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{{otheruses4|New College of California|College of California|College of California}}
{{About|New College of California|College of California|College of California}}
{{Infobox university
{{Infobox_University
|image = [[Image:new college logo.gif|240px]]
|image = New College of California logo.png
|image_size = 240px
|name = New College of California
|name = New College of California
|motto = Education for a Just, Sacred, and Sustainable World
|established = 1971
|established = 1971
|closed = 2008
|type = [[Private university|Private]] College
|type = [[Private university|Private]] College
|city = [[San Francisco, California]]
|city = [[San Francisco, California]]
|country = [[USA]]
|country = United States
|campus = Urban
|campus = Urban
|website = http://www.newcollege.edu
|website = http://www.newcollege.edu (informational only)
}}
}}


'''New College of California''' was a college founded in the [[San Francisco]] Bay Area in 1971 by former [[Gonzaga University]] President John Leary. It ceased operations in early 2008.<ref name= dying>{{cite web |url = http://48hills.org/sfbgarchive/2007/12/18/new-college-dying/ |title = Is New College Dying? |access-date = 2007-12-18 | publisher = [[SF Bay Guardian]]}}</ref><ref name=struggling>{{cite web|url=http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/12/24/story6.html#1 |title=Struggling New College may close one campus |access-date=2007-12-21 |publisher=SF Business Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527202639/http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/12/24/story6.html#1 |archive-date=2008-05-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=New College of California (Announcements) | publisher=WASC Senior | url =http://sites.google.com/a/wascsenior.org/new-college-announcement/Home | access-date = 2008-04-10 }}</ref>
[[Image:NCOC.jpg|right]]


New College's main campus was housed in several buildings in the [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]] in San Francisco. The offices at 777 [[Valencia Street]] and companion buildings across the street were home to its humanities-based programs, including the Humanities BA, Mathematics, Poetics, Writing and Consciousness, Media Studies, Graduate Psychology, Experimental Performance Institute, Women’s Spirituality MA, Humanities and Leadership, Activism and Social Change, the Teacher Credential Program, as well as a broadcast studio and administration offices. [[New College of California School of Law]] was located at 50 Fell Street in the city's [[Civic Center, San Francisco|Civic Center]]. The North Bay Campus in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community was housed in [[Santa Rosa, California]], in a building owned by the Arlene Francis Foundation, a private foundation run by [[Peter Gabel]], former president of New College and [[Arlene Francis]]'s son. The Science and Math Institute classes were initially held at the building at 50 Fell Street then morphed online to [[Southern California University of Health Sciences]] in [[Whittier, California]], within {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} of [[downtown Los Angeles]].


== History ==
'''New College of California''' was founded in the [[San Francisco]] Bay Area in 1971 by former [[Gonzaga University]] President, Father [[John Leary]]. Although it lasted only thirty-seven years, ceasing operations in early 2008,<ref name= dying>{{cite web |url = http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php? ntry_id=5228&catid=&volume_id=317&issue_id=330&volume_num=42&issue_num=12 |title = Is New College Dying? |accessdate = 2007-12-18 | publisher = SF Bay Guardian}}</ref> <ref name= struggling>{{cite web |url = http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/12/24/story6.html#1 |title = Struggling New College may close one campus |accessdate = 2007-12-21 |publisher = SF Business Times}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=New College of California (Announcements) | date= | publisher=WASC Senior | url =http://sites.google.com/a/wascsenior.org/new-college-announcement/Home | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-10 | language = }}</ref> New College became one of the most renowned experimental [[liberal arts]] institutions in the United States. It boasted an extraordinary curriculum in the literary and performing arts, public interest law, community activism and leadership, psychology, and teaching, launching a remarkable number of artists and activists who pioneer at the forefront of America’s avant-garde. Its legacy continues to influence an alternative educational philosophy and practice.
The college was founded in 1971 by John Leary, who previously served as the president of [[Gonzaga University]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Matt|date=2006-10-25|title=The Double Life of John Leary|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/news/the-double-life-of-john-leary/|access-date=2020-08-11|website=SF Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref> A year earlier, while serving as the Vice President for University Relations at [[Santa Clara University]], Leary first proposed the idea for an experimental college centered around [[Socratic seminars|Socratic Seminars]].<ref name=":0" /> The idea was rejected by Santa Clara's administration, but served as the foundation for the New College of California, which Leary established with departing Santa Clara professor Bob Raines.<ref name=":0" /> The New College began with approximately a dozen students enrolling in classes held in Leary's living room in [[Sausalito, California|Sausalito]].<ref name=":0" /> Leary convinced various acquaintances of his to help fund this endeavor, and used this money to hire faculty.<ref name=":0" /> The following year, Leary moved the school's classes to a warehouse he purchased in Sausalito.<ref name=":0" /> By 1973, a tuition strike had engulfed the school, creating a deficit, and causing the school's trustees to pressure Leary for administrative and financial reform.<ref name=":0" /> Instead, Leary resigned in 1974, and was replaced by Les Carr.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="sfweekly" /> The college moved to 777 Valencia in [[San Francisco]] in 1975.<ref name=":0" /> The college was accredited by the [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges]] (WASC) in 1976.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Leilani|date=2008-03-05|title=School for Scandal|work=[[Metro Silicon Valley|Metroactive]]|publisher=[[Metro Newspapers]]|url=http://www.metroactive.com/bohemian/03.05.08/news-0810.html|access-date=2020-08-11}}</ref> In 1978, local newspapers uncovered that Carr had been selling Honorary PhD degrees for $25,000, and was subsequently fired.<ref name="sfweekly" /> In place of Carr, Martin Hamilton, Mildred Henry, and Peter Gabel took over as "collaborative leadership".<ref name="sfweekly" /> WASC issued a warning to the school in 1980, and placed the school on probation in 1984, citing concerns of the school's curriculum.<ref name=":1" /> The association re-affirmed the school's accreditation in 1985, but issued the school another warning in 1988 due to concerns regarding governance, faculty and finances.<ref name=":1" /> In 1996, some of the school's staff, including the faculty for the law school, humanities program, and poetry program, [[unionized]], leading to modest economic gains, but no significant change regarding college governance.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} In 2002, Martin Hamilton took over as the school's president.<ref name="sfweekly" /> The same year, WASC reported that the school did not have stable revenue, adequate financial controls, and suffered from "extremely serious management problems".<ref name="sfweekly" /><ref name=":2">{{cite news|last=King|first=John|date=2007-08-05|title=Embattled school's president resigns|work=The San Francisco Chronicle|url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/05/BATMRD5951.DTL}}</ref> WASC issued another warning in 2005, noting concerns about the college's long-term financial stability.<ref name=":1" /> In 2006, it was revealed that the school's founder, John Leary, sexually abused minors while president of Gonzaga University.<ref name=":1" />


