When students at The New School need help choosing classes or navigating requirements, one of the first options is to reach out to their advisor. However, advisors across the university are juggling heavy caseloads, with hundreds of students each. 

The strain has led to missed connections, unanswered emails, and frequent advisor switches, leaving many students — even those with urgent needs — without reliable guidance. 

The New School’s 2023 Institutional Research Digest Edition reported only half of New School students found support for academic success adequate, stating, “Out of all advising resources, 9 in 10 consult the academic advisors … assigned to them to discuss their academic interests or performance and course selection.” 

“However, at least 6 in 10 students never utilized other resources.” they added. 

When asked about their experiences with their advisors, students described delays, confusion and frustration. Some said they didn’t know who their advisor was at the start of the semester, while others reported their advisors not meeting them halfway — like during the add/drop period — where students said emails often went unanswered for days or weeks. 

Course schedules are one of the many tasks advisors oversee and they can be especially tricky. When add/drop deadlines approach, the stress of course scheduling is increased. Class add/drop deadlines are the official dates set by the school for when students can make changes to their schedules without penalty. 

Academic advising is important to a college student’s success as advisors are there to offer clarity on majors, classes, and requirements. But at The New School, some students have felt the opposite.

Katherine Vanoff, a first-year student at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, described a situation her friend had recently experienced during the add/drop period. 

She explained that her friend had requested to drop a class for weeks, and had reached out to their advisor before the Sept. 9 add/drop deadline. The advisor replied the day after the deadline, stating that the deadline had passed. 

“…it’s frustrating when it feels like your advisor is not fully there for you, or like, in my friend’s case, doesn’t respond until after [deadlines pass],” Vanoff said. “That kind of messes a lot of stuff up.”

For Jessica Isibor, a first-year at Lang, the problem goes beyond a lack of communication or scheduling conflicts, describing the relationship with her advisor as being disconnected and one-sided.

“I get the sense that they [advisors] don’t really see me,” Isibor said. 

Isibor continued to detail her experience by discussing her personal struggles with advising as a Black, queer student, emphasizing how difficult it is to not be seen and heard. 

“I get the sense that they [student advisors] are very eager to help, but are not well equipped on how to help students specifically who are like people of color … or queer or women,” Isibor said. “It definitely feels … not performative — but just shallow a little bit.” 

Even though academic advisors may not be specifically trained to address identity-based concerns, The New School directs students to the Office of Equity & Belonging, which provides cultural and intersectional identity support, as well as programming for students of color and LGBTQ+ students. This office works alongside regular advising to help students navigate challenges tied to race, sexuality, and gender that traditional advising may not fully address.

While these students are just a few of many, the issues regarding advising at The New School are prominent and problematic, as students are often left aimlessly scrambling to find any resources. 
In a statement to the New School Free Press, The New School’s PR department said, “Student Success Advisors are committed to developing thoughtful and caring relationships with students to help guide them through their New School journey. Each advisor provides wide-ranging support to ensure students feel seen, heard, and valued both inside and outside of the classroom.” They added, “Our priority is to ensure students receive the support they need as quickly as possible.”