Yes, the big news this weekend was the passing of Professor Emeritus Mac Miller. That said, this edition of the 4Winds News Recap will not cover it as the sad notice trickles through our community and people deal with their grief. More later. ~ KimBoo

Weekly Roundup

Tampa Bay 28: New College of Florida is spending nearly $1 million on outside PR consultants. That’s on top of a 13-person comms dept. also headed by a political operative. A familiar response to questioning in this one, surprised quote from faculty wondering why this level of spending isn’t showing up for academics.

Sarasota-Herald Tribune: New College hits 1,000-student enrollment goal amid community concerns. Lots of quotes from familiar critics and less familiar folks. (This got very wide play.)

Sarasota-Herald Tribune (via Yahoo): New College building a bright future for our school, region. Corcoran himself (ostensibly; see below) writes his victory lap for the USF-SM annexation and an enrollment above 1,000, and plants a flag for NCF as an “anchor institution,” attracting talent who stay in Sarasota “and gives employers a reason to build here rather than somewhere else.” (This was reprinted in Florida Politics and elsewhere.)

Also worth a look…

Novum Collegium Fidelis: New College: the Ownest of Own Goals Nate Allen takes apart Corcoran’s boosterism using a couple of AI detectors (the piece is almost definitely AI-generated) and a public syllabus of NCF’s very first remedial English class.

Tampa Bay 28: Jolly calls for Hope Florida investigation to be reopened after leak of grand jury report. Important context for the story on NCF spending tax money on outside PR. This misappropriation scandal (Medicaid money to Casey DeSantis charity to Ron DeSantis anti-referendum campaign) is now a governor’s-race issue.

NCF: New College Earns Record Princeton Review Recognition for Faculty, Financial Aid and Student Futures. We’re No. 2 in the nation for Financial Aid, No. 24 for Best Value. (Because of all the full scholarships….) Also, it’s not ranked in the top 25 politically active campuses.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Weekly Roundup

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College isn’t America First when spending our money. Alum Mike Sanderson writes on state money funding international athletes (and paying for remedial-level summer prep classes) at the state’s honors college.

Novum Collegium Fidelis: New College Surpasses 1000 Students; Ghana Celebrates. Summarizes Sanderson’s editorial (with sarcastic flourishes), but also … launches a letter-writing campaign to the BoG Inspector General based on its context.

Also worth a look…

NC Fidelis: The New College Alumni Association’s Offer to the Foundation. Allen also gave a run-down of the NCAA’s response to its attempted dissolution, including a big-money ask, with the subtitle: “It’s probably too reasonable to be approved by the college.”

DCCC: The Case Against Sydney Gruters. Political talking points from the Dems, now that the congressional race is Kirschner vs. Gruters. NCF is mentioned, naturally.

Bradenton Journal: DeSantis makes election day stop at Sarasota’s New College to push higher ed agenda. Recap of the odd appearance the governor made in the music room on primary election day. Florida’s the first state to sign onto the McMahon “Call to Action.” Defending the massive spending (and incurred debt) for NCF: “Obviously, you’re not going to keep spending that money. It’s kind of a one-shot deal, and I think it’s done very, very well.”

Tampa Bay 28: New College of Florida students settle into ‘north campus’ as transfer from USF takes shape. Cheerful piece on NCF students enjoying the prospects of new buildings, mentions some (perhaps overly) sunny enrollment figures and the masters of ed admin program. (Video here.)

SHT (via PressReader): A big­ger break: Sara­sota-filmed ‘Spring Break­ers’ is get­ting a new sequel. Bella Thorne will direct and star in the sequel to NCF cinematic touchstone.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Weekly Roundup

Deadline: ‘First They Came For My College,’ Film About Ron DeSantis-Led “Hostile Takeover” Of Florida School, Announces Theatrical Run. National distribution, starting in Gainesville (Hippodrome) and NYC (Firehouse), then 30+ markets including LA, SF, Houston, Austin, Lawrence, St. Pete… and Sarasota. (This got a fair amount of coverage. It’s on IMDb!)

Old School Catalyst: OP-ED: Comprehending the end of the New College Alumni Association. Former NCAA presidents Mike Campbell and Ben Brown trace the decline of the alumni association from before the takeover happened to the current attempted dissolution, “a strategic error by an administration beset by insularity and brittleness, unwilling to tolerate independent institutions and voices.”

Also worth a look…

Des Moines Register (EIN Presswire): Ronald A. Christaldi Named Chair of New College of Florida Board of Trustees. Jenks replaced by Christaldi, another alum. “New College has always had an independent spirit. I believe we can preserve the very best of that tradition….” (This got wide play from the presswire.)

The Tennessean (EIN Presswire): New College of Florida Career Center Expands Regional Internship Initiatives to Retain Sarasota-Manatee Talent. Weird to have two presswire stories in one week. This one is bigging-up internships and local employment. (This didn’t seem to get as wide play as Christaldi’s position… or the movie news.)

The Daily Kos: Daily Kos Community: Florida’s Academic Freedom Problem Needs More Than Anecdotes. New org, The Florida Institute on Academic Freedom, wants to gather data from profs and others to share information anonymously, to determine patterns. Site: https://floridainstituteonacademicfreedom.org

Philadelphia Inquirer: Should Democrats campaign for more English lit majors? Will Bunch column on MAGA culture warriors attacks on education… with a big photo of NCF at the top, mention of Hampshire in the middle, and an argument to fight for liberal arts underneath.

Tallahassee Democrat: Nearly one year since Charlie Kirk was killed. See tributes in Florida. Two roads have been renamed, the law about campus road renaming died in committee, and the NCF statue is remembered but hasn’t been built or even given a future location.

Lakeland Ledger: Florida Poly is first to host team from new college accreditor. First school to take the first step toward the Alligator Accreditor… though is also seeking accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission. (If paywalled, cached here.)

Novum Collegium Fidelis

August the 13th: New College’s Final Chapter

A few days ago I received a horrifying text…

Read more

21 days ago · 2 likes · 3 comments · Novum Collegium Fidelis

Novum Collegium Fidelis: August the 13th: New College’s Final Chapter. NCF now has, reportedly, more than 500 athletes – about the same number as FSU and UF, but with a student body about 35 times smaller. 52% of NCF students are athletes, compared with 1.6% at UF.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota High football players bond with seniors. Urban Meyer’s program brings high school athletes to the Senior Friendship Center to socialize with old folks.

Eugene Weekly: The Next Chapter: A letter from the publisher about Eugene Weekly’s future. Longtime editor, NCF alum Camilla Mortensen, is now the paper’s owner.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Voting window is open! If you are a New College alumni and belong to the NCA, you should have gotten a link to a voting ballot in your email (it would be from “ElectionBuddy”, not the NCA, so check your spam folder if you don’t see it).

The candidates:

• Hansen Restrepo, Lauren

• Markham, Madi

• Rodriguez, Michael A.

• Rosenberg, William

• Smith, Michael J.

If you need to know more about the candidates, the 4Winds blog has got you covered! An independent candidate’s forum hosted by Bruce Benidt and Grant Balfour was held on Wednesday evening, and is now available for viewing. Alas, Madi Markham was not able to attend, as she was under the weather, but the other four candidates were there. Her responses to the questions are listed below! You can watch it here:

Watch on Descript (it might take a second or two to load, but it does have a transcript available as well).

You can read the candidates’ statements here on the NCA website as well.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!!!!!

For more information, visit the NCA Elections 2026 Info page.

Disclaimer: This blog is not actually an NCA project, even though it is run by me, KimBoo York, who works for the NCA as their administrative coordinator.

Maddie Markham’s responses (provided via email as she was unable to attend the forum):

• What gives you hope about New College?

  • Something that gives me hope about New College is that there continues to be students who fit into the “old” New College culture. It demonstrates that the administration hasn’t succeeded in one of their goals, of replacing the student body.

• Given the power, who would you replace Corcoran with?

  • If I could replace Corcoran with anyone, I would replace him with Dr. Pat Okker. I experienced three presidents in my time at New College, and of the three, she also was the one that I saw around campus and interacting with students the most. Students didn’t always agree with her, but she was always willing to listen, which I think is an important trait in a leader.

