Photo courtesy New College Facebook: Incoming freshman students.

As the summer season wanes and the academic calendar resumes, the recent months have proven pivotal in reinforcing New College's status as a distinguished liberal arts institution, poised to reassert its place among the nation's elite educational establishments.

This summer witnessed the matriculation of a record-breaking total of more than 370 new freshmen and transfer students, eclipsing last year’s record of 323. Our proactive in-person engagement with students included four Welcome Wednesday events, designed to facilitate a smooth transition. These gatherings allowed approximately 200 incoming students to commence course registration and familiarize themselves with the campus environment. Concurrently, the campus has begun to buzz with activity, notably with the return of our fall athletes, who are gearing up for the inaugural season of Mighty Banyans athletics within the esteemed Sun Conference.

Our graduate program recruitment for the newly established Marine Mammal Science master's degree continued successfully this summer and the inaugural cohort is now in place. Next week we will see the New College Board of Trustees deliberate on the proposal to create the Florida Institute of Marine Mammal Science, a venture that will include an innovative partnership with the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

More than 40 new full-time faculty will begin their duties next week. These accomplished scholars have come from around the nation because of our steadfast dedication to providing a classical liberal arts education.

Bolstering New College’s relationship with the surrounding community has been integral to restoring the College’s stature, locally and nationally. In the past month, we had the honor of hosting the School District of Manatee County leadership, including principals and assistant principals from all K-12 schools. Earlier this summer, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce held its inaugural “Spark: Interns Summit” on our campus, engaging numerous aspiring professionals in workshops and networking activities.

We also welcomed exceptional middle and high school students from across the country to Incubate Debate’s Summer Debate Institute. Our partnership with Incubate Debate includes hosting local and regional competitions, further laying the groundwork for high-achieving students with a firm belief in civil discourse and vigorous debate to get early exposure to New College.

The summer has also been a period of logistical refinement, with extensive efforts to enhance and beautify the campus. Returning students will find significant improvements, including restoring several buildings, newly paved roads, and flourishing natural spaces. Major projects, such as the Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center renovation and the construction of a new greenhouse, have progressed notably in recent weeks.

The year ahead will serve as a testament to the progress New College has made in the last 18 months. The summer's dedicated efforts have propelled us closer to our goal of becoming America's preeminent liberal arts college.

Richard Corcoran is president of New College of Florida.

Photo courtesy New College Facebook: Incoming freshman students.