By Tara Conry
Disgruntled students and faculty, provoked by the possible integration of New College, are fighting to save their personalized liberal arts education.
If their efforts are unsuccessful, these students, many of whom chose the University because of the New College program, could find themselves thrown into the populous College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The Committee to Review New College Plan met on Oct. 19 to discuss the effectiveness of New College and its future at the University, according to an internal memo obtained by The Chronicle. Among the issues addressed in the memo, was a plan submitted by Provost Herman Berliner and assessed by the committee, which would continue to allow New College to function as an independent college.
The memo drafted by the committee and sent to Berliner, said that after reviewing the proposal, the committee unanimously voted against maintaining the independent status of New College and agreed that integrating New College into the University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences would revitalize New College and benefit the rest of the University. The group did not specific recommendations for change, according to the report, but suggested modeling the future New College after New Century College of George Mason University, which operates within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Addressing the concerns of students and faculty in the memo, the committee states the new structure would promote the unique and personalized approach to education, continuing to allow students to customize their majors, faculty to teach non-traditional classes, and both groups to participate in educational projects outside the classroom. In addition, the plan would assimilate New College students into liberal arts classes, and allows other University students to explore opportunities offered through New College within their existing majors.
The Dean of New College, David Christman, stated that the appeal of the program was that it is more “personal approaching,” and “stresses small classes and individual educational involvement with the faculty.” New College was the University’s attempt to create “a small liberal arts college modeled after the original at Oxford University, a truly innovative approach to education,” according to the University Web site.
“For over 30 years, Dean Christman led New College in its four-fold mission of being an interdisciplinary, innovative, individualized and international learning community, and we are all hopeful that its legacy and mission will continue into the future,” said Linda Longmire, an associate professor of political science at New College.
Several members of the faculty continue to conduct “teach-ins,” seminars held on Wednesday that are open to New College students and faculty. These professors volunteer their time to educate students whose thirst for knowledge is not satisfied by the class curriculum alone. The students and faculty attending these seminars hope to prove the effectiveness of New College to promote learning. Flyers displayed throughout Roosevelt Hall urge students to protest the plans to end New College by “learning profusely.”
The announcement states, “A variety of professors, students, and faculty will be giving lectures, hosting discussions, presenting projects, films and workshops for the single purpose of our love for learning.”
Other efforts to preserve the unique college include petitioning students and their families to write letters to President Stuart Rabinowitz and the Board of Trustees.
A closed meeting between the faculty and the University’s provost was held Wednesday afternoon in the Business Development Center to discuss the fate of New College. The outcome of the meeting, which was not open to the public, has not been disclosed, but several members of the New College faculty have expressed hope that New College will stand.
One New College professor, who request to remain anonymous, stated, “Not only do I believe New College will stay, but I think the new plans will restructure and revitalize it.”
Longmire supported this statement, saying, “We have been assured that the legacy and mission of New College will go on and continue to be a dynamic part of Hofstra University.”
As the fate of New College continues to rest in the hands of a small committee, rumor and fear continue to circulate on campus.
“I heard that the University wants to earn ivy league status, but it can’t with a program such as New College on board,” said Andrea Schwartz, a student in the freshman division of New College. “I was torn between Hofstra and Hartford, but I chose to come here because of the program.”
Disgruntled students and faculty, provoked by the possible integration of New College, are fighting to save their personalized liberal arts education. ( Harry Tanielyan/The Chronicl)