• How would you explain New College to a potential student?

  • New College was a beautiful place—intellectually rigorous, quirky, creative. It was life-changing for many of us, and shaped so much of who I am. However, it is no longer the institution it was before. The takeover has made so many aspects of the institution dysfunctional—even attending for just one semester of the takeover was so difficult. The quality and rigor of the academics continue to drop, and for LGBTQ+ students and students of color, the college is far less welcoming. I would recommend attending almost any other public college in the country.

• Lobbying a legislator – what do you ask for?

  • I would ask for increased accountability of the institution around budgeting. Many of the harmful and wasteful actions by the current administration have occurred because of the obscene funding the legislature suddenly had available for the school. The budget should be tightened and focus more on students’ academics and wellbeing, not bloated administrator salaries and tasteless vanity projects.

• How could NCA increase alumni and current-student involvement?

  • I think re-strategizing our digital outreach would be a good step. The emails are great, but I think our social media game could be improved (and I have lots of ideas!). I also think more opportunities to meet in person, and calendars of upcoming events would be helpful. We also could run a new survey or otherwise talk directly to alums and students to ask people what they want to see.

• What should the Novo Collegian Alliance do for the alum community over the next 3 years?

  • Within the first year, I think the NCA should develop a strategic plan for the next 5-10 years, with plenty of input from across the alumni community. I think part of that plan should include increasing membership and visibility of NCA, as well as thinking about longevity and what the structure might look like in the long term.

• You’re creating a committee to do something for NCA - what does your committee do, and how do you constitute it?

  • I would create a student relations committee, to handle the connection between the NCA and students. Ideally, we could invite a student or two to join the committee–someone who would be able to directly relay student interests and needs. The committee could cover anything from networking and career advice, to strategizing NCA’s work supporting students. I also think having this established connection to the NCA could lead to more new graduates joining.

• Are you willing to take over being treasurer?

  • While I was a treasurer for a club in college, it was much, much smaller than the NCA, so I’m not sure if I would be the best fit to jump in as treasurer right away. But, I think I can be a quick learner, so if there is a need I might be open to it!

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Sorry for missing a week! I was out of office and completely unplugged, attending a 10 day intense meditation retreat. I needed time away from *waves hands around at everything* and boyhowdy did I get it! Meanwhile, the news kept ticking. Read up! Read up! ~ KimBoo

Roundup for the past two weeks

Chronicle of Higher Education: Florida’s Great Conservative Crack-Up. Garrett Shanley, who blew the lid off Ben Sasse at UF, looks at Chris Rufo’s waning influence in Florida ed. policy, as well as a who’s-who of lawmakers pulling the strings.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College seeks total secrecy with move to erase alumni Bill Rosenberg on the Foundation’s move to dissolve the NCAA as part of a pattern of removing oversight.

Inside Higher Ed: Dissolved New College of Florida Alumni Board Not Giving In, Chair Says. Chris Van Dyk calls the dissolution illegal, says the NCAA is alive, meeting, and considering legal remedy.

Suncoast Searchlight: New College Foundation votes to dissolve alumni association despite objections. If you want to see Jono informing the Foundation their reunion webpage features an alum who died in 2021, there’s video.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune (via AOL News): New College flunks test on working well with others. Jono Miller dissects the Foundation’s attempted dissolution of the NCAA through the lens of “civil discourse,” illuminating what it’s actually like to go to a meeting these days.

Also worth a look…

Florida Phoenix: Corruption by Another Name (Part II). Investigative look at higher ed changes as DeSantis’ (likely to be) most lasting legacy, their roots in Heritage Foundation directives, and the exorbitant paydays (some itemized) for those on-side.

New York Times: Florida Professor Fired for Assigning a Profane Story, Lawsuit Says. Remember, President Fred Hawkins is a former legislator with no higher ed experience, hired in 2023.

Tampa Bay Times: After 5 months on the job, USF’s president gets $230,000 bonus. Limayem gets a full (pro-rated) bonus early for bringing home lots of bacon in a turbulent year, including the loss of a campus to NCF.

UNF Spinnaker: UNF receives $31.3 million through Florida performance funding model. New College and FAMU are on a watchlist for dropping metrics - if they continue to drop, they’ll have to write a student success plan, if their numbers go up next year, they get full funding.

Political Science: Angela Kothe Receives the 2026 Kenneth Sherrill Prize for “Straight Making as Organized Crime”. NCF alum wins poli-sci prize for LGBTQ research into “variation in market risk across queer communities.”

Bloomberg News: McMahon Asks US Colleges to Pledge Campus Reforms by End of 2026. Not NCF-specific, but national push for campus control, using a letter co-drafted by the AAU (Association of American Universities).

Bradenton Herald: Proposals emerge in Florida to address the new normal in college athletics. Notable only for a quote from Alan Levine, a Corcoran supporter on the Board of Governors, who here says, “...you got states like Louisiana that are passing taxes and using public dollars to basically subsidize their athletic programs, and you have other states, like Florida, that are loathe to do that.” (Oh, really?)

United Soccer Coaches: 2025-26 College Team Academic Award Winners Announced. NCF makes the list… but for having a high(-ish) average GPA? Of 3.68??

Inside Higher Ed: GAO Report: Athletic Programs Bleed Money. Federal Govt Accountability Office finds even major college sports rely on money from students/academics… which might shape upcoming legislation covering how college athletic money happens.

The Bradenton Times: For the District 16 Republican Congressional Primary, TBT recommends Ed Pope. The endorsement here is not as interesting as the rationale: The paper finds Gruters the worst of three GOP candidates in this primary. Interesting take on Speir-the-candidate as well.

Florida Politics: Now we know why Eddie Speir has never filed his personal financial disclosure. It’s because Inspiration Academy has lost over a million dollars over the last two years.

HEY, KIDS! IT’S SUBSTACK CORNER!

Eddie's Pinellas Substack

Florida Is Not For Sale

China has a long history of interfering in foreign elections. This cycle is no different. There are candidates that will help China economically and therefore the CCP has stepped onto the scales through one of it less-clandestine influence operations…

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a month ago · 558 likes · 5 comments · Eddie Speir

Eddie’s Pinellas Substack: Florida Is Not For Sale. Eddie Speir spreading proof that Sydney Gruters took donations from Xianbin (Ben) Meng, president of China’s iGas corporation. (They had a debate this week. It got weird.)

The Unorthodox Economist

Sticks and Stones May Have Broken New College Bones for Less than 0.58 percent

In June 2001, New College of Florida hired its first vice president of finance to manage the budget of a newly independent college. By the time the man arrived in Sarasota, Governor Jeb Bush had vetoed the money needed to pay his salary. The governor had opposed independence and wanted voters to see what he called the “inequity of the idea” – that a sta…

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a month ago · 10 likes · T. Khemraj

T. Khemraj’s Substack: Sticks and Stones May Have Broken New College Bones for Less than 0.58 percent. NCF econ prof dissects the current budget, in which “the classical liberal arts are a shrinking percentage” despite greatest-ever legislative payouts.

The Kotok Report

In Florida, Culture-War Politics Leave Collateral Damage

Introductory Note from David Kotok…

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a month ago · 14 likes · Andrea Riquier

David Kotok’s Substack: In Florida, Culture War Politics Leave Collateral Damage. National financial journalist Andrea Riquier starts multi-part look at long-term effects of NCF and the USF-SM annexation. Lede graf: “‘The war will be won in education,’ said Richard Corcoran, then Florida state school commissioner, in a 2021 speech at conservative Hillsdale College. ‘Education is our sword. That’s our weapon.’”

Novum Collegium Fidelis

New College’s President and Financial Illiteracy

I read a few minutes into the transcript of the July 29, 2026 New College Foundation Director Meeting and was gobsmacked when the New College President tried to cognitively hornswoggle the Directors when he said the following in reference to the acquisition of the USF-SM campus…

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a month ago · 12 likes · 10 comments · Novum Collegium Fidelis

Novum Collegium Fidelis: New College’s President and Financial Illiteracy. Nathan Allen looks at how Corcoran justifies the annexation – no additional revenue, 20 new beds, $28M debt and ≈$35M financing – to trustees.

