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Restructuring, the vast process aiming to stabilize The New School’s finances, is beginning to unfold. The status, implementation, and details of some measures are still unclear and unknown at the time of publication. The New School Free Press has put together this list of the confirmed changes — past, present and future — that we know.

A plan endorsed by the Board of Trustees was announced in a Nov. 17 email from the President’s Office. The email, however, was not a comprehensive list and only announced “the immediate steps the university is taking,” according to a comment from Amy Malsin, vice president for university communications.

These efforts are intended to address a university budget deficit last estimated to be $48 million by administrators. The university aims to break even by 2028 and achieve a 4% operating surplus by 2030. Proposals for the restructuring process were drafted this summer in part by a collective of faculty and staff called the Summer Working Groups. 

The restructuring process has been condemned by students, faculty, and staff. Members of The New School for Social Research (NSSR) economics department have disagreed with the university’s reasoning for the deficit and offered counter solutions.

The “two college model”:

– Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts will combine with NSSR and Parsons School of Design will combine with the College of Performing Arts

– Meant to “streamline academic operations and reduce overhead,” according to a document from the Finance Working Group

Expected savings, according the Finance Working Group document: $8.8 million by fiscal year 2030

 Pausing NSSR PhD admissions:

– NSSR PhD student admissions, except for clinical psychology, were paused for the 2026 cycle, which administrators say is part of a move to revise PhD programs.

– The NSSR economics department says the pause will induce a drop in master’s student enrollment. PhD students also work as teaching assistants and research assistants. As a result, faculty and students say the pause will cause a “financial death-spiral” for the university, according to an NSSR economics department analysis.

– Trustees have offered at least $14 million in proposals to temporarily continue PhD admissions, but University President Joel Towers denied the offers. In the Dec. 5 town hall, Towers said one-time donations would only be a temporary fix.

Expected savings: “$900[,000] in direct expenses in addition to the tuition remission that is provided to PhD students,” according to a comment from Merrie Snead, associate director of communications. 

Program changes:

Majors to be merged:

– Creative Writing (BA – SPE) and the Literary Studies (BA – Lang) concentration in Writing

– Liberal Arts (BA – Lang) and Liberal Arts (BA/BS – SPE) 

– Media Studies (BA/BS – SPE) and Screen Studies (BA – Lang)

– Psychology (BA – Lang) and BA Psychology (BA – SPE)

– Collaborative Piano (MM – Mannes) and Piano (MM – Mannes)

– Collaborative Piano (PDPL – Mannes) and Piano (PDPL – Mannes)

– Creative Writing (MFA – SPE) and Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism (MA – NSSR)

Majors to be indefinitely discontinued and eventually redesigned:

These efforts, including the three Lang programs at the bottom, potentially will not proceed, according to Guru, which referred to them all as “proposals.”

– Food Studies (BA/BS, AAS – SPE)

– Environmental Studies – (BA/BS – Lang) and (BA/BS – SPE) 

– Global Studies – (BA – Lang) and (BA -SPE)

– Urban Studies – (BA – Lang) and (BA – SPE)

– International Affairs (MA/MS – NSSR)

– Public & Urban Policy (MS – NSSR)

– Sustainability Strategies Certificate (Certificate – Parsons)

– Environmental Policy & Sustainability Management (MS – Parsons)

– Design and Urban Ecologies (MS – Parsons)

The Guru specified that these three majors will be indefinitely discontinued as part of the redesign process only in the “short-term”

– Anthropology (BA – Lang)

– History (BA – Lang)

– Sociology (BA – Lang)

Majors to be cut:

– Arts Management and Entrepreneurship (MA – CoPA)

– Strategic Design for Global Leadership (MS – former CPE)

– Teaching ESL (Non-credit Certificate)

– Migration Studies (Non-credit Certificate)

– Film Production (Non-credit Certificate)

– Screenwriting (Non-credit Certificate)

– Documentary Media Studies (Certificate)

Minors to be cut:

– Creative Community Development, graduate minor at the College of Performing Arts

