New College Independent Alumni/ae Association

I recently had occasion to be a guest speaker at California Institute for Integral Studies, a small private college near San Francisco Civic Center that is about the same size as New College was at its peak enrollment. As an alternative school, CIIS is similar in some respects to what New College was before the severe decline of the last five years.

What I found shocking, though, was the contrast in management quality, campus security, and alumni services. Apparently, CIIS (unlike New College) appreciates the fact that their students and alumni expect more in return for their high tuition than a diploma–things like orderly records, personal safety, and ongoing recognition and involvement with the institution after graduation.

Sadly, this loss is not something those of us with New College degrees can replace, but it’s still nice to know there are alternatives where students and alumni are not treated with contempt. For the Writing and Consciousness students doing their teach-out at CIIS, that’s some consolation.

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