Addressing an Unapproved Message Regarding Hiring Plans
A message from Tokumbo Shobowale, Executive Vice President for Business and Operations
As negotiations with our part-time faculty union continue, I wanted to take a moment to address an email message that is circulating on social media purporting to contain The New School’s plans for grading students’ assignments.
We want to be clear that this was not a university approved message and was sent out by mistake. It is incorrect and does not reflect a final, accurate, or official version of the university’s intended plans, and we understand how difficult it has been for some people to read it.
We hope the mediation sessions between the union and university resolve this situation and that the faculty will grade their students’ work as expected. However, in case the union decides to continue its strike for an extended period – something we are trying hard to resolve with a fair and financially responsible new contract – we must consider a range of potential options to ensure our students’ academic futures are secure.
Our plans must protect our students from the very real risks associated with incomplete instruction or un-filed grades, including risks of non-compliance with the terms of their visas, jeopardizing students’ ability to graduate on time, and potentially altering financial aid eligibility.
We also must meet our regulatory requirements to ensure that all of our students receive grades for continuous learning and fair assessment of the work they have done. Grading policies are governed by accreditation standards which must conform with federal requirements, and the university cannot change them unilaterally and maintain our accreditation standing. We are working diligently to balance the need to protect our students with the need to respect the choices of our part-time faculty.
Please be assured that the needs of our students remain our top priority and we will continue to keep you posted.