Some ideas seem so crazy and out of nowhere, you know nothing — least of all common sense — can stop them.

That’s how it feels watching discussions of merging New College of Florida into Florida State University. Purportedly a collective idea of the state House Education Committee, the idea to strip New College of independence has upset and agitated alumni while being treated like an inspiring and refreshing concept in parts of Tallahassee.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, said it’s a necessary move because administrative costs at New College are high, the cost per degree greater than any large schools. Worst, its enrollment has declined as honors students choose bigger universities instead.

The plan prompted a protest on campus this week, and students will flood the Capitol at a coming committee hearing. Local lawmakers, with one critical exception, have all spoken up against the merger. But it’s hard to dull momentum.

I have to note, there’s a certain flaw in Fine’s logic about per degree costs. If you can forgive a clunky analogy, a carton of eggs at Target costs $1.39, and you get 12 eggs. That's less than 12 cents an egg, Meanwhile a six-pack of Michelob costs $8.99. That's almost $1.50 per bottle. Compared to an egg, that's just outrageous. Yet, give the average college student the choice of an egg or a Michelob and they get a bottle opener ready. Now, we need more good eggs than lite beer in your fridge, but we all get why there’s a premium on one product.

You could also (foolishly) argue buying eggs and beer reduces the unit price. Just divide the cost of the carton and the six-pack and you pay 58 cents per unit, bottle or egg. But, the total grocery bill remains the same. The same goes if FSU absorbs New College’s budget.

But I digress. It feels like it’s not really math driving merger talks.

At first, I thought the House wanted a budget hostage, a college in Senate President Bill Galvano’s home district. But Galvano himself has dispelled that notion thoroughly.

Rather, he sounded supportive of a merger this week. That likely has to do with him working hard to get the school more than $10 million on a quest to grow enrollment from the mid-800s to at least 1,200 students by 2023. Enrollment instead went down, and was in the 700s at the start of the school year.

Galvano sounds like he’s tired of fighting for New College bailouts. Regardless, he won’t be around once his term ends this year. Maybe he would rather control the school’s fate at the height of his power than watch the next Senate President, who has no vested interest in a Sarasota-Bradenton school, come up with a worse fate than this.

And maybe it’s all just a plan to light the fire under administration at New College. Maybe this plan won’t be approved. Maybe the Governor will veto a merger, weeks before it’s set to take effect. If so, college leaders should still notice shots have been fired.

This proposal can still change and morph. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week publicly suggested if New College does get merged, the University of South Florida umbrella, where it lived for 26 years, would be the more “natural fit.” Many locals have noted the same, usually in hushed tone because they still would rather New College stand on its own.

But then late Friday night, news broke yet again of an amendment calling for New College to merge into the University of Florida.

So the fate of New College remains unclear 20 days before the Session ends. The best officials can hope for is the issue still a least inspires a little study.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor for SRQ MEDIA. 

If you were to make a list of fields least likely to value creativity, finance and banking might hit the top. This sector is rife with strict rules, regulations and compliance requirements, and rightly so. After all, it is all about managing your money or your company’s bottom line. We want to have confidence that everyone is following the rules. Does that really mean, though, that there is no place for creativity?

According to Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of the Association for Financial Professionals, the answer is a resounding no. In fact, he believes just the opposite. “CFOs and the people who report to them need to start thinking and acting like visionaries – the way many artists, entrepreneurs, and inventors do,” Kaitz asserts in a statement on the AFP website. “They need to take more risks, engage in more bold thinking, and take a more creative, innovative approach to finance. Today’s nonstop, manic, unpredictable business climate simply won’t tolerate a finance function stuck in the 20th century.”

Kaitz suggests three strategies for enhancing a company’s creativity: Having a willingness to fail; being customer-centric; and creating a culture of continuous learning. “Organizations themselves need the flexibility and resilience to embrace new ideas,” Kaitz advises. Adam Grant, professor of management and psychology at the Wharton School, concurs, explaining that, “Most people are… quite capable of novel thinking and problem-solving, if only their organizations would stop pounding them into conformity.”

It is clear a cultural shift in the industry is in the making. Many banks these days look more like your local Starbucks than a traditional bank. With Millennials and Gen-Xers taking their places in the working world, much more emphasis is being placed on a bank’s digital offerings. At the recent FINTECH 2020: Exploring the Future of Financial Services conference held at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Craig Schedler, managing director with Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, reminded attendees that for a long time banking transactions were conducted in buildings via tellers.