Cindy Holmes

The Long Tradition of Progressive Education

To the Four Winds…

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a month ago · 7 likes · 4 comments · Cindy Holmes

Cindy Holmes’ SS: The Long Tradition of Progressive Education: New College and the University of Chicago Laboratory School. Alum’s sweet, autobiographical look at the history of “experimental” education, starting with Francis Wayland Parker and John Dewey, through NCF’s Philip Hiss, John Elmendorf, and Douglas Berggren.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Roundup for this week

WWSB: New College Foundation seeks to dissolve school’s alumni association. This article goes into far more history of the Foundation and NCAA than one might expect, tracing back to the 2002 affiliation agreement and the funds the NCAA brought to the table back then.

Old School Catalyst: New College of Florida seeks to dissolve its alumni network. More details, different perspectives from past NCAA leaders. Same reminder about the funds brought in back in the day.

Higher Ed Heist

Do You Have Any Idea Who You Are Getting Into Business With—Or What Business You're Getting Into?

“[T]here will be a backlash against the accreditation agency and other alternative methods will start seeing itself and that’s not good for the whole system…

Read more

a month ago · 4 likes · Higher Ed Heist

Higher Ed Heist: Do You Have Any Idea Who You Are Getting Into Business With—Or What Business You’re Getting Into?. Investigative report super in-depth into the Alligator Accreditor. The headline is aimed at general counsel for states other than Florida. Corcoran has a starring role in some of the machinations detailed here.

Also worth a look…

Have You Heard?: #221: Conservative Civic Centers Are All the Rage (audio). Podcast from the author of a Harper’s article mainly on UF’s civics center, but mentions New College’s ongoing makeover, including “diabolical” plan for the Pei campus.

Inside Higher Ed: The 5-Letter Problem With Grades. Dr. Pat Okker on narrative evaluations, comparing them to athletic coaching and praising them as prep for entrepreneurial risk-taking.

Suncoast Searchlight: Three open seats could change the direction of Sarasota County Schools Alum Beth Mayberry (who also got endorsed by Venice Gondolier last week) is up for a seat on the school board Bridget Ziegler is leaving. Mayberry’s competition is a Moms-For-Liberty candidate who apparently lied about being a YMCA executive director.

EIN Presswire: New College of Florida Expands Techne Program With Appointment of Former Harvard Preceptor David Kane. Also former Marine, also former quant, also wrote a “Mission Statement for New College” back in ‘24, remember that?

PBS Newshour: WATCH: Matthew Spalding makes opening statement in hearing on how Smithsonian presents history. Trustee Spalding speaking in D.C. about the Smithsonian “promoting a narrow, politically tendentious agenda instead of seeking to instill in visitors an appreciation for America’s unique history as a beacon of liberty, democracy, and opportunity.”

Seed & Spark: An update on THE END IS NIGH 💫. The *other* NCF documentary, a short about putting on the End Is Nigh COUP, just screened a work-in-progress cut in Los Angeles.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Really, just WTF? Ginger explains below briefly what is going on, and Chris Van Dyk adds more information to what went down yesterday. News is happening fast on this so please feel free to reach out to Ginger, Chris, me, the NCA, the NCAA, God, Goddess, and all the saints.

(…and remember, submissions are always open!)

~ KimBoo, NC ‘88-92

Ginger’s Explainer:

At its next meeting on 7/29/2026, the New College Foundation will consider (and undoubtedly pass) a move to Dissolve the New College Alumni Association (NCAA) and Reconstitute it into a form more amenable to and reflective of the plans of the current administration.

Yesterday, 7/22/2026, the NCAA Board, in a publicly noticed and well attended meeting, voted to:

1. Oppose the Foundation motion.

2. Direct our fearless leader and NCAA Chair Chris Van Dyk to call emergency meeting(s) in consideration of any legal action.

The current administration of New College, and the Foundation, has systemically taken measures to squelch, discount, impede, disrespect, infantilize, shut out, distract, and alienate the alumni/association… as it has with other campus entities.

The Foundation/Administration shows no concern for law, contracts, trust, institutional memory, legacy.

We, at the meeting, which included several past NCAA Chairs, discussed the constraints and effectiveness of the NCAA, along with the case for disaffiliation and an independent alumni association.

The sound of the other shoe dropping is the silver lining in the whole nasty mess. An inevitable inflection point, even if it comes at the point of a gun.

We were reminded of our real goals:

• Support alumni in life and jobs.

• Support of students and recruitment.

• Connecting alumni.

• Promote the college’s unique academic program.

As we’ve learned, this is not ‘just about New College’. It’s not the tussle of power in a normal pendulum swing sort of way. It is not an isolated fight.

Small battle, bigger battlefield.

We need all alumni to:

Pay attention!!!!

Monitor NCF.edu for meeting announcement, instructions, and meeting materials, especially the agenda. Just because ‘they have to’ post these ahead of time does not mean that they will!!

Join the discussion and the work. We need YOU!

~ Ginger Lyon, ‘70-’74

Update from Chris Van Dyk, NCAA Chair:

The zoom meeting on July 22, 2026 was a publicly noticed meeting of the Engagement Committee of the NCAA at which a majority of NCAA Board Members were present. The vote to oppose Foundation proposal was unanimous. Motion to bring legal action was limited by friendly amendment to convening of emergency meeting of NCAA Board Executive Committee to review and approve any legal action before it is taken.

These two motions will be presented for approval at the next full Board meeting of the NCAA. And especially given the unanimous vote of all NCAA Board members present, they will also be conveyed to the NC Administration and Foundation, the media, and to the 6,700 or so alums for whom we have addresses, as indication of the sentiment of NC alums on the matter.

Notice of the meeting was widely distributed, the meeting was conducted on Zoom, and it was very well attended by alums from throughout the world including Africa, Denmark and broadly across the USA. Public comment open to all, indeed until no one present had anything left to say.

The 'silver lining' in the Foundation proposal, such as there is, was brought forth in public comment, and provides a basis for further, constructive discussion with the Foundation, should they decide that it may be more productive for them to work constructively with the NCAA than fight or attempt to dismiss us. (I will add, frankly, that the [ ] cannot be dismissed!)

It was my honor and privilege to Chair the meeting, with special thanks and acknowledgment to the four former NCAA Chairs who attended.

~ Chris Van Dyk, Chair, NCAA, cvandyk5@msn.com

Roundup for this week

Sarasota Magazine: Goodbye to USF Sarasota-Manatee—and New College. Susan Burns discusses, for the first time, her removal from the Foundation for asking for an outside audit, while mourning the loss of both higher ed powerhouses to politics.

Inside Higher Ed: New College of Florida Absorbs a USF Campus. Sort Of. Quite a bit here on how incomplete the takeover actually is (so far), with predictions of the teach-out being catastrophic and the debt payments not going as planned.

HAM Radio from NCA: A “Shortwave” episode on the New College/USF-SM situation, meant to give the broader community a bit more context on why it happened and what it means (spoilers: it’s a mystery!)

Also worth a look…

Hyperallergic: Artist’s Planned Monument to Charlie Kirk Gets Trolled Online. NCF’s AI-generated proposed statue is mentioned in the context of real sculptor’s actual Kirk statue underway in NYC.

The Gazette (Iowa): Emails: UI ‘not supporting’ Center for Intellectual Freedom. Trustee Bauerlein, who’s on an advisory council for this other right-wing university project, wants his $700 speaker fee plus travel expenses.

Tampa Bay Times: We took Homer experts to see ‘The Odyssey.’ What did they think? NCF notable in its absence at what “some call the Super Bowl of classicists.”

Politico: Why Florida’s LGBTQ Democrats feel hopeful. New Congressional District 16 - where Sydney Gruters is running - the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has decided is “in play.” Six Democrats are in the primary.