=== Activism ===
New College’s main campus was housed in several buildings in the heart of the [[Mission District]] in [[San Francisco]]. The offices at 777 Valencia, and companion buildings across the street, were home to its Humanities-based programs, Media Studies, Experimental Performance Institute, broadcast studio, and administration offices.
Throughout the college's history, groups of faculty, students, alumni and staff mounted challenges to the school's governance system, but these efforts failed to achieve lasting change.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} Numerous campaigns by faculty groups seeking reform, often regarding specific academic programs, had no more than limited, short-term influence.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} Several waves of students organized throughout the college's history, addressing a variety of issues, as well as a greater voice in the college's administration.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} Student efforts, which sometimes included complaints to WASC, were also unable to achieve lasting change.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}


=== 2007 WASC investigation ===
The Law School at 50 Fell Street was within walking distance of City Hall and government offices, sharing this building with [http://www.baylegal.org/ Bay Area Legal Aid], the largest free legal aid services provider in San Francisco, and with the Holt Labor Library. <ref>[http://www.holtlaborlibrary.org/Collection.html Collection Description - The Holt Labor Library was established in 1992]</ref> On April 1, 2008, the law school merged with John F. Kennedy University Law School. <ref name= money>{{cite web |url = http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-02-13/news/new-college-out-of-money-teachers-unpaid-not-teaching/ |title =New College Out of Money Teachers Unpaid Not Teaching |accessdate = 2008-02-18 |publisher = SF Weekly}}</ref>
In June 2007, the [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges]] (WASC) after years of accreditation, approvals and recertifications, launched an investigation into New College which obliquely alleged that the school suffered from poor record keeping, flawed financial controls, and inadequate curricula and that President Hamilton, was corrupt and engaged in a number of conflicts of interest.<ref name="dying" /><ref name="sfweekly" /> The report cited a number of incidents, such as one where a scammer posing as an international student requested class credits in exchange for a large financial gift which never materialized, and another where the school's administration couldn't explain course requirements and specific content of its "Pilot Hybrid Leadership in Urban Transformed Environments" program.<ref name="dying" /><ref name="sfweekly" /> As a result, the association put the school on probation.<ref name="dying" /><ref name="sfweekly" /> During the week of July 16, 2007, New College held a school-wide faculty meeting.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} The full-time faculty formed a Core Faculty Council, which met and gave a vote of no confidence in Hamilton.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The part-time faculty formed an Adjunct Faculty Council, and the students formed a Student Council.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} Alumni and alumnae decided to form an Independent Alumni/ae Association.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The report sparked protests by students and faculty alike, who pressured Hamilton into resigning on August 2.<ref name="sfweekly" /> Though initially Hamilton remained on the board after his resignation, he was forced out, along with Gabel.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} In his resignation letter, Hamilton claimed that criticism of his administration was due to New College being held to an unfairly high standard and said that criticisms of the school were "petty".<ref name=":2" /> After WASC imposed sanctions against the college, the school's faculty tried to move toward greater accountability by forming a college-wide Faculty Council, an effort that drew praise from the association.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} WASC credited the Faculty Council and the school's new academic leadership for making improvements in the academic affairs of the college.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} Adjunct faculty, students and alumni also formed new organizations seeking change.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}


