New College of Florida facts for kids
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| Latin: Novum Collegium Floridense | |
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Former names
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New College (1960–1975) New College of the University of South Florida (1975–2001) |
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| Type | Public liberal arts college |
| Established | October 11, 1960 |
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Parent institution
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State University System of Florida |
| Accreditation | SACS |
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Academic affiliations
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COPLAC |
| Endowment | $43 million (2019) |
| President | Richard Corcoran |
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Academic staff
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97 full time, 26 part time (fall 2022) |
| Students | 689 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 669 |
| Postgraduates | 20 |
| Location |
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United States
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| Campus | Small city, 144 acres (0.6 km2) |
| Newspaper | Catalyst |
| Colors | Blue and white |
| Nickname | Mighty Banyans |
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Sporting affiliations
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NAIA - Sun (effective July 1, 2024) |
| Mascot | The Mighty Banyan |
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New College of Florida is a public college located in Sarasota, Florida. It's a special kind of college called a liberal arts college. This means it focuses on a wide range of subjects, not just one specific career path. New College is also a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.
In 2023, some big changes happened at the college. The state government of Florida changed many people on its main governing group, called the board of trustees. This was done to try and change the school's focus. Since then, almost 40% of the teachers have left. New College has the smallest number of students in Florida's public university system, with 669 students in 2022.
Contents
College History
New College started in 1960 as a private college. It was created for students who were very good at academics. The United Church of Christ helped with money to get it started. George F. Baughman was the first president, from 1961 to 1965.
New College welcomed its first 101 students in 1964. Students of all backgrounds were allowed to join. Famous people, like the historian Arnold J. Toynbee, even came out of retirement to teach there.
The school offered a unique education style. It valued freedom for students to explore different subjects. Students were in charge of their own learning journey.
By 1972, more than 500 students were attending New College. However, in the 1970s, the college faced money problems. By 1975, it owed $3.9 million and was almost out of business. At that time, the University of South Florida (USF) became interested in buying the college's land.
New College then joined with the University of South Florida. It became a separate part of the public university system. The New College board of trustees gave the campus and other assets to the state. These were worth $8.5 million. In return, the state paid off New College's debts. The agreement said New College would get the same funding per student as other USF programs.
The old board of trustees became the New College Foundation. This group had to raise private money to help run New College. The school was renamed "New College of the University of South Florida." USF also started a branch campus in Sarasota. For 25 years, New College and USF shared the campus.
In 2001, New College became its own independent school. It was the eleventh independent school in the State University System of Florida. It was also named the honors college for the state. This meant it was for top students. The Florida government also made a law about New College's unique academic system. It said the college should "allow students to design their educational experience."
As part of this change, USF moved its facilities away from the New College campus. This happened on August 28, 2006. USF opened a new campus for USF Sarasota-Manatee. Even after the move, some facilities, like the library, were still shared.
In 2022, New College was recognized for something special. It had the highest percentage of students receiving a Fulbright scholarship. This is a very important scholarship for studying abroad.
Changes in 2023
In early 2023, Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis made big changes to the college's board of trustees. He appointed six new members. These included people known for their conservative views. The governor's chief of staff said they hoped New College would become a "classical college."
At their first meeting, on January 31, 2023, the new board made some quick decisions. They removed the college president, Patricia Okker. They then put Richard Corcoran, a political friend of the governor, in charge temporarily. These actions got a lot of attention across the country.
Some early changes included closing the college's diversity office. There were also rules about email signatures for teachers. Events promoting diversity were canceled. One new trustee said they would "shut down" some academic departments. They also planned to hire new teachers and attract new students who agreed with their goals.
Some teachers and students became worried. They feared teachers might be fired. They also worried about their classes and books being controlled. This made it hard for them to focus on their studies.
In April 2023, the board of trustees did not give permanent jobs (called tenure) to five professors. This caused a lot of upset among the audience. One trustee, Matthew Lepinski, even resigned because of it. The temporary president, Richard Corcoran, said this was due to changes at the college. He said the college was moving towards a more traditional focus.
One trustee, Mark Bauerlein, argued against giving tenure. He said the professors asked for it too early. However, the college's rules said they could apply at that time. About 30% of New College teachers had received tenure after five years. The five professors had already been approved by other teachers and experts. But the new board members voted against them.
