The New School’s accreditation status is currently at a non-compliance warning after the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) deemed the university failed to comply with two of the seven commission standards, according to a mandated statement sent by President Joel Towers and Renee T. White, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, on Dec. 2.

TNS did not meet the criteria for Standards V and VI. Standard V states that the university must clearly demonstrate its institutional educational goals and that students are meeting them. Standard VI indicates the university’s improvement of its programs based on assessments and its plans to work towards its goals.

This marks the second time TNS has failed to meet MSCHE standards, requiring the University to complete a monitoring report, a peer evaluation visit to campus, and work with an MSCHE representative.

The statement stated, “Not only are we obligated to define and measure the student achievement of learning outcomes, but we are obligated to use those measurements to improve teaching and learning on an ongoing basis.”

The university was first put under scrutiny by MSCHE during the part-time faculty strike in the fall of 2022 and was required to submit more documentation to fulfill the commission’s conditions. TNS was on track to renew its accreditation in March 2023 after submitting a Self-Study report to MSCHE. 

Merrie Snead, a spokesperson for TNS, told the New School Free Press that Dr. Ryan Hartnett, vice president for Institutional Field Relations, will be the commission staff liaison. 

“Similar to the peer evaluation team visit this past spring, the Visiting Team from Middle States will hold a series of meetings with representatives from different bodies and offices across the university. The goal of these meetings will be to provide the Visiting Team with perspective and context, which they may not have received from the university’s reporting alone,” Snead said. 

According to MSCHE, institutions have a 36-month period to fall into compliance and show that they are within standards. If they fail to comply after the completion of the investigation, MSCHE reserves the right to adverse action, which will withdraw accreditation from TNS. Visits from MSCHE are scheduled to be conducted in the spring of 2025.

Robert Mack, vice provost for Student Success and Engagement, sent an email to the TNS community on Thursday, Dec. 5, to address the stress some community members might feel. “While Middle States has issued a ‘warning’ to the university, this is a procedural step—not a penalty—and it gives us time to address these areas in 2025. Work is already underway, led by our Provost, Executive Deans, and Curriculum and Learning team, and we are committed to meeting all requirements.”