The Nimrod Pod: #48 - Eddie Speir Interview: Taking on the Gruters Machine & Florida GOP Establishment. (video). Another Speir campaign stop in the conservative YouTube sphere. Notable here not just for the dress code, but because he talks more about New College and, at 23:00, his disagreements there with his “handler.” In the past, he has referred to Robert Allen with this title.

The Bradenton Times: Race Analysis: Congressional District 16 Republican Primary. Interesting comparison of the GOP candidates for FL 16, which ends up making Speir look like he might have a chance. For one thing, he previously ran for the seat and got 39% of the vote. For another: “We find what we see as Gruters’ effort to effectively purchase the seat by using her husband’s influence to amass an enormous campaign war chest and avoid meaningful debate or even interviews outside of safe conservative spaces undemocratic to the point of being disqualifying.”

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

This essay has been workshopped by the author and myself for a while, based on a conversation we had a while ago about Socratic vs. Thomist philosophies… you know, as New College folk do! I’m glad to share it here because it brings up important points about the value of a true liberal arts education, and what made New College so unique.

Note that the author has asked to remain anonymous, which this publication always respects!

(…and remember, submissions are always open!)

~ KimBoo, NC ‘88-92

Dr. Cornel West was the graduation speaker at New College in 2002. I’m fairly certain he was the first speaker of the newly independent New College, but more importantly he was the first speaker post-9/11.

The graduates in 2002 entered college in one, very predictable world and were graduating into a very different world. Dr. West described the conflict they were graduating into in Socratic terms. The new grads were the “children of Socrates” the believers in “the life examined”, a life in which the individual sought out truth based on empiricism and evidence. Opposing them were those who believed in “the life revealed”, a life in which others told them what truth was.

I’d argue that the students at New College, post 2023 are facing the same challenge: the struggle between the life revealed and the life examined.

If you’re like me, you were probably a bit confused every time you heard the takeover crew describe New College. I’m not just talking about the clear nonsense hyperbole like “Marxist Commune” and “zombie studies”, I’m talking about the repeated use of the phrase “return to a classical liberal arts education”. I would watch President Corcoran or one of the trustees use this phrase and think “the student body president is sitting right there and she’s a classics major with a specialty in Roman Law. How can someone get more classically liberal arts?”

I started to keep track of the phrases the takeover crew were using. I mean, the phrase “we want to teach students how to think, not what to think” was clearly a lie based on them cutting off entire fields of study and filling dumpsters with books. But some of the other phrases they kept using were “enduring human questions”, “human flourishing” and “the good, the true, and the beautiful”. They’ve changed the school’s mission statement and filled it with these code words, such as “Together, we seek the good, the true, and the beautiful, in the firm knowledge that only through the eternal verities can we move the earth”.

All of those things sound great. I mean, who doesn’t want humans to flourish and who is opposed to things that are beautiful and true?

Well, now I’ve done the deep dive into where all these phrases were coming from, and what I learned was that I really wasn’t prepared for how true Dr. West’s warnings about the life examined and the life revealed really were.

As you start looking for the phrases “good, true, and beautiful”, “human flourishing”, and “classical liberal arts” you find yourself in a very specific subset of Catholic education. It is used specifically by groups running or advising homeschools or religious charter schools.

It’s not the Jesuit education that many of us are familiar with, it’s a Dominican tradition, based entirely in Thomas Aquinas, referred to as “Thomist Philosophy”. The pedagogy is different from the Jesuit tradition and, ironically, could not be more different than the traditional New College model.

The whole Thomist philosophy is the blending together of reason and faith. There’s plenty of advocates for Thomist education out there. After my deep dive I realized that when they say “this liberal age we’re living through” they don’t mean post-1960s America. They mean the Enlightenment. The ungodly, liberal age is the world post-Enlightenment.

A New College education follows the Socratic model in which the assumption is that the subject knows nothing and uses observation, experimentation, and reason to foster the active construction of knowledge. The instructor is not a guru, but is more like a midwife facilitating knowledge construction rather than dispensing it.

On the other hand, the particular brand of Thomist knowledge being proposed starts from the presumption that there are immutable truths. These are the “eternal verities” mentioned in the new mission statement. The educator acts as a guide and a model, fostering an environment where students move toward objective truth. The teacher’s job is to steer students to “order things rightly” to achieve both earthly flourishing and ultimate happiness.

Those are very different views of education and they don’t lead to places with a lot of common ground. Those two models have completely opposite ideas of truth, of the role of the student, and the role of the teacher. As Dr. West described, it really is the dichotomy of the “life examined” and the “life revealed”.

The phraseology they use has served to muddy the debate. In using phrases like “classical liberal arts” and “great books curriculum”, the takeover crew has confused a lot of us into thinking that we are talking about the same things.

We absolutely are not. What most of us are hearing is that we should have students take a good foundational class like Gene Lewis’ Intro to Political Thought (8 books covering Plato to JS Mill) or Justus Doenecke’s American Intellectual Thought (7 authors covering Cotton Mather to Albert Jay Nock) because the purpose of these classes is to provide a good basis of intellectual thought on their path to adding to the world’s body of knowledge.

That is not what this new group is talking about.

The old New College model seeks to create new researchers and encourages intellectual curiosity. Looking at interviews with Trustees Spalding and Beuerlein they see that the most important thing that comes from study of great books is that it provides students with a tradition, a shared narrative which is crucial for the health of the Republic. To quote Beuerlein in an interview with Carol McNamara of the Great Hearts Institute (link), “there is a solid core of works, of ideas, of events, of heroes, heroines, villains who make up a heritage.”

Similarly, In a Heritage Foundation video “Stemming the Tide of Progressivism,” (link) Trustee Spalding states that “obviously, a lot needs to be done in terms of education. Our educational system in America has failed miserably in translating, in transforming, America’s principles to the next generation…The purpose of American schools, its core purpose, was to make sure all Americans knew those ideas. It can become that again. School systems in America are under the political control of states. Changes are possible.” He continues “One aspect of our defense of America’s principles, of our constitutionalism, that needs to be focused on right now more than ever is a defense of free markets and capitalism because those are under assault.”

They have repeated over and over that they are teaching students how to think, not what to think, but one really doesn’t have to go very deep to see that is the opposite of their intention.

They come to their students with the assumption that there is an immutable truth, they know what it is, and it is their role to bring students to that truth. It explains why they spend so much time talking about “leftist” professors indoctrinating their students: It’s because that’s the way they intend to behave and they assume everyone behaves that way. The saying “every accusation is a confession” seems apt here.

They worry that a student, treated like an adult and left to draw their own conclusions, might not come to the same conclusions as them. A difference in thought is a danger.

Further, for a group that slaps the name of Socrates on everything they do, they seem to fundamentally misunderstand Socrates. The “heritage” that Beuerlein speaks of and the “American principles” that Spalding advocates are the “Foundation Myth” that Socrates advocates in Book III of the Republic. The myth is a noble lie (γενναῖον ψεῦδος) that would be used to foster unity and stability in the Republic. What they’ve missed is that this noble lie isn’t a how-to manual, it’s a warning that artificially creating a “perfectly virtuous” city requires censorship, eugenics, and lies.

What Socrates really believes can be seen in his actions in the Apology. He is convicted of impiety and corrupting the youth but can go free if only he will stop doing philosophy. Instead, he chooses to drink poison because “an unexamined life is not worth living.”

Perhaps the takeover crowd thought the alums, faculty, and students would choose poison. Far from it — we have turned our abundant skills for examining our own lives to the task of examining their words and actions. We find them untrue, not-beautiful, and bad.

~ Anonymous New College of Florida graduate (GenX edition)

Roundup for this week

WUSF: Florida case against federal higher education rules for accreditation rejected again. A new development in FL’s war on accreditation - and an illustration of how contexts can change. (This is a suit that started when Biden was president, before the Alligator Accreditor was formed, and was triggered, in part, by the rejection of Corcoran as FSU’s president.) Three-judge panel led by a Trump appointee.

The Guardian: US appeals court strikes down key part of Florida law restricting campus race and gender discussions. Another court setback for FL - the Stop Woke Act defanged by another Trump-appointed judge, who didn’t agree that teachers’ speech equals state speech (so must be controlled). (This ruling was trumpeted as a repudiation of DeSantis’ philosophy by MS Now and others.)

