50th anniversary reunion and celebration of New School April 13
Dawson’s “novel experiment” New School is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. That is what The Gazette called New School in an article published in April 1973.
Back then, New School was created to engage students in their own learning and to build communities so that students would not get lost in a big institution.
“Fifty years later, especially after the pandemic, students still need to feel a sense of belonging to a community,” said Cory Legassic, Coordinator of New School and Faculty, Humanities and Sociology at Dawson. “They are also interested in different learning experiences.”
“I have had many students over the years who have held on to Dawson and graduated because of New School,” added Andrew Katz, an English Faculty member who has been teaching in New School for the past six years. “In this way, and others, New School makes a significant contribution to student success.”
While New School may not be new anymore, the New School approach is still fresh for students. “We like to say we’re one of the O.G. active learning classrooms,” Cory said. It is an approach founded on “critical humanistic education,” which builds community through sharing, collective care and learning from each other as much as from the teacher.
New School’s course offerings have evolved over the years. Today, Dawson students in all programs are welcome to take English and Humanities courses through New School. They can take up to seven courses in New School over their DEC.
To help celebrate New School’s 50th year, alumni, students, faculty and retired faculty are invited to a reunion and party at Dawson on Saturday, April 13.
Everyone is invited to share their stories and memories. “Because of New School is our theme and we invite people to reflect on the impact of New School on their education and lives,” Cory said.
Founder of New School and retired faculty member Greta Hofmann Nemiroff will be the keynote speaker at the reunion.
To RSVP for the reunion and to find out more, please visit:
Help reach more alumni by sharing the Facebook event of the reunion: https://fb.me/e/3tkQWMgrn
