SRQ Daily: The Perspectives Edition features analysis, commentary and insight on current events in Sarasota and Manatee counties from regular columnists, local leaders and guest contributors. Readers are invited to submit letters that respectfully share their perspective on a local community topic or issue to: letters@srqme.com. Submissions received before Thursday of each week will be considered for the immediate Saturday edition. Editors reserve the right to fact-check and edit. SRQ MEDIA does not house an editorial board and as such does not publish editorials or endorsements of candidates. The opinions and analysis of columns and letters shared in this edition are those of the writer who submitted them. The Perspectives Edition serves as a respectful and thoughtful space for readers to share their voices on topics that are important to them. 

New College of Florida has long remained a bastion of liberal thinking in Florida’s State University System. That makes Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six new appointments to its Board of Trustees feel like a slap in the face. Indeed, commentary coming with it made clear it was intended as such.

“As the Governor said in his inaugural address, ‘Florida is where woke goes to die,’” tweeted Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz. “Florida’s colleges and universities should concentrate on providing students with a world class education, not indoctrinating them with critical race theory or other anti-historical nonsense.”

That seems relevant as Chris Rufo, a Manhattan Institute fellow who led the nationwide charge against critical race theory, was named as one of six new trustee at New College. Matt Spalding, professor and grad school dean at the conservative (and private) Hillsdale College, also was put on the board.

Other new trustees include Claremont Colleges professor Charles Kesler, Emory Professor Mark Bauerlein, Inspiration Academy Superintendent Eddie Speir and attorney Debra Jenks, the only New College alum in the bunch. Some bring respected, academic backgrounds, but with distinctly conservative bona fides. Others are simply far right culture warriors.

"We are looking forward to the new board of trustees getting to work on the ground at New College of Florida, assessing the immediate needs of the institution to bring about significant reform and to refocus it on its founding mission of providing a quality education with an exceptional focus on the classics," said DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin.

Expect the New College community to greet that with as much warmth as if Lollapalooza organizers announced a line-up of all country and Christian radio acts. It’s just not anything fans would ask for and will more likely revolt against.

New College President Patricia Okker diplomatically released a statement thanking DeSantis for filling long-vacant seats with new trustees. “I look forward to getting to know them and working with them to ensure New College continues to serve our students, community, and state in the years to come,” she said.

Meanwhile, former Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler, a Republican State Committeeman, greeted news with partisan zeal, saying New College will finally be a place he can send his girls. “It sets the tone that higher education can and will be reformed if Conservative leaders are willing to step up, lead and act,” he said.

Republican lawmakers welcomed the development but critically didn’t phrase it in such ideological terms. Rather, they reminded of an uncomfortable truth. Whatever reason students today choose to attend New College, not enough do.

“New College is an indisputable gem in Florida’s education landscape, and I’m proud to have them and support the school in Sarasota,” said state Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota. “But they’ve had issues with cost and enrollment as former Senate President [Bill] Galvano brought up several years ago. I hope this can be a positive development for the school’s future."

State Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, reminded “A few years ago the Legislature had looked into consolidating New College, given its dismal enrollment numbers and relative high cost to the state. Frankly, while slight improvements have been made, this new direction is needed and warranted. The current model is not working. I look forward to this fresh start.”

All this suggests bigger changes could be coming than a few ideological bomb throwers on the board. State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, fought to keep New College independent. But he said there’s no doubt change must come. He called the Governor’s vision “bold.”

“Everything has been vetoed over the last couple of years and the model has struggled,” he said. “The state has propped it up but it is time for a transformation to a model that is sustainable.”

Of course, if the first question is enrollment, the next is whether those who love the New College of today will want anything to do with it tomorrow.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor at SRQ MEDIA. 

Photo Courtesy New College of Florida Facebook page.

For many of us, the first days of a new year are brimming with visions of the future, as this is the time we proclaim our resolutions and begin to carve out plans for how to see them through. 

That rush of energetic progress—setting goals, imagining a brighter tomorrow, and creating pathways to see aspirations become reality—is especially felt in the halls of our high schools at this time each year, as seniors devise plans for postsecondary education. Waiting for and receiving acceptance letters to universities, conservatories, certification programs, and community colleges boosts anticipation, but for too many, the elation of an acceptance is quickly eclipsed with anxiety about how to pay for this next big step. 

Driven by the ethos that education is the pathway to a secure, prosperous future, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County invests in opportunities for students in our four-county area, across a broad range of high school achievement and postsecondary interests, with a focus on need. The Traditional Scholarship Application for the 2023-2024 school year is open now through Feb. 15, 2023.  By completing a single application, local students are considered for more than 88 scholarship funds. The applications are reviewed by nearly 90 local community volunteers. Last year, the Community Foundation awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to nearly 300 applicants under the age of 24. While many were just heading into college and career programs, many of recipients were already college students when they applied, underscoring the need for renewal of support in an inflation-riddled economy. With the cost of living escalating along with college-related fees, scholarships are essential for helping students cross the finish line.

The scholarship cycle currently open is for so-called traditional students, those who attend a postsecondary educational or technical program soon after graduating high school. However, recognizing that each person’s path to higher learning is unique, the Community Foundation awards scholarships each year for older learners. The Adult Scholarship Application, for people 24 and older, opens February 2023. 

Overall, the Community Foundation awards more than $2 million annually to more than 700 recipients. More can be learned about the robust and varied scholarship opportunities available for adult learners, parents seeking higher education, and people aspiring to nursing programs by visiting the Community Foundation website.  

Even if you’re not returning to school yourself, there is still an opportunity to help aspiring students succeed. The Community Foundation is seeking volunteers to serve on a scholarship review committee. This rewarding undertaking connects adults in our community with those up-and-coming leaders, allowing a glimpse into the lives and aspirations of college-bound students. Our volunteers often tell us that getting to know the next generation through the application is a heartwarming conduit to seeing the world through the eyes of the youth. Volunteer scholarship committee members fulfill a vital part of our mission of supporting the next generation of leaders, innovators, and creators, and community caretakers. 

For everyone—the applicant and the scholarship reviewer alike—the new year offers an opportunity to reset and focus on the future. The Community Foundation is proud to have an impact on the lives of college-bound students with financial need. Along with our donors and scholarship reviewers, we’re honored today to shape so many people’s tomorrows. 

Roxie Jerde is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.