WLRN: Next in Florida’s war on ‘woke’: Becoming its own higher ed watchdog. Miami’s public media network reminds us the Alligator Accreditor is still hard at work, prepping to become a state-run accreditor by 2028… and why this matters, with a history of accreditation in civil rights struggles.

Also worth a look…

Tampa Bay Times: IMG Academy promised him an edge — then he was sexually assaulted on campus, lawsuit says The school where NCF athletes have trained since 2023 has culture of “chaos, lawlessness and neglect” according to two former boarders. Their suit follows a criminal conviction for assaults that took place in 2021. Practice fields vetted like Piccolo Jr. was.

Tampa Bay 28: Students still have questions after USF Sarasota-Manatee becomes New College of Florida. A week into the takeover, students still wondering how and when they’ll see changes. (This report’s answer: Should be December.)

Florida Politics: Former Sen. Jack Latvala, once considered one of the most powerful men in Florida politics, has died. Since the alumni association is chatting with Vice-Provost Rancourt, it would be of great value to see the terms in which he eulogizes his late mentor, about halfway down this obit.

…but also: A chip and a chair won’t save Paul Renner, but a deal might. Poker-themed op-ed with advice for FL gov hopeful Paul Renner… to emulate Corcoran’s history with DeSantis. An interesting perspective on how NCF got where we are.

Ft. Myers News-Press: Exclusive: FGCU, the environmental university, rolls out plastic grass. Another Corcoran strategy catching on: Astro-Turf on campus, now rolling out at FGCU over environmental faculty complaints.

The Nik & Colten Show: Eddie Speir: Campus Confrontation - Trans Student Debate Leads to Conversation Eddie is campaigning in part on his willingness to talk to NCF students during his brief run as trustee. (The full hour-long interview is here, and gets fascinating at 42 minutes in, referring to the grift machine at New College that wants to prevent people from talking across political divides. Mixed with intense transphobia.)

The Bradenton Times: Sex, Policy, and Spiritual War. And yet. Speir here tries to out Joe Gruters for groping male staffers, mentions Jamie Miller in a coverup, as well as Carlos Beruff and Christian and Bridget Ziegler. All apparently revolves around whistleblowing by Jacob Engels.

EIN Presswire: Beyond the Classroom: New College of Florida Transforms Students Into Global Explorers and Future Leaders. NCF Comms dept pushes story on overseas study opportunities. (It’s really about a new hire to run the program.) Made-up student quotes are… an interesting tactic.

CBS News: Florida charter school company run by GOP rising star left parents scrambling A story from last December about Erika Donalds, wife of GOP frontrunner for FL governor, and her unfortunate connections with Optima Classical Academy, a profitable chain of charter schools that have disappointed some families.

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Roundup for this week

Orbuculum: New College of Florida — FL SUS Budget Deep-Dive & FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget Analysis. Nathan Allen’s higher-ed financial analysis site crunches the numbers on NCF’s new budget. The term “structural insolvency” comes up. These were framed as questions trustees should ask. Of course, they didn’t.

WSLR: Questions loom over New College’s budget. Two commenters at the trustee meeting did, however, ask. Corcoran also responds directly to Nathan Allen’s numbers here, saying that lenders really will be lining up to finance New College now. WSLR does their own check… and is not convinced.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: John Oliver roasted New College. Here’s why it wasn’t funny. One of those commenters, alum Rodrigo Diaz, pens an op-ed comparing Corcoran’s Bright Futures scholarship recipients with Okker’s. He’s not educating as many bright Floridian students, so not getting that money from the state.

Also worth a look…

Wonkette: In Which Christopher Rufo Heroically Fends Off Ezra Klein’s Attempts To Paint Him As ‘Reasonable’. Opinionated commentary on Chris Rufo’s video interview with NYT’s Ezra Klein, in which New College was mentioned not once in two hours.

WUSF: New College has taken over USF Sarasota-Manatee. Here’s what to know. Q/A format, including (down the page) a poignant question about what happens to WUSF and Kerry Sheridan… the reporter writing the story. (WUSF’s offices are in USF-SM’s campus.)

Univ. Florida: Florida Board of Governors confirms Dr. Stuart R. Bell as 14th president of the University of Florida The FL BOG backed down.

Business Observer: Restaurant owner committed to workforce goals — even sans USF Sarasota-Manatee. John Horne, local critic of the takeover, says “now we must move forward to ensure that New College of Florida produces future-ready graduates as quickly as possible.”

The Real News Network: Pride and resilience in the Sunshine State. NCF student Nya Jacobsen quoted in a story about LGBTQ resistance in DeSantis’ Florida.

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Roundup for this week

Tampa Bay Times: Florida says New College can shift housing funds to build baseball stadium. $2.5 million from the housing auxiliary fund will help pay for a new baseball stadium. No word on how new dorms will materialize.

TBT: Why delaying UF’s presidential confirmation sets the wrong precedent. Four former chairs of the FL Board of Governors take current chair Alan Levine to task for basically unilaterally blocking the board from discussing the confirmation of an ostensibly DEI-supporting president. Naked political power. (If paywalled, doc here.)

(Timeline reminder: This came out last Sunday… *before* the shouty meeting on Thursday, but *after* the BOG announced they wouldn’t discuss the confirmation… and *after* the UF trustees unanimously voted to appoint the new president despite the BOG’s announcement. The current interim president’s contract expires on August 31. ~ Grant)

WUSF: University system leaders clash amid controversy over the delay of UF’s next president. Sparks flew. Lede graf begins: “The meeting devolved into an argument between BOG Chairman Alan Levine and the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini….”

BroBible: New College Of Florida Added 70 Baseball Players Despite Having No Field Or Intercollegiate Athletic Programs. Sports blog follows up on the John Oliver piece with more research on NCF’s gender makeup, links to Fact Books, the size of rival schools in NAIA’s Sun Conference (Keiser has 20,000 students? Who knew?), and thought that whether or not you think the takeover’s goals were worthwhile … the execution was not carried out with foresight.

Also worth a look…

USF Oracle: USF Sarasota-Manatee students, faculty share frustrations ahead of New College takeover. The vibe on the ground as the teach-out commences.

Bradenton Herald: ‘Very beneficial.’ Why Gov. DeSantis says New College should get USFSM’s campus. Largely repeating the “Marxist commune” talking point, but also claims the state gave “big time amounts of funding to go in to make really significant improvements to the physical campus.” Did they really? (Also on AOL.)

Politico: DeSantis ally representing OpenAI as Florida takes on tech giant. Trustee Joe Jacquot, appointed by DeSantis to fill the space left by Eddie Speir, is now representing OpenAI in a suit *against* DeSantis’ government. Jacquot also helped appoint the judge overseeing the case.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune (via PressReader): A Jordan appear­ance would be a great thing for Sara­sota as a city. Op-ed makes a strange pitch for Michael Jordan to become the next NCF trustee.

Higher Ed Dive: Undocumented students could be barred from Florida public universities. Note the chart of FL university acceptance rates. UF’s and FSU’s are 24%, FAMU’s is the lowest at 21%, FAU is the second-highest at 66% ... and NCF is 73%.

Jacob Engels

The Gruters Golden Parachute: Sydney, Joe, and the Florida Political Machine That Thinks FL-16 Is a Family Asset

Sydney Gruters’ congressional campaign is being sold as a fresh conservative voice, a new generation of leadership, a mother of three stepping forward to serve, and a natural fit for Florida’s 16th Congressional District…

Read more

3 months ago · 5 likes · 4 comments · Jacob Engels

Jacob Engels’ Substack: The Gruters Golden Parachute: Sydney, Joe, and the Florida Political Machine That Thinks FL-16 Is a Family Asset This is a longish piece on the problems with the Gruters Machine by a consultant/journalist/hype-man working with Eddie Speir, apparently. Sort of fascinating. Light on sourcing, heavy on obscure innuendo.

