New College Independent Alumni/ae Association

It has been suggested that come what may regarding the future of New College, the present conflict might be used as a learning lab for seeking the truth about the school’s past–as a seminar on institutional behavior and social change. We couldn’t agree more.

Constructing that narrative can take many forms — from informal testimony to sworn oaths — but all are necessary to create an authentic institutional memory of what transpired at our alma mater as lessons for future reference and scholarly research.

Archiving these truths is a project already begun by independent alumni/ae engaged with the unofficial transition process. Where that process leads cannot and should not be determined in advance; rather, the facts must precede the policy and priorities for change. Otherwise, we merely reinforce the habitual opinions that led to this tragedy in the first place.

This is the site of New College alumni/ae who
are independent of the school administration and
trustees. Our interest is in helping the faculty,
students, and staff to democratize our alma mater and
keep it that way. From that single goal, we believe,
all our objectives — like transparency and
accountability — will follow.

The first step in forming democratic governance for
New College is to hold elections for a new board of
trustees in which all students, employees, and
alumni/ae have a vote. Once we have a legitimate,
democratically-elected board, restructuring,
redevelopment, and replacing key personnel can begin.
Until then, we will press the accrediting and funding
agencies to hold the school’s feet to the fire.

As our principles of transparency, democracy, and
accountability are achieved, we plan to offer
programs, take on projects, and organize activities to
benefit students and alumni/ae alike. Academic
mentoring, job placement, and social support are just
a few of the ideas our members have expressed an
interest in. You may have others.

For now, please take a moment to look around our
website, and feel free to offer helpful ideas. Since
many of you have likely not followed developments at
our alma mater in the past few years, we’ve provided
information in the sidebar to bring you up to date.

And if you have any questions, by all means drop us a
line. We’d love to hear from you.

No Donation Without Representation

On Thurs. Aug. 16, 2007, the New College Independent Alumni/ae Association presented acting President Luis Molina with its program for reform. The program is available as a download for distribution.

Principles

• Transparency
• Democracy
• Accountability

Demands

• Democratic elections
• Term limits
• Faculty tenure
• Union representation
• Full participation

Missing Information

• Board of Trustees list
• Funds received by trustees relatives list
• Board meetings minutes
• Employees list
• Owned properties list
• Leased properties list
• Landlords list

Alumni/ae Assoc. Program for Reform