Here's a rundown of the changes from the past nine months: New College of Florida's transformation began when DeSantis installed six new appointees to the school's board of trustees on Jan. 6. Fla. Gov. DeSantis is now looking to overhaul the state's Former Florida state member Carlos Guillermo Smith has also been outspoken against this campaign and was interviewed at the NCSEF rally. It is a privilege, not a right, to be employed by a taxpayer-funded university, Rufo posted. The new board fired its president, eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion department, denied some professors tenure and has expanded athletics programs. New College of Florida News Roundup | BestColleges Theres definitely a little bit of apprehension, but Im hopeful, said Marilib Maloy, whose daughter decided to enroll at the university because of its nontraditional structure. College Corcoran was the former state speaker of the House and is a Republican ally of DeSantis. WebAs the legislatively designated Honors College of Florida, New College offers 35 undergraduate majors and a masters degree program in data science. changes Campus Minister Dwight Henry, New College of Florida conducted the prayer. Florida Half the faculty has been run off, students are spitting on trustees, and don't look now, but mold's a-brewin' in the New College of Florida' s trustees voted to begin the process of abolishing the college's nearly 30-year-old gender studies program. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell), Students work on their laptops on the campus of New College of Florida, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. New College has long been an anomaly in a state filled with large public universities. She told people in attendance that her vision for New College did not align with the new mandate from DeSantis, and, therefore, she could no longer in good conscience lead the institution into this new era. Now they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Americas culture wars. Interim President Richard Corcoran decided to close the Pei New College of Florida Im sorry, but this isnt an indoctrination facility. More than a third of the institution's faculty won't return for the fall 2023 semester, and Inside Higher Ed reports that as a result, many classes won't be offered at New College during the term. People are powerfully drawn to that idea and want an education like this for themselves and their children. A testament to the strength of the Novo Collegians, the powerlifting team is one of the newest and most active sports here at New College. Many on campus have voiced a concern that the politically charged spotlight on their school could invite danger. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell), Antonia Ginsberg-Klemmt, 23, left, a physics major who started a rowing team at New College of Florida, gets help from team member Kaitlin Kelleher to stow the boat she uses to coach practice, at the end of a morning training session, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. Ginsberg-Klemmt, who is graduating this spring, says she has stayed away from campus protests and is trying to focus on her senior thesis, but notices the effect the takeover is having on her peers. She loved her small classes at New College and the ability to meet professors one-on-one. So, she kind of said that, you know, hopefully, this will be accepted, because it is a curriculum that colleges all over the country have, and it's been in existence for decades. Why there will be 2 commencement ceremonies at New College (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell), Anthropology major Gaby Batista, 19, works as a student ambassador at New College of Floridas Admissions Welcome Center, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. Batista, who identifies as pansexual, non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns, says of high school, I was bullied for being different. At New College, Batista says, We have this culture of radical acceptance, I would say. Transfer student Bernadette Estrada-Brown (right), 48, and her husband, Frank (left), get their first look at her new dorm during New College of Florida's move-in They all said that they support where the governor is going with this. I know and love [New College of Florida]. Ron DeSantis has targeted the tiny school on the shores of Sarasota Bay as a staging ground for his war on woke. The governor and his allies say New College, a progressive school with a prominent LGBTQ+ community, is indoctrinating students with leftist ideology and should be revamped into a more conservative institution. The academic freedom that allows students to design individualized majors is mirrored by a student body that feels free to express itself, say students and faculty, who describe New College as a haven for brainy kids who are high-achieving and intellectually curious. Some parents have even requested their deposits be refunded for students who had planned to attend. This isnt a factory that pumps out, you know, non-binary communists, says Viv Cargille, 20, a marine biology major from Miami. Florida Gov. Some fear for their physical safety. Meanwhile, the other planned sports may not have enough athletes to field a complete team. Tuition costs: Florida resident $6,916; nonresident $29,944. New College of Florida In a faculty meeting, the staff made a point to retain the values of the school amongst policy changes. Some students are fleeing, for schools that feel safer. DeSantis Aims to Turn Public College Into Hillsdale of the South. He served as the Speaker of the Florida House from 2016-2018. Will New College of Florida change under conservative leaders? Smith accused DeSantis of using New College of Florida to "score political points. She has difficulty adapting to change and feeling like she belongs. New College of Florida After only being around for a year, the team participated in the 37th annual USA powerlifting Florida state championships, and walked away with two first place trophies, and one second place. I felt like I could connect to the people here. Some of the students started a Twitter feed to fight back against this. DeSantis began this campaign by replacing six of the 13 members on the board of trustees with like-minded conservatives. ", He is using fear and intimidation to accomplish his extreme agenda, even sometimes without any new laws being passed, Smith said. Rufo and fellow new board member Eddie Speir, who founded a Christian school in Bradenton, have been the most outspoken about the changes they want to see at New College. My biggest frustration is the way it is