Legal Insurrection: New College of Florida Doing Great With Conservative Leadership Despite Progressive Criticism. Things are going swimmingly despite the overreactions of the woke. College Fix, repeating Free Press, said so. (Comments are open on this one, if you register.)

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Roundup for this week

Florida Trident: New College takeover of USF Sarasota-Manatee shows the Legislature at its worst. How the Florida system can create “legislative surprises” like the campus handover despite the laws intended to keep lawmaking “in the Sunshine.”

The Progressive: Pride and Resilience in the Sunshine State. LGBTQ+ perspective on where things stand today in Florida… and at NCF.

The Edu Ledger: New College's Conservative Experiment: A Blueprint for a Conservative Revolution. Prof. Christopher Warren does a rundown of the takeover from 2023 to now, as a warning of how things can unfold on other campuses. (Paywalled)

Also worth a look…

NCF Freedom: New College on Last Week Tonight, USF-SM transfer & more A summary of the summer… so far.

WTSP: USF takes steps toward transfer of Sarasota-Manatee Campus to New College of Florida. “Unfortunately, ‘Go Bulls’ is a lexicon that will no longer echo in the halls of campus,” USFSM Board Chair Frederick Piccolo said.

Jacob Engels

The Gruters Golden Parachute: Sydney, Joe, and the Florida Political Machine That Thinks FL-16 Is a Family Asset

Sydney Gruters’ congressional campaign is being sold as a fresh conservative voice, a new generation of leadership, a mother of three stepping forward to serve, and a natural fit for Florida’s 16th Congressional District…

Read more

3 months ago · 5 likes · 4 comments · Jacob Engels

Jacob Engels’ Substack: The Gruters Golden Parachute: Sydney, Joe, and the Florida Political Machine That Thinks FL-16 Is a Family Asset This is a longish piece on the problems with the Gruters Machine by a consultant/journalist/hype-man working with Eddie Speir, apparently. Sort of fascinating. Light on sourcing, heavy on obscure innuendo.

Legal Insurrection: New College of Florida Doing Great With Conservative Leadership Despite Progressive Criticism. Things are going swimmingly despite the overreactions of the woke. College Fix, repeating Free Press, said so. (Comments are open on this one, if you register.)

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

The whole point of this blog is to share the experience of New College with the world at large, so I’m thrilled to FINALLY share PART TWO of Juliana’s posts with you. Please revisit PART ONE!

(and remember, submissions are always open!)

~ KimBoo, NC ‘88-92

What are you going to do with your life?

Kindergarten: “I’ll be a paleontologist!”

3rd grade: “A meteorologist!”

5th grade (weirdly!): “I’ll be a secretary!” My friend and I get a book that teaches us how to type. Quaint. I loved watching the roller-ball whiz round in response to my increasingly fast taps: The quick red fox jumped over the lazy brown dog.

By high school, I’d settled on education policy. I would become the Secretary of Education of the United States! First I’d be a teacher for different grades and then I’d know enough to advise policy.

But then……

In 1993, before my final year at New College, I interned with an educational policy research group housed in Tallahassee. I spent many weeks of that hello-fax-machine!-still-pre-internet summer driving around the state. I administered a survey and interviewed administrators about the “Drop-outs-don’t-drive” law. The law was motivated by an ungrounded theory that the threat of losing their driver’s license would make truant students attend school. The law was due to sunset. Ostensibly, my job was to collect data to help the legislature decide whether it should be renewed. Data collection was grueling! Florida is a big state and summer’s are hot! I drove around the state to visit schools in my own (not so reliable) car on an unpleasantly tight schedule.

This Drop-outs-don’t-drive law was supposed to encourage students to stay in school and graduate. It was triggered by ten absences. For the schools in those mostly pre-computer days, pulling that trigger meant Vice Principals or Assistant Principals were required to spend (waste) time tabulating absences by hand over and over again, then report back up to the state or contact the DMV themselves. Then, the DMV had to suspend the license until some point when they were informed the license could be reinstated.

Ugh.

The data showed the law was an unfunded mandate that created a serious paperwork burden for school administrators. It was difficult to enforce and unfairly punished students whose absences weren’t necessarily willfully. As the education professionals I interviewed reported, in many cases absences were related to helping their family. They might provide translation support for parents whose English skills were not strong, or work outside of school to provide critical financial support. The overwhelming message was negative. The law was ineffective for the primary purpose of encouraging successful completion of high school. I submitted the data and my interpretation.

And then…

Turns out this law was the policy baby of the Secretary of Education at the time. The legislative reported submitted by the Department of Education buried the negative information in teeny-tiny font inside the end notes; the very, very modest positive-leaning results were presented prominently in clear language. The well choreographed difference in presentation did its obfuscatory job and the law was extended.

I regret that I didn’t knock on legislator doors back in the summer of 1993. I wish that I had stood up publicly and drawn attention to the injustice, hypocrisy and data manipulation.

In a way, the dismal and dark actions of the Governor “Ron DeSantii” installed Trustees and President of New College are giving me a second chance to right that wrong, to fight the good fight. Face-to-face with powerful stooges trying to kill the freedom to learn, I’ve lifted up a shield, raised high the flag, and nearly every day since January 2023 enjoy the linked-arms company of fellow alums and others committed to reclaiming all that New College represents.

My fellow alums and their commitment inspire me and apparently the New College story inspires others as well; nearly three years since the takeover was launched, more than 3,300 (and counting) media stories have been published. Overwhelmingly, they highlight the harm wrought by these modern-day inquisitors who brand themselves conquistadors and saviors.

Tad Stoermer, historian of political resistance, describes the steps of protest; first public protest and awareness raising, then formation of parallel structures and after that, strategic, sustained resistance and reclamation can begin. I value the Novo Collegian Alliance—borne of protest, it is a key parallel structure. As a board member, I see and work to shape our strategic and sustained resistance.

I believe we will reclaim New College. Our ongoing fight is a promise and invitation to alums, students, and faculty of other institutions who are protesting and building parallel structures around the country. Help us.

Donate to the Novo Collegian Alliance; being a sustaining donor is especially welcome. If you aren’t able to donate, join as a member to receive regular monthly notifications. Help us publicize our efforts as we’ve grown in strength and efficacy helps New College rise again. Any wins we achieve are of practical importance to the members of the New College community who have been hurt by the administrative and financial incompetence of the installed leadership. They are also of symbolic importance. Corcoran has said — New College is ground zero in the education fight. Vice President Vance has said the Universities are the enemy.

Wins at ground zero can hearten us all and especially those who are looking for reasons to start or keep fighting for their own higher education institutions.

Juliana (Jules) Paré
31 December 2025, Florida

Roundup for this week

Last Week Tonight New College of Florida If you haven’t already seen this segment on John Oliver, well, this is what everyone was talking about. Oliver’s thesis: We were “a haven for gentle nerds” that got trampled to score political points.

Reads With Rachel: Glad yall are watching the John Oliver segment, and when you’re done with it READ THIS BOOK. #Bookstagram (video) Popular book-club Instagram account promotes Rising Out of Hatred about Adrienne Black… as the reason why the takeover happened. (I mean, that’s as good a theory as any, IMHO ~ KimBoo)

EIN Presswire: Novo Collegian Alliance Applauds Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Segment on New College of Florida Takeover. NCA reminds folks of our oddball academic system.

Also worth a look…

The Free Press: Conservatives Took Over a Progressive College. What Happened Next? National conservative paper (Bari Weiss’ publication) takes the counter against Oliver’s piece. ‘“It’s really not a battlefield of political views,” said Hogsed, who is from Orlando and studies literature and philosophy. He sees “divides in a few different ways,” but “none of them are political.”’ (This was reprinted in different places.)

Tampa Bay Times: St. Petersburg Sen. Rouson taking job at New College of Florida. Rouson, a Democrat, is not running for the FL House again after being term-limited out of the FL Senate. Instead, he’s teaching courses in trial litigation (to undergraduates?). Important background: 1. Redistricting has made his seat harder to win. 2. He’s a longtime supporter of school vouchers, and was considered an ally to Crist when Crist was a Republican.