=== Financial collapse ===
The "Green Living Center" was scheduled to open in Fall 2007. It was to be located in the former SRO (single room occupancy) Casa Loma Hotel, which was badly damaged by fire and became uninhabitable. The building is currently for sale. Peter Gabel and Rod Holt are lien holders on the Casa Loma.
After Hamilton's resignation, Luis Molina, an attorney who served on the school's board of trustees was inaugurated as the college's interim president.<ref name="sfweekly" /><ref name=":2" /> Francisco Leite, a former university administrator from Brazil who Martin Hamilton met while contracting an exchange program with UNAES, became Chief Financial Officer.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} Molina stated he was working with the school's other board members to earn back the school's accreditation.<ref name="sfweekly" /><ref name=":2" /> Molina also promised to reform the school's governance, as students and faculty complained that all real administrative power lay in the hands of Hamilton and his confidants.<ref name=":2" /> Molina's interim administration hired an educational consultant to help bring the college into compliance with accreditation standards of WASC, an effort which drew praise from faculty and the association.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}


After WASC's report, the school's enrollment consequently fell to less than 600; finances of course only worsened, unpaid utility bills prompted [[Pacific Gas and Electric Company|Pacific Gas and Electric Co.]] threaten to turn the school's power off, the Department of Education alleged that the school illegally mishandled scholarships and other aid money, and federal loans and grants were withheld due to unfilled paperwork.<ref name="dying" />
The East Bay Weekend BA Completion Program in "Self-Mastery, Leadership and Resilience In Urban Environments and Global Society" was housed in [[Emeryville]].


By the end of 2007, the [[United States Department of Education]] (DOE) placed the college on heightened cash monitoring after discovering improprieties in the financial aid office, preventing financial aid funds from being disbursed until after New College's paperwork passed a review.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The financial aid staff hired by Molina and Leite were unable to fix the files to conform to DOE standards, and DOE investigation also revealed that the school failed to keep required records and could not account for large amounts of federal financial aid funds.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} As a result, DOE revoked New College's eligibility to receive federal financial aid funds.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
The North Bay Campus in Culture Ecology and Sustainable was housed in [[Santa Rosa, California]], in a building owned by the Arlene Francis Foundation, a private foundation run by Peter Gabel, former president of New College and [[Arlene Francis]]'s son.


A meeting in November 2007 found that the school was losing $80,000 each month, and was contemplating pay cuts for faculty, layoffs, and even bankruptcy protection.<ref name="dying" /> The same month, the school stopped paying its faculty.<ref name=":1" /> The school, which was set to begin its spring 2008 trimester on January 8, effectively shuttered, and classes were not held.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2008-02-11|title=Local college in limbo|url=https://abc7news.com/archive/5943996/|access-date=2020-08-11|website=ABC7 San Francisco|language=en}}</ref> Law School faculty continued teaching through the spring semester after being promised that pay would be forthcoming at the start of the semester.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The DOE, citing the college's poor record keeping and financial issues, withheld financial aid from the school.<ref name=":3" />
The Science Institute classes were held at the [[Southern California University of Health Sciences]], 16200 E. Amber Valley Drive in [[Whittier, California]], within {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} of [[downtown Los Angeles]].


The college owes its faculty and staff millions of dollars in back pay.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} In July 2008, the college acknowledged its debts in agreements it signed to settle wage claim disputes filed with the Department of Industrial Relations.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} A number of creditors of the college have prevailed in lawsuits.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
== Notable Alumni ==


Accreditation was revoked in February 2008 by WASC for numerous violations, including lack of proper governing structure, failure to keep proper student records, and lack of oversight by the Board.<ref name="sfweekly">{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Matt|date=2007-08-15|title=New College of Weirdness|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-08-15/news/new-college-of-weirdness/|access-date=2020-08-11|publisher=SF Weekly}}</ref><ref name="unaccredited">{{cite web |url = http:/upwiki/wikipedia/en/9/92/Accreditation_terminated_2.26.08.pdf |title = Accreditation Terminated |access-date = 2008-02-26 | publisher = WASC}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
* [[Eric Mar|Eric Mar]], Commissioner & past-President, San Francisco Board of Education.
* Carla Wilson
* Darrick Smith
* [[Frank Williams (basketball)|Frank Williams]]
* [[Juba Kalamka]]
* Rodel Rodis
* Toni Riss
* Faye D'Opal
* [[Ford Greene]]
* Norma Castellanos-Perez
* Linda Lofthus
* Peggy Flynn
* Buford Buntin


