New College’s Tragic DemiseRandy Shawbyline‚ Jun. 23‚ 2008New College of California, once one of San Francisco’s preeminent training grounds for progressive activists and attorneys, has lost its battle for survival. While New College’s demise has been anticipated since last Fall, a shred of hope remained that something could be done to save this venerable institution. But now New College is gone. Its loss is not only a tragedy for the city’s progressive community, but for everyone concerned about creating an educational, social, and cultural infrastructure for those seeking to pursue alternative careers. While the media has covered the financial problems that brought down the school, a critical question has been ignored: why did state and federal regulatory bodies facilitate New College’s death, instead of intervening to create a work-out plan that would have allowed it to survive? Poor administration clearly brought down the school, but a more sympathetic political administration in Washington D.C. could have kept it alive. |