“Fast forward and today we are living in a digital 24/7 world,” he noted. “Today, more than 80% of consumers, when considering which financial firm with which to bank, place a company’s digital offerings as their number one priority.” Consequently, Schedler said, consumers are driving a digital revolution affecting every aspect of the financial sector, sidelining those companies that cannot adapt. His own company, Northwestern Mutual, has been best known for insurance since the 1850s. “Now we have added financial planning and investments and… our move into financial technology has become a competitive advantage for us,” he said, “We are still in the process of rebranding, showing Millennials that we can speak this new language.”

Tammy Coley, chief strategy officer at BlackLine, noted in D!gitalist Magazine that finance professionals “are the folks who sweat the details” and “to some extent, this is as it should be. Trade skills for managing budgets, securing funding and complying with regulations remain at the core of what we do.” However, she argues there is still a critical need for creativity in the bigger picture of the finance function, especially in the role of the chief financial officer. “When it comes to business transformation,” she explained, “the soft skill of creative thinking – and creative doing – is paramount.”

A 2019 edition of Deloitte’s CFO Insights asserts CFOs should be nurturing creativity throughout their organizations to enhance revenue. Finance executives are vital to fostering an organization’s creativity, as they “help build organizations where innovative ideas are identified, financed, and delivered.” Furthermore, “those ideas… may just be the key to future competitive advantage.” As Michael A. Roberto, trustee professor of management at Bryant University and faculty member at Deloitte LLP’s Next Generation CFO Academy, so neatly summarizes, “creative thinking should be viewed as a tangible contributor to the bottom line.”

These examples underscore the point I have been making throughout this series so far: Creativity is a skill that matters beyond the small box of art and design into which we would typically put it. Rather, creativity is as critical to success as reading, writing, science and math. Despite the evidence, our schools have been slow to embrace the importance of teaching creativity across the curriculum. Until curriculum can catch up, arts classes will be even more vital to ensuring students are prepared for a future economy that will so heavily rely upon creativity for success.

Dr. Larry Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art and Design. 

SRQ-Beats Production Company wants to connect the city to sound.

Click here to read the full story in our February 2020 Business Edition!

On Monday, March 2nd, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s CareerEdge workforce initiative will open their annual request for proposal (RFP) process soliciting plans from manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, and skilled trades employers in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. CareerEdge is seeking grant applications that show a business will use funding (upon approval) to increase skills and accelerate promotions for incumbent workers while speeding job creation. Over the past 10 years, CareerEdge has co-invested nearly $10.6 million in grants to businesses, matched by employer investments and other funders. Employers may request grants of $15,000 to $50,000 to implement training programs up to 12 months in duration, with employee wages reported for two years upon training completion. 

CareerEdge

In 2018, Veronica Brandon Miller accepted the Impact in Action Award from the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. With more than 30 years of creative vision and unparalleled expertise in community engagement, philanthropy, branding and marketing, Miller now brings integrity, enthusiasm, and passion to her role as a Realtor® with Michael Saunders & Company. “Helping people has always been my passion. Now I am honored to help people with what is possibly the largest investment in their lifetime: a home,” said Miller. 

The Florida Realtor

Over the last fifteen years, the City of Sarasota has coordinated the North Sarasota Community Entrepreneur Opportunity (CEO) business course. The City and SCORE work in partnership with CareerSource Suncoast to present an Introduction to Business Development course twice per year—since then graduating over 400 students who became part-time or full-time entrepreneurs. Through a combination of classroom training and mentoring, participants will have an opportunity to assess their business acumen and determine the strength of their business concept. The next course is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 24—It is free, open to the public and sponsored by Wells Fargo bank. 

CareerSource Suncoast

The 5th annual Remote Control (RC) Custom Car Open is an engineering competition for students in grades K-12, organized and led by a high school student committee. In anticipation of the RC Custom Car Open, teams have spent the last six weeks designing and customizing remote control cars using Faulhaber Fab Lab equipment and resources. Teams will compete in two high action races and design competition for prizes that include cash and scholarships. The RC Custom Car Open is the Suncoast Science Center’s premier community event designed to drive the future. This unique program empowers youth to explore, think creatively, make mistakes and most importantly, grow as individuals.  Saturday, March 7, from 10:00 am-2:00 pm at the Suncoast Science Center, 4452 S Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233.  

Suncoast Science

The Junior League of Sarasota’s 43rd annual “Simply Sarasota” Tour of Homes presented by Charlotte’s Grace Fine Linens & Luxe Home Accents will be held on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29. Homes range in style from modern architecture to traditional, and from historic to new construction.  Attendees can expect interactive demonstrations from local Sarasota restaurants, crafts by local artisans, and live entertainment from musicians and acrobats. All event proceeds go directly towards funding the Junior League of Sarasota’s charitable community initiatives, including its signature project of Hunger Outreach. The League strives to make a difference in the lives of others, and sets annual goals which directly benefit women, children and families in our area.  

“Simply Sarasota” Tour of Homes