The health and safety of our community and the neighbors with whom we interact are our top priority. This website will serve as the information hub to keep all members of our community informed of updates, policies, and protocols on the evolving circumstances
surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our gradual return to campus is conducted in compliance with best practices as outlined in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s guidelines for reopening colleges and universities in New York. While not all risk can be eliminated, the evidence tells us that with appropriate
precautionary measures we can collectively implement and enforce as a campus community, we can reduce those risks. That premise underlies our approach.
Guiding Principles
Our plan for a phased reopening of on-campus activities is guided by three core principles:
- Protecting the health and safety of the entire New School community — students, faculty, and staff — and the neighbors with whom we interact.
- Maintaining the highest-quality teaching, learning, research, and cultural expression in every college, department, and specialty.
- Ensuring equitable access to classes and other learning activities for all students.
Safe Campus Reopening: Fall 2021 and Beyond
The New School is planning for a robust in‑person student experience both inside and outside the classroom starting in fall 2021 and beyond. Our goal is to re-open our New York City campus in fall 2021 for a return to in-person teaching and learning in undergraduate and graduate degree programs. We
will share more details on plans for the coming academic year in mid-March.
We know there is eagerness in our community to know as much as possible, as early as possible, about the fall, and we are committed to timely decision-making and communication. Our progress will be determined by the trajectory of the pandemic, the pace
of the vaccination program, and official guidelines from the City and State of New York, all of which are developing in real-time.
As part of our comprehensive planning process, colleagues across the university formed a Working Group, which has identified the questions and topics the university will address in order to safely return to campus in fall 2021. We invite you to review
the current status of these planning initiatives in the Working Group report.
Spring and Summer 2021
Consistent with the high priority The New School places on the well-being of our community, nearly all classes are being taught online throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. In the spring 2021 semester we are offering one single university-wide
elective course that will combine engaging online learning with an in-person component. Read more.
Parsons Paris Campus
Information about our Paris campus is available on the Parsons Paris website.