When students return to New College of Florida for fall classes Monday, a new reality months in the making will arrive in earnest. A record number of freshman enrolled at the university will start on their college journey, and many will return cautious about the new environment.

The Sarasota institution landed in the spotlight early this year when Gov. Ron DeSantis installed a number of new trustees who abruptly fired existing administration and picked Richard Corcoran, an ally of the Governor, as interim president. 

SRQ sat down for a feature interview with Corcoran the day of his first trustee meeting. At the time, he promised to deliver a future that would, eventually, be embraced by all. “We’ll get to a point where some of our harshest critics will say that this was a great moment for New College,” he said.

To date, criticism hardly waned. Honestly, the governor is a big reason. As he campaigns for president, he has boasted to conservative audiences about the takeover of the famously left-leaning school. At an Orlando convention, he disparaged the locally loved college, saying “not a lot of people in Florida knew much about it. It was almost like a commune.” Out of state, he told a Hillsdale College audience the school historically was “performing very poorly.”

The new administration hasn’t been so dismissive about the school’s rich history. Ryan Terry, communications vice president, touts successes like the 56 Fulbright Scholar Awards earned in the last 15 years, a sign some smart folk managed to hear about Florida’s honors college. 

Still, it’s been a rocky ride. Corcoran controversially denied tenure to nearly a half dozen professors shortly after he arrived at the school. New College decided not to renew a contract for visiting professor Erik Wallenberg, creating a public fight this summer about academic freedom.  Many students transferred to other institutions rather than see what comes next at New College, and many faculty have moved on as well.

Meanwhile, the state has pumped millions to college, for scholarship and long-neglected maintenance. One can’t help but think this will worsen the maligned per-student costs of New College, but it will fix problems that persisted too long.

In one sense, this created a path for change to happen faster than the optimists or cynics believed it would. in a column in this publication, Corcoran announced a number of faculty hires from other liberal arts institutions. Those include: Joseph Locante, a scholar on John Locke’s work regularly featured on NPR; Stanley Fish, a free speech expert and sometimes-critic of Donald Trump; and Andrew Doyle, a podcaster who describes himself as left-wing but has also criticized identity politics.

The new hires are prestigious, as are some of the administration level people he invited to the fold. And while Corcoran was greeted by students as a “fascist,” the thread in hires has, if anything, shown a commitment to free expression.

Still, just this week, students voiced frustration campus ambassadors will be forbidden from wearing pins with political messages. Corcoran also happily stood alongside the Governor at a boastful press conference this year, where DeSantis signed legislation dismantling diversity programs at all Florida colleges. New College led the way in enacting that. 

But regardless of what anyone thinks of the power players, I still feel the soul of New College lays not in policies but with students. It’s up to those enrolled to determine the culture and future, and as future alumni, they will have a voice on the matter long after trustees, administrators, faculty or even outside pundits leave campus or lose interest. The value of a New College experience and the brightness of their own future will be set by students themselves.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor for SRQ MEDIA. 

Photo courtesy Ne College Facebook page.

Last week, my daughter uttered, “I love you Mommy!” - loudly - in front of her classmates, as she walked into school to start first grade. I know I may not get many more of those in public as she grows.  

And today, I say to you, “I love you Manatee!” as it’s my turn to be the new kid on the block as the new Executive Director for Manatee Community Foundation. And I promise, it will not be the last public show of affection I share. For I count my blessings and being part of this authentic, caring, supportive, hard-working community that is our Manatee is high on the list.  

It is with heart, authentic leadership, drive and determination, that I come into MCF to honor the past and celebrate the opportunities of the future. 

Twenty-five years ago, Dororthy “Dot” S Ridings and “The Three Bobs” (Bob Blalock, Bob Christopher and Bob Beall) imagined a future where Manatee County would have the support of a community foundation. Since, we have become a philanthropic leader helping resolve systemic issues and respond to emerging challenges, a trusted advisor to so many kind philanthropists who want to co-invest and direct their time, talent and treasure to make a difference, and a convener of private, public and nonprofit sectors around initiatives that can transform our county and beyond. And we have made a commitment to building a better community with our strategic focus on diversity, inclusion, and access. 

My personal mission is to pay it forward by creating opportunities for all. It came from the realization that when I immigrated to the U.S. at age 19, due to my father’s job, I was given a gift, and with it came a responsibility. We have it all – and the majority of the inhabitants of the world would gladly trade places with you and me in a second. This is why I felt the responsibility to assimilate and respect the culture I had joined, and to ensure others would also have the opportunities I was given. And now, after having lived in South America, Orlando, Los Angeles and beyond, I have seen my share of suffering and unattended human needs. This is why I am so grateful for the opportunity to advance MCF’s mission. 

In our 25 years, MCF has infused our community with over 52 million dollars of philanthropic support, but more importantly, much value that cannot be seen. It is the power of partnership — having created strong bonds and lasting connections that have yielded immeasurable positive change. 

And as we move forward, I hope to closely partner with our donors, fellow foundations, government officials, the business community, and our esteemed nonprofit partners in the team sport that is philanthropy. We are stronger together. 

Join me in celebrating the vision that Dot Ridings, “The Three Bobs,” my predecessors Marilyn Howard, and most recently, Susie Bowie, our star-studded Board, and the incredible Jennifer Abbott, Alicia Chalmers, Simone Peterson currently on staff, our donor family, and many corporate ambassadors, for their leadership and vision. It is on their shoulders that I will stand, to carry out our mission of partnering with our citizens to strengthen and enhance our community through philanthropy, education, and service—now and forever. 

Veronica Thames is executive director for the Manatee Community Foundation. 

Photo courtesy Manatee Community Foundation Facebook page.