Students of the New College of California School of Law transferred to [[John F. Kennedy University]] Law School in April 2008.<ref>{{Cite news
== Notable Faculty ==
|last = Wadsworth
* [[Peter Gabel]], Ph.D., was a law professor at New College of California's Law School for 30 years, and served as President for 20 years. He was a founder of the Institute for Labor and Mental Health in Oakland. He is the son of the late [[Arlene Francis]] and [[Martin Gabel]]. His Arlene Francis Foundation loans money to New College and shared space with New College in the Sperry Building. Gabel resigned from the Board of Trustees amid controversy regarding his role in the mismanagement of the college by former President Hamilton and the Board of Trustees failure to exercise adequate oversight.
|first = Jennifer
|title = SF School's Misfortune May Benefit East Bay University
|newspaper = East Bay Express
|date = 2008-03-19
|url = http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/sf_school_s_misfortune_may_benefit_east_bay_university/Content?oid=665083
|access-date = 2008-11-20
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080419130312/http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/sf_school_s_misfortune_may_benefit_east_bay_university/Content?oid=665083
|archive-date = 2008-04-19
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> The Women’s Spirituality MA program transferred to the [[Institute of Transpersonal Psychology]] in Palo Alto in May 2008.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The North Bay Campus' Green MBA moved to [[Dominican University of California]] in March 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mbapub.com/2007/03/dominican-university-of-california-takes-green-mba-mainstream/|title=mbapub.com » Blog Archive Dominican University of California Takes Green MBA Mainstream. {{!}} mbapub.com|website=mbapub.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-23}}</ref>


==Notable people==
* [[Richard Heinberg]] is an internationally-known journalist, author, and Peak Oil expert. Mr Heinberg has written seven books include: "The Party's Over," "Powerdown," "The Oil Depletion Protocol," "A New Covenant with Nature," "Cloning the Buddha," "Celebrate the Solstice," and "Memories and Visions of Paradise." He is one of the core faculty at the New College North Bay Campus and teaches courses on Energy and Society, and Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community.
{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2018}}


===Alumni===
* Stephen J. Ducat, professor of psychology and author of "The Wimp Factor: Gender Gaps, Holy Wars, and the Politics of Anxious Masculinity."
* [[Susie Bright]], [[feminist|feminist author]]
* [[Dossie Easton]], author and psychotherapist
* [[Ford Greene]], attorney
* [[Marya Hornbacher]], author
* [[Michael Lerner (rabbi)|Michael Lerner]], author and rabbi
* [[Eric Mar]], San Francisco Supervisor (also served as an instructor)
* [[Gene Ransom]], Athlete and coach


===Faculty===
* Adam Clay Thompson, winner of [http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/press/2005.html The George Polk Award for Local Reporting] for his series “[http://www.sfbg.com/40/20/awards_gpolk_urls.html Forgotten City],” about San Francisco's public housing, and instructor in the Media Studies Graduate Program.
* [[Harry Britt]], gay political activist and former Supervisor for San Francisco, California. Britt also directed the Weekend BA Degree Completion Program.

* [[Daniel Cassidy]], author, filmmaker, and founder and codirector of the Irish Studies Program.
* [[Harry Britt]], a gay political activist and former Supervisor for San Francisco, California. He was first appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January 1979 by Mayor Dianne Feinstein, succeeding Harvey Milk who was assassinated in City Hall along with Mayor George Moscone by another Supervisor Dan White. Britt was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1980, 1984, and 1988. Britt served as President of the Board of Supervisors from 1989-90. Britt chose not to run for reelection in 1992. Britt ran unsuccessfully for the 5th Congressional District of California in 1987, narrowly losing to Nancy Pelosi in a special election to fill the seat left when Sala Burton died. He also was unsuccessful in his race against Mark Leno for the California Assembly in 2002. Britt teaches in the Weekend BA Degree Completion Program.
* [[Robert Duncan (poet)|Robert Duncan]], founding member of the New College Poetics program.

* [[Peter Gabel]], Ph.D., was a law professor at New College of California's Law School for 30 years, and served as President for 20 years.
* [[David Meltzer]], poet and teacher in the graduate Poetics program at New College of California, as well as in the College’s undergraduate Humanities program. His most recent book of poetry is Beat Thing [La Alameda Press, 2004]. He is the editor and interviewer for San Francisco Beat: Talking With The Poets [City Lights, 2001]. With Steve Dickison, he co-edits Shuffle Boil, a magazine devoted to music in all its appearances and disappearances.
* [[Richard Heinberg]], scholar on such topics as Peak Oil and Transition strategies, served as core faculty in the North Bay Campus' BA program in Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Communities.

* [[Edie Meidav]], novelist, director of the MFA in Writing and Consciousness.
* Daniel Cassidy, author, teacher, filmmaker, founder and co-director of the Irish Studies Program. His most recent publication is "How the Irish Invented Slang: the Secret Language of the Crossroads", He is also co-founder of the Crossroads Irish-American Festival.
* [[David Meltzer (poet)|David Meltzer]], poet and musician of the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance, taught in the Poetics Program.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100606360&fa=author&person_id=4924#content |title=Biography of David Meltzer |publisher=City Lights}}</ref>

* [[A. C. Thompson]], winner of the [[George Polk Awards|George Polk Award]] for Local Reporting<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theinvestigativefund.org/reporter/acthompson/ |title=The George Polk Awards for Journalism |year=2005 |publisher=The Nation Fund |access-date=2018-11-12}}</ref> for his series ''Forgotten City'' about San Francisco's public housing, and instructor in the Media Studies Graduate Program.
* [[Neeli Cherkovski]], writer-in-residence. He wrote ''Ferlinghetti: A Biography'', and co-edited the North Beach literary journal ''Beatitude'', ''Elegy For Bob Kaufman'', ''Whitman's Wild Children'', ''Bukowski: A Life'', and most recently, a poetry collection entitled ''Leaning Against Time''.

