Strengthening the Academic Core: Cross-College Alignment Conversations
A Message from T. Alex Aleinikoff, Dean, New School for Social Research; Christoph Cox, Dean, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts; Richard Kessler, Executive Dean, College of Performing Arts; Florence Leclerc, Dean, Parsons Paris; Mary Watson, Executive Dean, Schools of Public Engagement; Yvonne Watson, Interim Executive Dean, Parsons School of Design; Maggie Koozer, Senior Vice Provost for Curriculum, Learning, and Academic Affairs; Michael Schober, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Dear colleagues,
‌To follow up on Provost White’s message about the college alignment project, we are writing jointly to provide more detail about working together in the coming weeks. As the message outlined, we are currently convening conversations in our respective colleges to hear ideas about possible ways to align. There are many points of alignment that members of the community would like to consider and think through together.Â
‌The next step is cross-college conversations during the week of April 8. Convened by the Executive Deans, these meetings will include, as appropriate, the relevant program leader(s), additional faculty representatives selected by the faculty from those programs, and staff members associated with the programs. Program leaders, faculty and staff representatives and deans will bring the thinking, aspirations, and concerns from their prior college meetings which are currently taking place.Â
‌The goal of the meetings within and among our colleges is to engage members of our community in the generation of ideas about potential alignments and synergies that will best serve our students, faculty, staff, and academic aspirations. These meetings will provide the basis for a larger proposal that the Executive Deans and Provost will synthesize before they advance it to the President.Â
‌While we know that there is much to discuss, and much that will need continued discussion after May 1 based on what is surfaced during the current conversations, we are optimistic about the opportunities that this moment allows us to pursue. We look forward to working on this project together.