impacting my education. Fighting back tears, Okker said she could not go along with the new mandate at NCF and said that she did not believe New College students were being "indoctrinated," a claim made by conservative board member Christopher Rufo and others. Ron DeSantis recently appointed six new trustees to a public liberal arts college accused of promoting "woke" politics. Florida The Board voted to fire Okker without cause. As tensions within the school rise, the divide between the faculty and the board grows more apparent. Ian Hodgson Times staff. Ron DeSantis for cultural So, the governor appointed six new members to New Colleges board of directors, and it's not unusual; the governor appoints new board members to colleges and other state institutions all the time. The meeting, which lasted just under four hours, started with a public comment section that included 25 speakers, nearly all of them criticizing the changes at New College. Ron DeSantis that rapidly is reshaping New College of Florida picked up speed The governor tapped him when he signed House Bill 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Act, also known by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The effect at New College has been chilling and disruptive. New trustees wasted little time enacting the governor's agenda. Some were the quiet kids in high school, or were bullied for being queer or different, or struggled socially because of autism or other disabilities. Support WUSF now by giving monthly, or make a one-time donation online. It is Floridas designated honors college and produces an impressive number of the states Fulbright scholars. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell), Members of the recently formed crew team at New College of Florida head out from shore as they begin a morning practice session, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. Students and faculty compare the upheaval at New College to a hostile takeover that feels even more jarring because of what the school has represented to so many students for so many years: a haven of open-mindedness and acceptance in a place of idyllic beauty, with palm-tree-lined paths along a stretch of white-sand coast. Students and faculty say America should take note because the transformation at New College could become a blueprint with national implications as DeSantis gears up for a likely presidential bid. Ron DeSantis has forced a rapid makeover of the public liberal arts college. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File), Alaska Miller, right, a second-year cognitive science major who identifies as a trans woman and came from a family that was not very accepting, talks with a friend as they hang out outside a dormitory on the New College of Florida campus in Sarasota, Fla., Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The new trustees, on an interim basis pending Florida Senate confirmation, will join the rest of the 13-member board at a meeting Jan. 31. New College of Florida The average class size is 11 students. Samantha Champlain, who committed to New College before the overhaul, was moving into a hotel off-campus after some dorms were closed for mold issues. WebSocial Sciences. The replacement of far-left faculty with new professors aligned with the universitys mission. Governor Ron DeSantis Commends New College of That includes courses that are mandatory for certain majors. Rufos first action was to abolish the Office of Outreach & Inclusive Excellence. Have we heard from local state lawmakers about the new direction? New College Of Florida (File Photo) Amid a series of high-profile changes at New College of Florida, the school on Thursday also got a new mascot the Mighty Banyans. New College of Florida Gov. DeSantis picks could lead to new college changes But for now, she plans to stay. Governor Ron DeSantis Celebrates Record Number of Students Participating in School-Choice Educational Scholarships, Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Howard Rusty Williams as Holmes County Supervisor of Elections, Governor Ron DeSantis Commends New College of Floridas Transformation under Newly Appointed Board of Trustees. Im concerned theyre going to take a school that does not indoctrinate students and turn it into a school that does.. Other highlights under NCFs new leadership include: Executive Office of Governor Ron DeSantis. Additionally, the NCF Board of Trustees recently voted to begin the termination of the gender studies program, becoming the first public university to push back on gender indoctrination. Tensions escalated again during an April 26 board meeting. As you mentioned, conservative activist Chris Rufo is one of the governor's appointees. He returned to the subject in June after New College decided to let the professor's contract expire without renewing. What are you hearing from students, alumni, and faculty about the changes? Its been such a long road, and I finally felt like I could see light at the end of the tunnel, said White, who recognizes in herself feelings of anxiety and depression as she worries if Lola will find her path again. The student body will be recomposed over time: some current students will self-select out, others will graduate; well recruit new students who are mission-aligned. He and others have posted plans to redesign the curriculum with a goal of making the school more politically conservative. Local - Liz Shultz June 2, 2023. 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After receiving an ear-full from people upset over the shift of power, they started m Conservative trustees oust president at Floridas New College I believe a president needs to stand behind her words when she asks donors to contribute, Okker said. One of the new trustees is Christopher Rufo, a fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute and architect of the right-wing outrage against critical race theory, a legal term that has come to represent teaching about the ongoing effects of slavery. DeSantis has backed legislation (HB 999) that would bar state colleges and universities from For the first time, under new leadership, the New College of Floridas new Board of Trustees met Tuesday. It's also creating a student housing issue. 