* [[Robert Duncan]], founding member of the New College Poetics program. He was an American poet and a student of H.D. and the Western esoteric tradition who spent most of his career in and around San Francisco. Though associated with any number of literary traditions and schools, Duncan is often identified with the New American Poetry and Black Mountain poets. Duncan's mature work emerged in the 1950s from within the literary context of Beat culture and today he (like his partner, the artist [[Jess Collins]]) is identified as a key figure in the San Francisco Renaissance.

* [[Tom Clark]], taught Poetics at New College of California from 1987 to its closing in 2008. A native of Chicago, he attended the [[University of Michigan]], was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 1963 and left for [[England]] to study at [[Cambridge]] and later, [[Essex]] University. He served as Poetry Editor of The [[Paris Review]] from 1964 to 1973, printing early work by many of the poets who would later be associated with the New York School--Ted Berrigan, Ron Padgett, Bill Berkson, John Ashbery, Anne Waldman, Joe Brainard, and others. His literary essays and reviews have appeared in [[The New York Times]], [[Times Literary Supplement]], [[Los Angeles Times]], [[San Francisco Chronicle]], [[London Review of Books]], and many other journals.

== Clubs, and Student Organizations ==
New College of California sponsored a number of student organizations, including the Black Law Caucus, Queer Caucus, and National Lawyers Guild Student Alliance.
* [http://www.newcollegeclarion.org The New College Clarion]:NO LONGER ACTIVE An independent student run publication created to monitor, reflect and engage the college and its community.
* [http://newcollegestudentcouncil.blogspot.com/ New College Independent Interim Student Council]: Chartered as of August, 2007.
* [http://www.friendsofnewcollege.com Friends of New College Community Website and Email List]: A community for alumni,students, faculty and supporters of New College of California
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NCStudentsUnite New College Students Unite]: Student-led group to reform New College.
* [Systems of Silence (SSOS)]: Student-led group to reform New College and support survivors of sexual assault.
* [http://newcollegealumni.net/ New College Independent Alumni/ae Association]: Open to all graduates and former students of New College.
* [http://savenewcollege.org Committee to Save New College]: Reform group to bring democracy to the school.
* [http://keepnewcollegealive.org Keep New College Alive]:Fundraising website created to raise funds. It is not an official New College website.
* '''Alumni and Friends of New College of California School of Law''': Independent alumni association which has raised funds to directly help law students survive their last semester at New College.601 Van Ness Avenue, Suite E #875 San Francisco CA 94102

==Controversy and Criticism==

New College was beset by controversies over the course of its history, mostly related to its governing structure. The school was governed by an oligarchy, which included Martin Hamilton, Peter Gabel, and others in their inner circle, while faculty, staff, alumni and students were excluded from governance. The Board of Trustees, which was populated by friends of the inner circle, failed to exercise any academic or financial oversight, thus giving the inner circle free rein with no accountability. Ultimately, the absence of a democratic governing structure and lack of oversight by the Board were important factors in WASC's decision to terminate the College's accreditation.

===Unionization and the humanities department upheaval (1995-1996)===

In the mid-1990s, the administration fought unionization efforts by faculty and staff. When popular faculty members involved in in unionizing were fired, students organized a group called [http://silence.net/?page_id=36 Pipsqueak!].<ref>''New College Gets Organized,'' New Mission News, Nov. 1996, pg. 11.</ref> Pipsqueak! complained to the [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges]] (WASC). In February 1996, WASC required New College to change its governance to include students and faculty.<ref>''New College Gets Organized,'' New Mission News, Nov. 1996, pg. 11.</ref> The administration made temporary changes, but shortly thereafter reverted to autocratic governance by the President and his inner circle.
===Alliance of Students for Autonomous Power (2005)===

In 2005, students reacted to the firing of popular Graduate Psychology Director Ali Chavosian, and the demotions of Media Studies appointed Co-Directors Jon Garfield and Foster by organizing and protesting. They created a group called Alliance of Students for Autonomous Power (ASAP) and published a newsletter, Student Action! ASAP complained about lack of democratic principles and accountability in the administration to [[WASC]], which investigated yet again. They also complained about racism on campus, which they felt was a factor in the treatment of Professors Chavosian and Foster. Students demanded rehiring of the fired professors, an end to autocratic administration, transparency in the school budgeting process, and an end to tuition hikes.<ref>Student Action!,newsletter,Alliance of Students for Autonomous Power, no date.





===Changes in governance to comply with WASC standards (July 2007)===

During the week of July 16, 2007, New College held a school-wide faculty meeting. The full time faculty formed a Core Faculty Council which met and gave a vote of no-confidence in President Martin Hamilton. The part time faculty formed an Adjunct Faculty Council, and the students formed a Student Council. Alumni and alumnae decided to form an Independent Alumni/ae Association.