Chronicle of Higher Education: U. of Florida Plays Punching Bag — Again. Mori Hosseini of the UF Board of Trustees is going to the mat for new UF presidential pick Stuart Bell, who has more of a DEI background than Santa Ono did.

Eddie Speir’s Twitter: 🚨 FOLLOW THE MONEY 🚨 Sydney Gruters spent 3 years running a financial slush fund at New College — a private foundation legally EXEMPT from Florida’s Sunshine Law. Speir promotes Kevin Danko’s investigation into NCF finances. (Mirrored here if you don’t like the Twitter.)

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The Last Week Tonight segment dropped right as I was putting this together, so right now you’ve just got a link to the YouTube playback. I’m sure next week Grant will have a whole gaggle of reporting about it! ~ KimBoo

Roundup for this week

Last Week Tonight: John Oliver took to covering the story of New College’s takeover with his usual quirky charm, humor, and insight. It’s a great overview, and highly recommended for sharing with people who say things like, “New College who?”

WUSF: New Sarasota airport chief says New College can build baseball field despite FAA concerns. 3 June. President and CEO Paul Hoback says it’s A-OK to build Beruff’s Field of Dreams … because there’s already a softball field there? (Unless I’m mistaken, the softball field is not in the same location.)

John Schussler

Land the SRQ Airport Should Not Sell

Land the SRQ Airport Should Not Sell…

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3 months ago · 1 like · John M Schussler

John Schussler’s Substack: Land the SRQ Airport Should Not Sell. 4 June. A booklet, with chapters. Interesting not just as opposition to the sale but as history of New College’s campus … including being, in 2021, the campus with the largest deferred maintenance in Florida per square foot.

WSLR: State lawmakers slash New College’s annual budget by 40%. 6 June. Oh, dear. “Education & General” funding cut by $25 million just as debt quadruples. That can’t be good.

Also worth a look…

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College takeover of Sarasota school is sad news. Alum Bill Rosenberg spells out the bad financial news of USF-SM’s debt, and underlining that renovating Pei instead would have netted 50 more beds than the USF takeover.

Florida Politics: Sydney Gruters lands Richard Corcoran endorsement for CD 16 bid. Note here how much the endorsement serves to insert the idea that “the endowment is GREAT and the Foundation is ROCK SOLID!” into the narrative. (In other words, some of us have heard differing interpretations of the fundamentals.)

Tampa Free Press (via AOL): The Guardian Issues Apology After Smearing New College Of Florida President Richard Corcoran. In March, The Guardian referred to Corcoran as “openly racist.” Now, they’ve decided that description couldn’t be supported, so issued a retraction … which itself made a headline in a Tampa conservative outlet, pointing to it as a turning of the tide around NCF’s narrative. Also, oddly, this story mentions First They Came… filmmakers Bresnan and Hanbury but not Herrick.

WUWF: Kamoutsas named president of Polk State. Education Commissioner “Stasi” will also be president of a state college, sole finalist, because why not?

Uncloseted Media

Why This Wall Street-Backed Conservative Think Tank Attacks LGBTQ Rights

In April, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced the latest move in his fight against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs when he signed a bill into law that prohibits any local government in the state from spending money on DEI-related initiatives. The restrictions could threaten nondiscrimination ordinances, local prid…

Read more

3 months ago · 18 likes · 2 comments · Hope Pisoni

Uncloseted Media: Why This Wall Street-Backed Conservative Think Tank Attacks LGBTQ Rights. The Manhattan Institute used to be a Reaganomics-based think tank, but NCF was part of its pivot.

Tampa Bay Times: 6 Florida colleges on track to be “walking zombies,” researcher says. Oddly enough, NCF isn’t one of them. According to the Open School Ranking financial outlook calculator, it’s not the best of FL colleges, but not the worst, either. (Might be worth watching that over the next year or two.)

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No roundup last week because I (KimBoo) was still recovering from a busy week of big events. Alt-grad 2026! Screenings of First they Came for MY College at Burns Court! Meetups and more! …then, back to reality, which unfortunately was a hard fall:

Roundup for this week

The Manatee Muse: Midnight Massacre of Manatee Higher Education. The committee says the campus handover can go ahead. Journalist wife of Prof. Lepinski analyzes the “battle among conservatives” behind it: “If DeSantis didn’t make a big move to ‘protect’ his new creation, it’s entirely possible that a future governor and legislature — even Republican ones — might throw the New College baby out with the bathwater of conservative higher education reform.”

Novum Collegium Fidelis

Adieu, New College

The Florida House and Senate appear to have a deal to sell the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College. New College will get the real estate and the buildings and the debt. USF maintains the students and has priority access to facilities until the students are taught out or transfer…

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3 months ago · 6 likes · 4 comments · Novum Collegium Fidelis

Novum Collegium Fidelis: Adieu, New College. Nate Allen doesn’t have high hopes for NCF beyond the next five years – because the new debt from USF makes privatization unlikely. There are charts.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College of Florida Class of 2026 commencement. Photos of the official commencement offer a surprisingly deep survey of the situation on the ground. On the one hand, hand-sewn Four Winds mortarboard art, on the other hand a Sarasota Military Academy color guard. The more you know the characters, the more interesting the photos get. Also note, they’re kinda trying to give away the new specialty licence plates “on us!” (If paywalled, cached version here.)

Higher Ed Heist

Sunshine Law Hacks, Foundation Finances, Campus Spoils and the Shadow Lobby

Hired by Richard Corcoran as New College Foundation executive director in his first month as New College president in 2023, Sydney Gruters ran the foundation until resigning to run for U.S. Congress on April 1…

Read more

3 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Higher Ed Heist

Higher Ed Heist: Sunshine Law Hacks, Foundation Finances, Campus Spoils and the Shadow Lobby. Where the money goes, how the grift works, from “black-box” Foundation donations to FIU having pre-endorsed contracts ready for incoming pres to basically the top of the federal GOP.

Also worth a look…

The Oracle: Florida legislature reaches agreement for USF Sarasota-Manatee transfer. Good summary of facts, links to further coverage of the campus handover.

Tampa Bay 28: USF tries to calm Sarasota-Manatee students’ anxiety over New College takeover. (video) Brief news spot includes interviews with a rising senior (can’t believe it) and with a critic of the move.

Venice Gondolier: EDITORIAL: New College will gobble up local USF. Frank disbelief from the Venice paper. Names the reps who supported the takeover, starting with Gruters.

Orlando Sentinel (via TBT): Florida tax dollars wasted on Charlie Kirk settlement and clown show CFO. Will Witt, NCF social media officer, was being paid $130k, but is leaving for greener pastures.

The Oracle: Florida legislature reaches agreement for USF Sarasota-Manatee transfer. Good summary of facts, links to further coverage of the campus handover.

Sarasota Herald Tribune: Sarasota Republican politicians have sold us out. Let’s act. This op-ed doesn’t mention NCF, but doesn’t need to; it’s written by a former Sarasota GOP congressional candidate explaining why he voted Dem for the county tax collector… and encouraging everyone to vote based on service, not affiliation. (If paywalled, cached version here.)

Palm Court Podcast: Libby Harrity Returns. Catching up with the former student senate president after graduating from Hampshire, finishing her first year at The People’s Electric Law School. (on Spotify here)

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The News

The Bradenton Journal

The end of USF Sarasota-Manatee

The deal to shutter the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and transfer its buildings and 32-acre campus to New College of Florida is done…

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3 months ago · 7 likes · 1 comment · Marc R. Masferrer

A quote from the above:

According to Florida Politics, House and Senate negotiators reached a late-night Sunday budget agreement transferring USF Sarasota-Manatee’s classrooms, residence halls and property to New College. The deal hands over not only the campus land and buildings, but also years of public investment by a community that spent decades helping build and support a regional branch of University of South Florida.

They posit that “New College wins, and so does DeSantis.”

I’d argue that any win for DeSantis is a loss for New College. But as an alumna, what do I know?

The Vibe

I don’t speak for everyone, just for myself, KimBoo York, but this is the first time that I’ve heard the bells toll for New College.

