New College Independent Alumni/ae Association

Letters we’ve received from current and former students at the various campuses and programs of New College point to a common problem that will not be overcome by the WASC-initiated reforms. From our own experience as well, we know that the complaints of grossly incompetent faculty — often unconcerned with student needs — is a widespread phenomenon.

Not surprising given that whistleblowers and other conscientious faculty have been systematically purged by bribes and threats for decades, but nevertheless disturbing for a school that promotes itself as morally superior.

Putting the finances and curricula in order is an important step, but for our alma mater to become a place we can recommend for a quality education, the composition of the faculty will need to be reexamined, and for that to happen, we will need to elect a new board of trustees. We are a long way from purging the cronyism from New College, and for that we need to clean house from top to bottom.

I was reading recently about an information management system used by Cornell to integrate knowledge across disciplines, connecting people and ideas among its many colleges, institutes, and research centers. Pondering some possible applications for this system in my own work, I recalled how little attention was paid to library and information services at my alma mater, and the need during its transition to develop the New College library into a bona fide curator of knowledge networks associated with the school.

I suppose it all goes back to the perpetual problem of pretending to be a college, while delivering as few services to faculty and students as possible. Perhaps with the imminent reform of the governance, financial and curricular systems, the trustees can also be forced to treat basic academic needs — like a functioning library system — with the respect they deserve.

Time will tell.