On August 5, 2007, President Martin Hamilton resigned. <ref>[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/05/BATMRD5951.DTL Embattled school's president resigns<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>



===Problems and current status of the college===

Luis Molina, a former Board member and a real estate attorney with no experience in leading educational institutions, was made Acting President of the college and charged with responsibility of bringing New College in compliance with WASC requirements. Francisco Leite, a former university administrator from Brazil who Martin Hamilton met while contracting an exchange program with UNAES, became Chief Financial Officer. Though initially Martin Hamilton remained on the Board after he was forced to resign as President, he, along with Peter Gabel, was ultimately forced out. The interim administrators hired an educator with little experience in saving failing educational institutions to bring the college into compliance with WASC.

The College was placed on HCM by the Department of Education. HCM or "heightened cash monitoring" which meant that financial aid funds would only be dispersed after New College's paperwork passed a review. The staf hired by Molina and Leite failed miserably and files were not completed properly. The school no longer had financial reserves, a requirement to receive federal financial aid, so few students received their financial aid. After that, the administrators and the Board let the college fall into complete disarray, while maintaining only sporadic communication with faculty and staff. In October 2007, during the fall semester, without any notice, the administration stopped paying faculty and staff. Nevertheless, faculty continued teaching out the semester without pay.<ref>{{cite news | first=Leilani | last=Clark | coauthors= | title=School for Scandal | date=2008-03-05 | publisher=Metro Newspapers | url =http://www.metroactive.com/bohemian/03.05.08/news-0810.html | work =North Bay Bohemian | pages = | accessdate = 2008-04-10 | language = }}</ref> Law School faculty continued teaching through the spring semester based on false promises that pay would be forthcoming at the start of the semester.
New College of California is accredited through June 2008 for certain programs, while accreditation for most programs was revoked in March 2008.<ref name="accredited">{{cite web |url = [http://www.wascsenior.org/institutions/affiliation.aspx?accessID=75 |title = Statement of Accreditation Status |accessdate = 2007-09-29 |publisher = WASC}}</ref> Accreditation was revoked by the [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges]] (WASC) for numerous problems, including lack of proper governing structure, failure to keep proper student records, and lack of oversight by the Board. <ref who would use sf weekly as a reference? name="sfweekly">{{cite web |url = http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-08-15/news/new-college-of-weirdness/ |title = New College of Weirdness |accessdate = 2007-09-29 |publisher = SF Weekly}}</ref> on Feb. 26, 2008.<ref name="unaccredited">{{cite web |url = http:/upwiki/wikipedia/en/9/92/Accreditation_terminated_2.26.08.pdf |title = Accreditation Terminated |accessdate = 2008-02-26 | publisher = WASC}}</ref> WASC is the [[Educational accreditation|accrediting]] body for colleges and universities in California. Acting President Luis Molina ans CFO Francisco Carlso Leite misledd staff and faculty who continued to work though January 2008. As a result of molina's and Leiteas's mismanagement The College owes its staff and faculty, who taught without pay from the end of October through December, and some through May, much backpay and has not announced any plan or intention to pay them. A number of creditors of the college have prevailed in lawsuits.



== Public Records ==
* [[:Image:1997 newcollege 990.pdf|1997 IRS Form 990]]

* [[:Image:1998 newcollege 990.pdf|1998 IRS Form 990]]
* [[:Image:1999 newcollege 990.pdf|1999 IRS Form 990]]

* [[:Image:2000 newcollege 990.pdf|2000 IRS Form 990]]

* [[:Image:2001 newcollege 990.pdf|2001 IRS Form 990]]
* [[:Image:2002 newcollege 990.pdf|2002 IRS Form 990]]

* [[:Image:2003 newcollege 990.pdf|2003 IRS Form 990]]

* [[:Image:2004 newcollege 990.pdf|2004 IRS Form 990]]


==References==
==References==
<references/>DEAD LINK
<references />


==External links==
==External links==
* {{gnis|1655470}}
* [http://friendsofnewcollege.com Friends of New College]]
* [http://savenewcollege.org/index.html Committee to Save New College]

* [http://www.nwjesuits.org/newsPub/Provincial/09%2008%2006%20Provincial%20Statement.pdf Public Statement of the Oregon Province] of the Society of Jesus on Father John Leary's sexual abuse of boys and young men during his tenure at Gonzaga University
* [http://newcollegealumni.net/ New College Independent Alumni Association]



{{Coord|37.7606|-122.4212|source:gnis_region:US-CA_type:edu|display=title}}


{{authority control}}
{{San Francisco Colleges}}


[[Category:Schools in Sonoma County, California]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:New College Of California}}
[[Category:Universities and colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:New College of California| ]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 2008]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1971]]
[[Category:Defunct private universities and colleges in California]]
[[Category:Mission District, San Francisco]]
[[Category:Schools in Santa Rosa, California]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Sonoma County, California]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in California]]
[[Category:2008 disestablishments in California]]

Latest revision as of 08:11, 1 September 2024

This article is about New College of California. For College of California, see College of California.
New College of California
TypePrivate College
Active1971–2008
Location
San Francisco, California
,
United States
CampusUrban
Websitehttp://www.newcollege.edu (informational only)

