Van Zandt Outlines Future Plans at Town Hall

President David Van Zandt held his inaugural town hall meeting on May 2 in Wollman Hall, his first visible display of a new administrative transparency that lacked during the 10 years of Bob Kerrey’s presidency.

In the meeting, attended largely by faculty and university administrators, Van Zandt attempted to address challenges that the university currently faces, focusing mainly on inadequate space and lack of revenue. Along with Provost Tim Marshall and representatives from the University Student Senate and faculty senate, Van Zandt laid the groundwork for both long-term and short-term initiatives that he hopes will improve the quality of education at The New School. Ken Stevens, the associate professor of design research and development, spoke during the meeting and affirmed, “This place is turning around.” The fact that the president has been incorporating the faculty in his decision-making represents “a genuine climate of exchange,” according to Stevens — hopefully turning to a new chapter in New School history where the administration works in cooperation with the students and faculty.

The New School is, according to Van Zandt, a place of great potential. In the wake of the tumultuous presidency of Kerry, Van Zandt feels that the school is ready to start moving forward. He also addressed issues pertaining to the layout of the university, saying that The New School faces a problem due to its limited space. The student body has increased significantly over the past 10 years, whereas the square footage of the university has not. He mentioned the overcrowded studios at Parsons and said that while expansion in Manhattan is not easy, it is something that the administration is pursuing.

In January, The New School unveiled two new facilities: one, a student study center, and the other, a new health services building. Furthermore, he hopes that three floors that will soon be added to 79 Fifth Ave. to serve as a short-term solution to insufficient space at the university. He believes there is a need for the university to gradually continue to expand into the future.

Van Zandt also acknowledged the school's lack of revenue. Displaying a data chart, he laid out the revenue of the university. With revenue that relies 90 percent on student tuition, Van Zandt explained that the university is “living on the edge,” and needs to find additional sources of funding.

Van Zandt admitted a need to lessen the economic burden on students and understands that expansion would make lowering tuition difficult, but maintains it as a necessity in order to help the future direction of the university. “It’s going to be your degree, and you want to see this place improve,” he answered in response to an audience member who questioned the validity of using student tuition to fund university expansion projects.