DISCOVER REAL HIGHER ED REFORM

Welcome to a New Breed of University. Welcome to NewU.

Who We Are

NewU is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Accreditation and Licensure

NewU University is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit degree-granting post-secondary educational institution, licensed to operate and issue Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees by the Washington DC Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC).

The Commission strives to be a national leader in licensing, compliance monitoring, and enforcement and outreach that ensures students are protected and approved postsecondary institutions provide quality education and training programs. For a list of FAQs, visit the HELC website here. A complete list of approved institutions is available here.

HELC Contact Information:
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.727.6436

NewU University is a brand new school, and we just opened our doors to our first class of students in Fall 2022. We are bringing much needed reform and innovation to Higher Education for the benefit of students and parents. 

Licensure in our nation’s capital by the DC HELC is mandatory, and serves as a transparent and rigid quality control and oversight mechanism.

Partners and Supporters

Governance

Like all responsible nonprofits, NewU has a Board of Directors with the typical roles and responsibilities of a nonprofit governing body. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of the governing body, officers, and the president are governed by the NewU Bylaws. At NewU we believe in the principles of shared governance, and welcome input from all key stakeholders, especially students. We encourage student, faculty, and staff participation in Board meetings which are typically open to all members of our community.

Mr. Stratsi Kulinski, founder, President & CEO, and member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Kulinski holds a BA from the American University in Bulgaria, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. India Ingersoll, Corporate Secretary and member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Ingersoll holds a BA in Economics from Pepperdine University and was a co-founder of Fare Connections, a DC community nonprofit.

Ms. Alicia Margoles, member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Margoles holds a BA in Business Administration with a major in Sales & Marketing from the University of Georgia, where she was captain of the Women’s Soccer Team. Since then, Alicia also successfully completed a number of top-ranked executive education programs including an Executive Development Program of The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, an Executive Leadership Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and an Executive Development Program at Harvard University.

Ms. Viktoriya Zotova, Treasurer & CFO. Ms. Zotova holds a summa cum laude BA from the St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, and is a MLA candidate (expected May 2023) at Harvard University Extension School, and holds a PhD from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She was also an instructor of accounting at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and at Georgetown University's business school.

Milestones

1991 - 2017

Idea Inception

As a first-generation college student, our founder embodies the promise of opportunity through education.  His belief that education enriches and empowers lives is the product of his own story, and constitutes a central tenet in his life philosophy. 

As an immigrant to the United States, Stratsi – as he is known to friends and colleagues – credits his professional and personal growth mostly to his years at the American University in Bulgaria, initially funded by the United States Congress through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and US and European philanthropists.  A member of the very first class of students, Stratsi’s choice of an unproven brand new university seemed risky, and came with financial burdens for his family at the time.  But his undergraduate experience was transformative. He went on to graduate, worked across different industries from Radio Broadcasting to Satellite Telecom to Software on several continents and in DC and Silicon Valley, earned his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and even served as President and Board Member of  that university where it all started.

These diverse life experiences made possible by a new and unproven university 30 years ago, and the motivation to pay it forward, inspired the very creation of NewU.  We hope, in turn, it empowers young people to invest in a life of resilience, pursuit of lifelong learning, and success here at NewU in our nation’s capital.

1991 - 2017

March 2018

The Proverbial Napkin

The very first NewU written concept gets commemorated on a piece of paper napkin.  A museum-worthy artefact.

March 2018

2018

Concept Validation, Branding

NewU’s first roadshow takes place, where our concept for an innovative and bold new university gets shared with leaders from academia, government, philanthropists, regulators, and of course, students and parents. Everyone wants to be a college student again when NewU launches. 

Our logo, colors, taglines, social media accounts, and website are created.

2018

December 2018

First Strategic Parnerships

NewU signs agreements with one of the preeminent law firms in the US, Holland & Knight LLP,  and with real-estate leader CBRE Inc. 

December 2018

2019

Legal, Tax, Governance, and IT Infrastructure

NewU is incorporated in Washington DC. 

The IRS approves our 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt status.

The NewU Board of Directors holds its first meeting.

The US Patent and Trademark Office approves the trademark applications for our name and logo.

Oracle and Salesforce join the list of NewU strategic partners.

2019

2020

Executive Team and Program Development

NewU completes the executive team.  It brings together many people with a true passion for education, many of them first-generation college graduates, now with doctoral and master’s degrees and professional success stories on their resumes.

The team bands together, prepares an extensive application for licensing, develops the academic programs, and puts together the marketing and recruiting strategy.

NewU not only survives the COVID-19 pandemic, but thrives.

2020

2021

Licensure and Go-to-Market

NewU is licensed  to operate by the DC Higher Education Licensure Commission in a unanimous decision of the 5 Commissioners in testament to our innovative and high quality education and operating model and programs.

We launch our first marketing and recruitment campaign for the very first class of students, and prepare to start in-person classes for Fall 2022.

2021

2022

First Class of Students

Our very first class of students starts at NewU with Orientation Day 1 on August 22, 2022.

2022
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