This award, established in 2014, recognizes a member of the full-time or part-time faculty for his or her promotion of social justice through teaching and learning. It is presented annually at the university's Commencement ceremony. Those nominated should
be individuals who have demonstrated a significant commitment to social justice above and beyond their roles and responsibilities.
The New School is committed to advancing social justice by promoting diversity, encouraging power sharing, and addressing inequities in our own work and educational environment and beyond. We advance social justice in teaching by addressing relationships
of power and difference based on race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, age, faith belief or nonbelief, and ability or disability among ourselves and in society at large. We seek to call attention to
the needs, capacities, and contributions of those affected by systemic inequities and address their lack of access to social, political, and economic power.
Social justice teaching exhibits the following characteristics:
- Uses pedagogies that promote inclusive learning environments and enable students to shape the direction and the scope of their own learning
- Integrates theory and practice to support social justice learning and leadership skills in the context of teaching, advising, or mentoring students from underrepresented and underprivileged groups
- Demonstrates knowledge of and growth in the application of social justice theory and practice to the development and implementation of curricula and assessment that address structural inequities and the perspectives and concerns of underrepresented
populations
- Promotes reflection, builds community, and facilitates or inspires organized action through teaching that goes beyond advocacy and promotes critical thinking and dialogue from diverse points of view
- Through teaching, advising practices, and academic programming, improves the social justice climate of a department, a program, a college, or the university as a whole, with the aim of increasing the number of students from underrepresented communities
pursuing and completing studies at The New School
Eligibility
The following members of the faculty are eligible to receive this award:
- Full-time faculty members who have completed at least four semesters at any college of The New School
- Part-time faculty members with the status of Post-Probationary, Annual, Multi-year, or Grandparented, as defined in the ACT-UAW contract or in AFM Local 802, with at least four semesters of appointments
Individuals cannot receive the award more than once within any five-year period.
Nominations
To nominate a faculty member for the Award for Outstanding Achievements in Social Justice Teaching, please fill out the nomination form. Nominations are accepted year-round; those received after the closing date will be considered in the next awards cycle. You are welcome to nominate someone whose eligibility status you do not know. All nominations are reviewed by the Provost's Office for eligibility.
For more information, contact [email protected].
Selection Process
The process of selecting recipients for this award will be transparent, in accordance with the ideals of social justice. Recipients will be chosen from the eligible nominees by a university-wide committee, which
will be appointed by the Provost's Office in consultation with the deans. Committee members will represent a wide array of people in the campus community, including two faculty members from the University Social Justice Committee (representing full-time
and part-time faculty). In appointing members of the selection committee, the provost will seek representation from the following constituencies in all divisions of the university:
- Senior (tenured) and junior (untenured) faculty and faculty on RTA
- Individuals from diverse groups (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, immigration status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, age, faith belief or nonbelief, and ability or disability)