The following is an overview of governance at The New School, including the composition of the Board of Trustees, how trustees are selected, and the manner in which the Board exercises its decision-making authority.
The two principal governing documents are the Articles of Incorporation of The New School, Inc. and its Bylaws. The Articles provide that The New School is governed by a Board of Trustees and the Bylaws provide the details on the structure of the Board, the election of trustees and the exercise of the Board’s power, as summarized below:
The Board of Trustees consists a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 voting trustees who are elected, and the President and Head of School, ex-officio.
All trustees and elected officers have full voting rights, with the exception of the President and Head of School who is a non-voting member of the Board.
There is an Executive Committee of the Board that consists of the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Each of the officers of the Board will serve three (3) year terms in their elected positions. An officer may be reelected to the same office for one additional term. An officer who has completed his or her term(s) may be elected to a different office.
New trustees and the officers of the Executive Committee are nominated by the Committee on Trustees and elected by the Board of Trustees by a majority vote of a quorum of the Trustees.
Trustees are elected by written ballot for three-year terms and may not serve more than three consecutive three-year terms. The terms expire at the conclusion of The New School’s fiscal year (which runs from July 1 to June 30).
At all meetings of the Board, a majority (one-half) of the total membership of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
The Board of Trustees employs the President and Head of School, who is the Board’s sole employee and serves on the Board as an ex-officio, voting member.
Much of the Board’s work is accomplished by committee, and from time to time, task forces are formed to discuss specific issues. Committee membership and leadership is determined by the Board Chair in consultation with the President and Head of School.
