The New School Cuts 87 Jobs Amid 20% Enrollment Drop and Budget Shortfall

The New School has eliminated 87 positions—68 staff and 19 faculty—as it confronts a 20% decline in enrollment since 2021 and works to close a reported $48 million budget gap. President Joel Towers announced the reductions in a community message, saying they reflect a broader effort to align staffing with a smaller student body and a restructured organizational model.

What the School Says

In his memo, Towers described the cuts as "reasonably balanced between faculty and staff and commensurate with our overall decline in enrollment," noting that the changes were a mix of eliminated positions and involuntary separations. He framed the moves as part of a shift from four colleges to two, an academic portfolio redesign, and adjustments to the university’s real estate and operating structure to better fit projected enrollment and budget realities.

Financial Context

Towers said enrollment has fallen about 20% from its 2021 peak, contributing to a cumulative structural deficit he estimated at more than $160 million. The administration has variously characterized the nearer-term budget gap as roughly $48 million to $60 million in recent statements. As part of cost-saving measures, Towers said the FY2027 operating budget will be reduced by approximately 15%.

Personnel Actions and Mitigations

The university reassigned 30 full-time faculty to teaching roles elsewhere on campus; those reassigned were not among the 87 impacted employees. Officials also eliminated vacant positions, imposed a hiring freeze, and offered voluntary separation and retirement packages, which the president said helped reduce the number of involuntary job losses.

Campus Reaction and Concerns

Campus groups quickly condemned the firings. The New School chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP TNS) and student organizations accused the administration of failing to provide clear criteria for program closures or for eliminating specific positions.

“Many appear to be politically motivated and retaliatory,”

the AAUP TNS wrote in a statement titled “Condemnation of Mass Firings,” adding that several faculty who were dismissed worked in programs that were not slated for closure or redesign and were surprised by the decisions. Reporting from The New School Free Press indicated that some of those let go held tenure and were vocal critics of the restructuring plans.

The AAUP TNS Worker Solidarity Committee said the 19 faculty who were dismissed taught at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts and the New School for Social Research. The group also reported that 16 of the affected staff were members of Local 1205, the union representing library and clerical employees; Local 1205 did not respond to media inquiries by the weekend.

Recent Campus Protests

Tensions had been rising for months. In March, more than 100 faculty, staff and students marched to deliver a letter opposing the restructure that was signed by roughly 1,000 supporters. In December, several hundred demonstrators protested outside a board meeting on West 12th Street; some distributed posters labeling the president with the phrase “NOT MY PRESIDENT.”

Looking Ahead

Towers outlined expectations for the student body in 2027, saying Parsons, Mannes, Jazz, and Drama will comprise nearly 80% of enrollment, with Eugene Lang College and the New School for Social Research making up about 20%. The university’s total enrollment is roughly 8,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Administration leaders say further measures will focus on aligning academic offerings, personnel, and real estate to the new institutional footprint.

Impact: The cuts aim to reduce operating costs and stabilize finances but have generated significant pushback from faculty, staff and students over process, transparency and the treatment of tenured professors.