Mark Schulman - Biography

Mark Schulman, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of critical media theory at EGS. Dr. Schulman received his Ph.D. in Communications from the Union Institute in Cincinnati. Mark Schulman received a B.A. in Literature at Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio and a M.S. in Education, Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University.

As of September 2010 he is the President and CEO of Saybrook University, a premier graduate institution for humanistic studies in psychology, organizational systems, leadership, human science, and mind-body medicine. Mark Schulman has held the position since July 1st 2010. Throughout his career as an educator, consultant, writer, and administrator, Dr. Schulman has been dedicated to innovative and academically rigorous education.

An academic leader with over three decades of experience in education consulting, higher education administration and in communications, Dr. Schulman previously served as President of Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont for seven years. Under his leadership Goddard College flourished as an institution dedicated to “progressive education for creative minds.” Not surprisingly, President Schulman defines progressive education for the 21st century in an innovative way, calling for the revision of the “classic progressive education,” and for the “emancipatory” character of progressive education instead. He argues for two interrelated characteristics:

“The first characteristic is creative praxis. I define this as the dialectic of theory and practice—the usual meaning of praxis—but we must add a particular spin: that the construction of new knowledge trumps all orthodoxies. That’s the creative addition.”

“The second characteristic is principled engagement. I define this as a reasoned and reasonable stance of resistance to an oppressive, exploitative and anti-democratic social, political, and cultural order with the intention of building a better world.”

In, “To Be in Occasional Touch: Goddard College’s Progressive Principles and Distributed Learning,” Mark Schulman argues: “The challenges for Goddard College posed by 21st Century information technologies are their incorporation into, and reflection of, the foundational principles of the College’s low residency delivery model. This learning model is complex; the many aspects of this complexity forces the College (and other progressive institutions) to insist on a values base that helps determine attitudes to and uses of technology. If administrative staff and faculty have a deep commitment to those values, when done well, information technology can enhance the progressive model.”

Prior to being at Goddard College, Mark Schulman was not only President but also Professor of Humanities at Antioch University Southern California, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Before that he was Vice President, Academic Dean as well as Dean of the College, and Professor at Pacific Oaks College. He is also the former chair of the Communications Department at the New School for Social Research in New York city, as well as professor and chair in the Communication Department at the City University of New York. Additionally, Mark Schulman is a founder of the Harlem Community Radio to which he brought his interest and academic expertise in communication theory and political media economy.

Finally, Dr. Schulman was also actively involved in the Vermont Higher Education Council from 2006 to 2007, which he presided. He served on the Vermont Independent Colleges Committee from 2005 to 2010. And he was one of the directors of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, also from 2005 to 2010.

Dr. Schulman has published extensively in journals and books, including in a number of reports pertinent to his fields of interest. He has also consulted and presented extensively on progressive and emancipatory education, distance learning, technology, communications, media, and culture. Some of his publications include books: “Information Gathering: A Report on the Concept in Journalism Studies” in a report for the New York Times Foundation (1988). “Neighborhood Radio as Community Communication.” Doctoral dissertation. 508 pages. UMI #8613918 (1985).

Over the years Dr. Mark Schulman has contributed chapters in many books: “To Be in Occasional Touch: Goddard College's Progressive Principles and Distributed Learning” in Information Technology and Constructivism in Higher Education: Progressive Learning Frameworks (2009). “Achieving Enrollment Growth while Retaining Integrity” in Best Practices in Higher Education. Presidential Perspectives Series 2008-09. Aramark Higher Education. 2009. “Communicating in the Community” in Democratic Communications in the Information Age (1992). “Control Mechanisms Inside the Media” in Questioning the Media (1990). “Gender and Typographic Culture” in Technology and Women's Voices (1988). “Radio and Cultural Identity: Community and Communication in Harlem USA” in Theory and Practice (1988). “Language and Communications” in Good Reading (1989).

Professor Mark Schulman has given an impressive number of presentations and lectures: “Damn the Computers, Full Speed Ahead” at Oxford Roundtable on Educational Policy (2000). “Virtual Education: Revolution in Learning” at U.C. Santa Barbara Graduate School of Education Alumni Association (1999). “Corporation for Public Broadcasting” at the Digital Road Show. KCET Television Educator's Panel. Los Angeles, California (1999). “A Teach-In About the Unz Initiative” at the Pacific Oaks College Campus Week of Dialogue - President's Initiative on Race. Pasadena, California (1998). “Creating a Freirean College: Pitfalls and Possibilities” at the Pedagogy and Theater of the Oppressed Conference. Omaha, Nebraska (1998). “Understanding the Internet” at the National Council of Senior Citizens - West Side Chapter. Los Angeles, California (1996). “Distance Learning as a Tool for Professional Development" at the Symposium of the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development. Minneapolis, Minnesota (1996). “An Overview of Distance Learning” at the Four College Consortium Technology Colloquium. Pasadena, California (1996). “Liberatory Education in the Public Schools: Can We Make It Work?” at Evergreen State University. Olympia, Washington (1995). “Living Large and Living Small in the Values-Based College” at the Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference. University of Nebraska. Omaha, Nebraska (1995).