New College of California was a college founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1971 by former Gonzaga University President John Leary. It ceased operations in early 2008.[1][2][3]

New College's main campus was housed in several buildings in the Mission District in San Francisco. The offices at 777 Valencia Street and companion buildings across the street were home to its humanities-based programs, including the Humanities BA, Mathematics, Poetics, Writing and Consciousness, Media Studies, Graduate Psychology, Experimental Performance Institute, Women’s Spirituality MA, Humanities and Leadership, Activism and Social Change, the Teacher Credential Program, as well as a broadcast studio and administration offices. New College of California School of Law was located at 50 Fell Street in the city's Civic Center. The North Bay Campus in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community was housed in Santa Rosa, California, in a building owned by the Arlene Francis Foundation, a private foundation run by Peter Gabel, former president of New College and Arlene Francis's son. The Science and Math Institute classes were initially held at the building at 50 Fell Street then morphed online to Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier, California, within 12 miles (19 km) of downtown Los Angeles.

History

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The college was founded in 1971 by John Leary, who previously served as the president of Gonzaga University.[4] A year earlier, while serving as the Vice President for University Relations at Santa Clara University, Leary first proposed the idea for an experimental college centered around Socratic Seminars.[4] The idea was rejected by Santa Clara's administration, but served as the foundation for the New College of California, which Leary established with departing Santa Clara professor Bob Raines.[4] The New College began with approximately a dozen students enrolling in classes held in Leary's living room in Sausalito.[4] Leary convinced various acquaintances of his to help fund this endeavor, and used this money to hire faculty.[4] The following year, Leary moved the school's classes to a warehouse he purchased in Sausalito.[4] By 1973, a tuition strike had engulfed the school, creating a deficit, and causing the school's trustees to pressure Leary for administrative and financial reform.[4] Instead, Leary resigned in 1974, and was replaced by Les Carr.[4][5] The college moved to 777 Valencia in San Francisco in 1975.[4] The college was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 1976.[6] In 1978, local newspapers uncovered that Carr had been selling Honorary PhD degrees for $25,000, and was subsequently fired.[5] In place of Carr, Martin Hamilton, Mildred Henry, and Peter Gabel took over as "collaborative leadership".[5] WASC issued a warning to the school in 1980, and placed the school on probation in 1984, citing concerns of the school's curriculum.[6] The association re-affirmed the school's accreditation in 1985, but issued the school another warning in 1988 due to concerns regarding governance, faculty and finances.[6] In 1996, some of the school's staff, including the faculty for the law school, humanities program, and poetry program, unionized, leading to modest economic gains, but no significant change regarding college governance.[citation needed] In 2002, Martin Hamilton took over as the school's president.[5] The same year, WASC reported that the school did not have stable revenue, adequate financial controls, and suffered from "extremely serious management problems".[5][7] WASC issued another warning in 2005, noting concerns about the college's long-term financial stability.[6] In 2006, it was revealed that the school's founder, John Leary, sexually abused minors while president of Gonzaga University.[6]

Activism

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Throughout the college's history, groups of faculty, students, alumni and staff mounted challenges to the school's governance system, but these efforts failed to achieve lasting change.[citation needed] Numerous campaigns by faculty groups seeking reform, often regarding specific academic programs, had no more than limited, short-term influence.[citation needed] Several waves of students organized throughout the college's history, addressing a variety of issues, as well as a greater voice in the college's administration.[citation needed] Student efforts, which sometimes included complaints to WASC, were also unable to achieve lasting change.[citation needed]

2007 WASC investigation

[edit]

In June 2007, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) after years of accreditation, approvals and recertifications, launched an investigation into New College which obliquely alleged that the school suffered from poor record keeping, flawed financial controls, and inadequate curricula and that President Hamilton, was corrupt and engaged in a number of conflicts of interest.[1][5] The report cited a number of incidents, such as one where a scammer posing as an international student requested class credits in exchange for a large financial gift which never materialized, and another where the school's administration couldn't explain course requirements and specific content of its "Pilot Hybrid Leadership in Urban Transformed Environments" program.[1][5] As a result, the association put the school on probation.[1][5] During the week of July 16, 2007, New College held a school-wide faculty meeting.[citation needed] The full-time faculty formed a Core Faculty Council, which met and gave a vote of no confidence in Hamilton.[citation needed] The part-time faculty formed an Adjunct Faculty Council, and the students formed a Student Council.[citation needed] Alumni and alumnae decided to form an Independent Alumni/ae Association.[citation needed] The report sparked protests by students and faculty alike, who pressured Hamilton into resigning on August 2.[5] Though initially Hamilton remained on the board after his resignation, he was forced out, along with Gabel.[citation needed] In his resignation letter, Hamilton claimed that criticism of his administration was due to New College being held to an unfairly high standard and said that criticisms of the school were "petty".[7] After WASC imposed sanctions against the college, the school's faculty tried to move toward greater accountability by forming a college-wide Faculty Council, an effort that drew praise from the association.[citation needed] WASC credited the Faculty Council and the school's new academic leadership for making improvements in the academic affairs of the college.[citation needed] Adjunct faculty, students and alumni also formed new organizations seeking change.[citation needed]