Whether the name itself survives or not, I firmly believe this will be used as a convenient lever to dissolve what remains of the institution we knew. That, in the end, was always the goal, even if DeSantis and Corcoran never outlined a precise plan (as if they are even capable?). That’s not their style; they set their sights on a goal and simply maneuver through the morass of obstacles that get in their way until eventually they come to a conclusion that might vaguely suffice for their greed.

It’s why I’ve said, despite vehement disagreement from many other alumni, that this was always a land grab. They will sell off the land, one way or another. It will be a miracle if the historic buildings survive, IMHO.

The End Run

I have to come clean: the subtitle of this post (What happens now that the USF-SM campus is turned over to New College?) was not asked in earnestly. We all know that what will happen is the continued disintegration of New College.

And yes, I know that sounds hyperbolic, but I do not write that just to beat my chest in woe about it. My goal is to make us, collectively, determine what this means for us going forward.

For instance, some voices still insist that righting the ship is possible. Maybe so! But how many dozens of things have to go exactly our way for that to happen? What does that battle plan actually look like?

Others want to push the privatization project, “Novum Collegium Fidelis”, that has been circling since the start of the year.

Conversely, if “New College” is kept alive as a shell, at what point do we say, “enough” and close the book on it?

How, as a community, do we account for all those different voices?

Here's the thing, though: all of those voices—the eternal optimists, the privitization pushers, the ones ready to close the book and walk away—are all asking the right questions. We just keep making the mistake of thinking the answers have to come from Tallahassee, or from a board of trustees, or from whoever controls the land at 5800 Bay Shore Road. They don't. They never did. New College didn't make us because of its buildings. It made us because of what happened inside them. The way of thinking, arguing, questioning, and building it pressed into us doesn't transfer with the property.

The Ask

We are already a community in diaspora.

We always have been, in a way. New College graduates scatter deliberately, carrying something that doesn't fit neatly into a résumé or a LinkedIn profile. Watch any of the recent alt-grad events at the NCA youtube channel, and you’ll see the power of diaspora.

What's different now is that we need to be intentional about that scattering.

The institution may not survive in any form we'd recognize. The name may be hollowed out until it's just a flag flying over someone else's ideological project. But the community? That's ours. We built it. We are it.

The question worth asking is not what happens to New College, but what we choose to do with what New College made us.

Roundup for this week

The Bradenton Journal: Most Manatee-Sarasota lawmakers again vote to transfer USF campus to New College of Florida Editor, former USF staffer names the pols who voted in support of handing campus to NCF. Matter is now in budget negotiations….

Florida Politics: Budget conference: Senate still holding out on USF Sarasota-Manatee funding transfer to New College as House stands firm. …which are not going smoothly. Basically, the House will only pass the campus handover if USF’s budget pays for it, which the Senate refuses to do.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Unite USF Sarasota-Manatee, New College for a bold future. Carlos “Field of Dreams” Beruff writes in support of the handover, cites USF’s loyalty to Tampa first, and NCF’s Washington Monthy ranking (without mentioning that came from paying students to attend…).

Also worth a look…

The Bradenton Times: Hands Off USF Sarasota-Manatee. Editor calls out Beruff by name as behind airport giveaways of land to make the Beruff Field of Dreams, slams the NCF takeover from the beginning, and has some words for the pols who voted in support of the USF handover. (First comment is by airport watchdog John Schussler, too.)

SHT: New College wastes money. Why give it another campus? Brian Cody makes financial argument against NCF getting USF-SM. In part, because an extra $10 million netted only 22 students last year, but also because USF-SM’s dorms only add half the beds that NCF needs… and should already have built.

Novum Collegium Fidelis

Sins of Omission: New College Admissions Update

If I were teaching a data course, this deck would be the first 5 minutes of the ‘lies by omission’ lecture…

Read more

4 months ago · 3 likes · 5 comments · Novum Collegium Fidelis

Novum Collegium Fidelis: Sins of Omission: New College Admissions Update. Nate Allen analyzes the latest admissions deck based on the numbers it does NOT share: yield, ratio of transfers to First Time In College students, and which graduate programs new grad students are enrolling in. (Also, faculty outrage over “Finance” being one of the top majors of interest for applicants, since it’s not really offered.)

Current Affairs: Hampshire College Rejected the Market Model of Education A history of Hampshire and of student-directed education in general, mentioning “the New College” as a 1960s-70s concept and NCF as a place where books got dumpstered. The history is worth reading.

Inside Higher Ed: Decline in GOP Support for Higher Ed, 30 Years in the Making. Profile of NCF alum, political scientist Eric Schickler’s research into the roots of the politicization of higher ed. Story starts with his NCF past and response to the takeover, but focuses on the real problem of the value of higher ed becoming more and more only aligned with one political party.

Salon: Trump’s war against wokeness is not new. NCF brief mention in a different kind of political history … this one on “wokeness,” nee “P.C.”

SHT: We’re sick of Florida’s grift hurting Sarasota schools. Sarasota school board firebrand, Bridget Ziegler foe discusses grift in the school voucher system, calls out Richard and Anne Corcoran by name.

Bradenton Herald: What do Manatee candidates think of new congressional map? Some raise suspicions. Who would raise suspicions about Sydney Gruters now living within the redrawn district which she’s been running to represent? Eddie Speir would.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!

Roundup for this week

The Campus Files: Hostile Takeover: The Dramatic Reshaping of New College of Florida (transcript here, Apple link here.) A podcast covers the whole takeover with surprising thoroughness, including the old academic system, Okker’s early success improving things, and Bauerlein’s slamming of campus culture… but also interviews with recent & current profs (voice disguised).

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College leaders still blame others for their mistakes | Opinion. William Rosenberg uses First They Came For My College to discuss past critiques of admin from Cato Institute (and neighborhood groups, Ringling Museum of Art donors, and the Federal Aviation Administration) rather than “coordinated opposition.” (Reprinted on AOL News.)

WSLR: Six petitioners challenge New College’s campus master plan. Includes K Stark’s concerns over trees and flooding, and R Folit’s concerns over air pollution and athletes.

Florida Politics: Sarasota’s ‘King of the Wire’ Nik Wallenda to headline New College commencement. Circus superstar, daredevil, Christian author, holder of 13 Guinness World Records to speak at grad.

… but also: New College Foundation says endowment ranks No. 1 in nation for returns. “The Foundation posted a 16.9% one-year return for Fiscal Year 2025, significantly above the national average of 10.9% reported in the NACUBO-Commonfund study. Over a three-year period, returns reached 12.5%, compared to a 10% national average.” (No word on what percent of that actually reached students or educators.)

Also worth a look…

SmartAsset: America’s Best Value Small Colleges and Universities — 2026 Study. NCF ranks #68; the only criteria are: ratio of cost to earnings 10 years after graduating, fewer than 5,000 students.

The Hustle: Can men’s volleyball save American colleges from financial doom? A business newsletter does a deep dive into “niche” collegiate athletics as a cash cow, finds a magic number: 44%. Schools with over that number of non-scholarship athletes to draw tuition $$ tended to shut down.

Suncoast Searchlight: New Florida congressional map shakes up districts for Suncoast frontrunners With the new DeSantis map, three congressional candidates (Steube, Luna, and “New College administrator” Sydney Gruters) will live in District 16 – neighbors. (Not mentioned: This erodes Eddie Speir’s base to the point he’s considering a run in a neighboring, less gerrymandered district.)

Tampa Bay Times: Fire breaks out at USF St. Pete Marine Science Lab. Building likely ‘total loss’ The roof is gone, 200 firefighters had to put out the blaze.

Palm Court Podcast: The Making of the End is Nigh, with Celi Mitidieri, Beaux Dejaune, Axel Anderson, and Andy Trinh (audio) There’s a whole other documentary coming out, this one a short doc about last year’s graduation COUP (a PCP for the older alums). Student/alum filmmakers (including a Ringling student) also discuss what campus life is really like now, and what people are using the Pei dorms for.

The New College in the News database!

Have something to say about your experience with New College of Florida? The Four Winds blog is open for submissions! Click here for info!