The New School administration has sent emails offering “voluntary separation” to eligible full-time faculty and staff. This is one of the methods now being implemented by The New School to reduce its staff size during the university restructuring process.

All eligible faculty and staff were notified on Dec. 3 according to an emailed comment from Amy Malsin, vice president of University Communications.

The Voluntary Separation Program (VSP), as defined by an FAQ sheet sent to several faculty who received the email and reviewed by the New School Free Press (NSFP), is an option for “eligible employees considering a career change for personal or professional reasons.”

University communications declined to provide a number of eligible employees who received VSP emails.

While participation in the program is not mandatory, those who choose not take it risk receiving smaller severance packages in the event they are later involuntarily terminated, according to the FAQ sheet. 

“In total transparency, it is important to note that the severance package under an involuntary program would not be as substantial as the package offered through the voluntary option,” the FAQ sheet stated.

In exchange for terminating employment, the VSP offers six months’ salary in a gross lump sum and continued payment of the employer portion of benefit premiums for up to twelve months if the faculty member enrolls in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and maintains coverage, according to the Dec. 3 emails sent to several faculty members and reviewed by NSFP. 

The VSP also states that tuition waiver benefits will be extended for up to four years, and the university will not contest unemployment.

The enrollment deadline for the VSP is Dec. 15. Faculty members who accept the voluntary separation offer will have the option to select a separation date of  Jan. 2 or June 1, 2026. Staff who elect to participate and receive confirmed participation approval will be assigned a fixed separation date of Jan. 2, Feb. 1, or March 1, 2026.

According to the FAQ sheet, faculty and staff members received the email based on their eligibility to participate in the program, and not because of job performance, contributions, or value to the university.

VSP eligibility for full-time faculty requires that faculty be in good standing and “assigned to an academic area designated for planned program action, including program discontinuance, indefinite discontinuance, redesign or enrollment pause.” 

The eligibility criteria for administrative staff include those who are currently in a “full-time or part-time, non-union, non-temporary position, who are not paid through research grants, and who have completed at least four continuous years of service at the university. The final eligibility criteria is approval by division leadership in consultation with unit leadership.” 

“We are committed to navigating this important period of change with the utmost care and respect, and our primary goal is to meet the necessary reductions through generous voluntary severance programs,” Sonya Williams, vice president for human resources, said in an emailed statement.