Financial collapse

[edit]

After Hamilton's resignation, Luis Molina, an attorney who served on the school's board of trustees was inaugurated as the college's interim president.[5][7] Francisco Leite, a former university administrator from Brazil who Martin Hamilton met while contracting an exchange program with UNAES, became Chief Financial Officer.[citation needed] Molina stated he was working with the school's other board members to earn back the school's accreditation.[5][7] Molina also promised to reform the school's governance, as students and faculty complained that all real administrative power lay in the hands of Hamilton and his confidants.[7] Molina's interim administration hired an educational consultant to help bring the college into compliance with accreditation standards of WASC, an effort which drew praise from faculty and the association.[citation needed]

After WASC's report, the school's enrollment consequently fell to less than 600; finances of course only worsened, unpaid utility bills prompted Pacific Gas and Electric Co. threaten to turn the school's power off, the Department of Education alleged that the school illegally mishandled scholarships and other aid money, and federal loans and grants were withheld due to unfilled paperwork.[1]

By the end of 2007, the United States Department of Education (DOE) placed the college on heightened cash monitoring after discovering improprieties in the financial aid office, preventing financial aid funds from being disbursed until after New College's paperwork passed a review.[citation needed] The financial aid staff hired by Molina and Leite were unable to fix the files to conform to DOE standards, and DOE investigation also revealed that the school failed to keep required records and could not account for large amounts of federal financial aid funds.[citation needed] As a result, DOE revoked New College's eligibility to receive federal financial aid funds.[citation needed]

A meeting in November 2007 found that the school was losing $80,000 each month, and was contemplating pay cuts for faculty, layoffs, and even bankruptcy protection.[1] The same month, the school stopped paying its faculty.[6] The school, which was set to begin its spring 2008 trimester on January 8, effectively shuttered, and classes were not held.[8] Law School faculty continued teaching through the spring semester after being promised that pay would be forthcoming at the start of the semester.[citation needed] The DOE, citing the college's poor record keeping and financial issues, withheld financial aid from the school.[8]

The college owes its faculty and staff millions of dollars in back pay.[citation needed] In July 2008, the college acknowledged its debts in agreements it signed to settle wage claim disputes filed with the Department of Industrial Relations.[citation needed] A number of creditors of the college have prevailed in lawsuits.[citation needed]

Accreditation was revoked in February 2008 by WASC for numerous violations, including lack of proper governing structure, failure to keep proper student records, and lack of oversight by the Board.[5][9]

Students of the New College of California School of Law transferred to John F. Kennedy University Law School in April 2008.[10] The Women’s Spirituality MA program transferred to the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto in May 2008.[citation needed] The North Bay Campus' Green MBA moved to Dominican University of California in March 2007.[11]

Notable people

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Alumni

[edit]

Faculty

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  • Harry Britt, gay political activist and former Supervisor for San Francisco, California. Britt also directed the Weekend BA Degree Completion Program.
  • Daniel Cassidy, author, filmmaker, and founder and codirector of the Irish Studies Program.
  • Robert Duncan, founding member of the New College Poetics program.
  • Peter Gabel, Ph.D., was a law professor at New College of California's Law School for 30 years, and served as President for 20 years.
  • Richard Heinberg, scholar on such topics as Peak Oil and Transition strategies, served as core faculty in the North Bay Campus' BA program in Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Communities.
  • Edie Meidav, novelist, director of the MFA in Writing and Consciousness.
  • David Meltzer, poet and musician of the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance, taught in the Poetics Program.[12]
  • A. C. Thompson, winner of the George Polk Award for Local Reporting[13] for his series Forgotten City about San Francisco's public housing, and instructor in the Media Studies Graduate Program.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Is New College Dying?". SF Bay Guardian. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
  2. ^ "Struggling New College may close one campus". SF Business Times. Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  3. ^ "New College of California (Announcements)". WASC Senior. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Matt (2006-10-25). "The Double Life of John Leary". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Smith, Matt (2007-08-15). "New College of Weirdness". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Clark, Leilani (2008-03-05). "School for Scandal". Metroactive. Metro Newspapers. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. ^ a b c d e King, John (2007-08-05). "Embattled school's president resigns". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ^ a b "Local college in limbo". ABC7 San Francisco. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  9. ^ "Accreditation Terminated" (PDF). WASC. Retrieved 2008-02-26. [permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ Wadsworth, Jennifer (2008-03-19). "SF School's Misfortune May Benefit East Bay University". East Bay Express. Archived from the original on 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  11. ^ "mbapub.com » Blog Archive Dominican University of California Takes Green MBA Mainstream. | mbapub.com". mbapub.com. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
  12. ^ "Biography of David Meltzer". City Lights.
  13. ^ "The George Polk Awards for Journalism". The Nation Fund. 2005. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
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37°45′38″N 122°25′16″W / 37.7606°N 122.4212°W / 37.7606; -122.4212

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