– Critical Perspectives on Democratic Anti-Colonialism, graduate minor at The New School for Social Research

– Methods and Concepts of Political Economy, graduate minor at The New School for Social Research

– Language Studies, graduate minor at Schools of Public Engagement

– Managing for Social Justice, graduate minor at Parsons School of Design

– Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies, graduate minor at Parsons School of Design

– Music Composition, undergraduate minor at the College of Performing Arts

– Capitalism Studies, undergraduate minor at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

– Code as a Liberal Art, undergraduate minor at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

– Chinese Studies, undergraduate minor at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

– French Studies, undergraduate minor at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

– Hispanic Studies, undergraduate minor at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

– Japanese Studies, undergraduate minor at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

– Creative Coding, undergraduate minor at Parsons School of Design

– Social Practice, undergraduate minor at Parsons School of Design

– Society, Technology, and Management, undergraduate minor at Parsons School of Design

Expected savings of “academic program sunsetting”, according to the Finance Working Group document: $22.3 million by fiscal year 2030

Cutting courses:

– Courses with low enrollment will be discontinued or not offered

– This began in spring 2026

– Some courses have already been cut and were not offered for spring registration

Expected savings, according to the Finance Working Group document: $1.9 million by fiscal year 2030

Increasing the annual endowment appropriation from 4% to 5%, for the next two years:

Expected savings, according to the Finance Working Group document: $5 million by fiscal year 2030

Restricted discretionary spending: 

– Colleges and departments have been told to restrict discretionary spending, which includes travel, events, supplies, and other non-essential purchases

– The university has a $45 million budget for discretionary spending

– The severity of restrictions, outlined in a memo from administrators, would depend on the student model that has been selected. An 8,000-student model has reportedly been accepted, however some of the measures that will be implemented reflect a 6,000-student model.

Expected savings, according to the Finance Working Group document: $20 million by fiscal year 2030 based on a 6,000-student model or $8 million by fiscal year 2030 based on a 8,000-student model

University-wide staff hiring freeze:

– Hiring freezes have already disrupted library services

Expected savings, according to meeting minutes from the Financial Transparency Committee: $2.5 million for fiscal year 2026

Hiring freeze for temporary administrative employees: 

– Exceptions will be made for positions deemed essential

Expected savings according to the comment from Malsin: approximately $1 million 

Pausing contributions to retirement benefits:

– For up to 18 months, the university will stop its contributions to employees retirement programs

Expected savings, according to the comment from Malsin: at least $5.5 million this academic year and $11 million next academic year

The highest paid employees will be paid less:

– For up to 18 months, the highest paid employees will have either a 5% or 10% reduction in compensation based on their compensation level or band

Expected savings, according to the comment from Snead: $1.3 million over the next 18 months

Eligible full-time faculty members were offered early retirement packages:

– Letters of early retirement were sent out Dec. 3, 2025. Responses were due Dec. 15, 2025, 12 days after they were sent.

Expected savings, according to the Finance Working Group document: $4 million by fiscal year 2030

Eligible full-time faculty and staff were offered voluntary separation packages:

– Letters of voluntary separation were sent out Dec. 3, 2025. Responses were due Dec. 15, 2025, 12 days after they were sent.

– 40% of all full-time faculty were offered voluntary separation packages or the above early retirement package, according to a December statement from The New School’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). AAUP National, according to the statement, called this the “largest attempted firing of faculty currently taking place in the nation.”

– “Involuntary separations” are “very likely” to happen, according to the Nov. 17 email from the president’s office. A “preliminary workforce plan underpinning the budget” is due on March 6, according to a memo posted to the Financial Transparency Council’s website.

Expected savings of voluntary separation offers, according to the Finance Working Group document: $3 million by fiscal year 2030

Other Than Personal Services (OTPS) zero-based budgeting:

– This measure starts all non-compensation expenses at zero. Spending is restricted to only what is essential and works from the ground up.

These are the confirmed changes that have been made or are being made at the time of publication. Additional changes made after publication will be published online at newschoolfreepress.com