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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The newly-installed conservative board of trustees at New College of Florida ousted its current Angelo Morelli, who arrived from Miami, plans to study computer science. There is a long table in the center of the New College dining hall that epitomizes the schools culture of acceptance, according to several students. Now they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Americas culture war. Among the speakers was X Gonzalez, a New College graduate and survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. A semester inside the siege: New College professor is trapped in the takeover, Floridas new higher education law faces legal challenges, Hillsborough will offer AP Psychology course after all, ending confusion, Florida hospitals rebound from severe nursing shortage during pandemic, Tampa Bay high schools will teach artificial intelligence courses from UF, DeSantis appointees want judge to rule against Disney before any trial, Free Disney World passes is latest front in war between Disney and DeSantis appointees, Florida quietly added more secrecy to university president searches, At New College orientation, students express hope and hesitation, Pinellas schools warn parents about app with privacy issues. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell), First-year student Adeline Harrells backpack is covered in buttons with messages as it sits at her feet during class, at New College of Florida, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. Some were escorted out by police. WebThe Campus Police Department proudly serves New College of Florida and USF Sarasota-Manatee. Now they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Americas culture war. I met my wife 53 years ago at orientation at New College, he said. Support WUSF now by giving monthly, or make a one-time donation online. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File), Notes written by students describing what they love about New College of Florida are stuck to a poster during a protest ahead of a meeting of the schools board of trustees, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. Students and faculty compare the upheaval at the public honors college to a hostile takeover that feels even more jarring because of what the school has represented to so many students for so many years: a haven of open-mindedness and acceptance in a place of idyllic beauty, with palm-tree-lined paths along a stretch of white-sand coast. And Zac, New College of Florida is a public institution. Faculty and students at colleges and universities throughout Florida face the same censorship and the same injury to their rights of free speech and academic inquiry, the complaint reads. Named after Gov. When a committee of the New College of Florida Board of Trustees met in July, a whopping 36 faculty members had already left since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis initiated a conservative restructuring of the institution in January. But his main concern is government intervention in his education. There is very much a policing of ideas., Students, too, have shifted conversations on organizing protests to encrypted platforms like Signal and Slack to ensure privacy, says Gaby Batista, 19, an anthropology major who has taken personal precautions as well. New reporting from the news organization The Intercept, follows money coming into the foundation of right wing education activist Christopher Rufo.. Rufo was appointed by Gov. Theres just a scary history of what happens when the state controls what gets taught in the classroom. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell), Second-year transfer student Bug Hamnon, 20, walks on a zipline set up outside a dormitory at New College of Florida, Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Sarasota, Fla. Republican Gov. New College of Florida The legislature ultimately approved more than $34 million for the institution in the final budget. New College of Florida' s trustees voted to begin the process of abolishing the college's nearly 30-year-old gender studies program. New College has long been an anomaly in a state filled with large public universities. New College of Florida - State University System of Florida 4 min read. 8 min read. Students and faculty are afraid of one thing most of all: The extinction of New College as they know it. New College of Florida Ron DeSantis and his conservative appointees to the Board of Trustees are "attempting to dismantle the institutions educational mission, values, and principles.". January 23, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EST. 3:45 p.m. | Nothing but criticism for new board members from public speakers at New College of Florida Board of Trustees meeting. Gov. New College An increase in first-year enrollment for Black and Hispanic students a nearly four time increase of Black students and a nearly double increase of Hispanic students. Friday's ceremony came just one day after a student-run alternative ceremony By, Free Disney World passes is the latest front in the war between Disney and DeSantis' appointees, Warm water combined with an algal bloom could be behind dead fish in Manatee County, Court will hear a business fight involving Florida's 'Stop WOKE Act', New vote-by-mail changes might mean fewer Floridians use the ballots, NPR's podcast and programming chief Anya Grundmann to leave after 30 years, Tropical Storm Hilary moves on from California, leaving a trail of damage and debris, 'Louder Than A Riot' reckons with hip-hop's past and looks to a more inclusive future, Spain's Olga Carmona learned her father had died after she won the Women's World Cup, New College ousts its president and names Richard Corcoran as an interim replacement, DeSantis appointees to New College of Florida lay out their visions to faculty and students, What DeSantis' conservative overhaul could mean for Sarasota's New College of Florida, Demonstrators voice their opposition to DeSantis' moves to transform New College. Trustee Matthew Lepinski announced near the end of the meeting that he was resigning from the board, got up from his chair, and walked out before the meeting adjourned. New College of Florida You've got DeSantis with national ambition. DeSantis-appointed trustees, higher education reform bill will Florida WebMathematics at New College is challenging and exciting. The campus feels a lot less safe now.. . Whites daughter, Lola, is a third-year biology major at New College with plans to be a veterinarian. WUSF'S Cathy Carter spoke with Sarasota Herald Tribune reporter Zac Anderson about the governor's plan. New College New College of Florida WebNew College of Florida admissions is selective with an acceptance rate of 74% and an early acceptance rate of 87.4%. Others, like Eliana Salzhauer the parent of a New College freshman, expressed anger. An Edward R. Murrow Award-winning series explores the high costs of the pandemic for children and young adults.