fall. There is a clear need to address how we navigate complex issues in ways that center people’s physical and psychological safety and reduce harm. Each of us continue to be profoundly impacted by current events happening around the world. As members of a university committed to finding equitable solutions to the local and global challenges we face through design, social research, and innovative scholarship, your insights, expertise, and active participation are a crucial part of our collective work towards a better future. I have spent recent months working with and listening to colleagues across the university, and while each of us bring diverse viewpoints and experiences, we are connected in our common desire to build bridges through dialogue, de-escalation, and active listening. More information and opportunities to engage in this reparative work will continue to be shared.
Upcoming Opportunities to Connect
Visit our new events hub to see an overview of opportunities to engage with the Provost’s Office throughout the year. This collects initiatives I host as Provost for our students, faculty, and staff, and also includes offerings hosted by the Provost’s Office, from University Commencement, Strategic Planning Community events, Faculty Center workshops, Student Success and Engagement events, and much more.
To kick off the spring semester, join us on February 1 for a Strategic Planning creative making session in the University Center’s Event Cafe.
Supporting Students, Faculty, and Staff
I invite you to connect with the Provost’s Office and let us know how you are doing this semester. We are here to support your academic journey at The New School and you are always welcome to reach out to us at provost@newschool.edu with questions and feedback, or sign up for my monthly office hours through the university events calendar.
I look forward to hearing from you and wish you all a wonderful start to the semester.