By mid-July 2023, more than a third of the college's teachers had left. Many resigned or took time off because of these changes. Some tried to start a new alternative college.
Most of the new trustees appointed by the governor were approved by the Florida Senate. However, one, Eddie Speir, was not. Speir blamed the college's new temporary president for this.
In October 2023, Richard Corcoran was officially named the new president. His yearly pay was over $1 million. This amount was much higher than expected for a president of a small public university.
In November 2023, New College asked the state for $400 million. This money would be used to transform the school. This amount was more than $500,000 for each student.
College Campus
New College's campus is about 144 acres. It is located on the bay in west Sarasota, Florida. This is about 50 miles south of Tampa. The main campus is on what used to be the estate of Edith and Charles Ringling. The campus also includes parts of a neighborhood called The Uplands. It also has the Seagate property to the north. Sarasota Bay is to the west, and Tamiami Trail is to the east.
The campus has three amazing old homes from the 1920s. College Hall was the home of Edith and Charles Ringling. Cook Hall was the home of Hester Ringling Lancaster Sanford. Caples Hall was the home of Ellen and Ralph Caples. These beautiful buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. They look similar to the nearby John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
The campus also has modern buildings designed by I. M. Pei. These include student dorms, a cafeteria, and a student center. Other dorms are Dort, Goldstein, and Palmer B. Five new dorm buildings opened in the 2007–2008 school year.
The Jane Bancroft Cook Library is used by students from New College and USF Sarasota-Manatee. It also helps students from Manatee Community College. The library has hundreds of thousands of items. It can also access over eleven million items through the State University Libraries system.
The Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center opened in 2001. This center helps students studying biology, marine biology, and environmental sciences. These are some of the most popular subjects at New College.
In 2005, a long-term plan for the campus was created. Students, teachers, staff, and community members helped with this plan.
In 2011, the college opened a new Academic Center. It also opened the Robert and Beverly Koski Academic Plaza next to it. The newest building, added in 2017, is a 22,000-square-foot addition to the Heiser Natural Sciences Center.
Academic Programs
| USNWR Liberal Arts College | 82 |
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| Washington Monthly Liberal Arts | 54 |
College Degrees and Learning
New College is an honors college. It is known for its special "contract system." Instead of grades, students get written evaluations. Students agree to semester-long contracts. In these contracts, they must pass a certain number of classes. For example, if a student has a "three out of five" contract, they can fail two classes without penalty. But if they fail three, they might lose all credits for that semester. This system encourages students to try new subjects. It also helps them explore different topics.
New College students must also complete a final project called an undergraduate thesis. They also take a baccalaureate exam. During this exam, they present and defend their project to a group of professors.
New College offers a master's degree in Applied Data Science. This program focuses on using data science in real-world jobs. The program started in 2015. As of 2022, there were 27 students in the program. It is a two-year program. All students find jobs after graduating. Students in this program must complete a paid internship. New College students can also get both a bachelor's and master's degree in five years. The program was ranked #25 among "Best Master’s in Data Science Programs in 2022" by Fortune magazine.
College Costs
For the 2021–22 school year, tuition and fees for Florida residents were $6,916. For students from other states or countries, the cost was $29,944. This is about $832 per credit hour. New College charges all students $10,892 for room and board each year. For international students, room and board costs $12,992. These costs have stayed about the same for several years.
For master's degree students, the first-year cost for tuition and fees is $11,383.92 for Florida residents. For out-of-state and international students, it is $28,067.28.
New College students usually have the least amount of debt compared to students from other public universities in Florida. Only 33% of New College students took out loans. The average loan was about $5,500. At similar colleges, 53% of students took out loans, with an average of about $6,300. New College also offers scholarships to most students who are accepted.
Cross College Alliance
The Cross College Alliance is a group of five schools. These are New College of Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design, The Ringling/FSU, State College of Florida Sarasota-Manatee, and University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. This group helps these local schools share resources. Students at New College can take classes at any of the other colleges in the alliance.
College Recognition
In 2023, U.S. News and World Report ranked New College of Florida. It was ranked No. 100 among all "National Liberal Arts Colleges." Since it started, 86 New College students have won Fulbright scholarships. A group called "Colleges That Change Lives" also recommended New College. They liked its flexible learning style and how well its graduates do.
Student Life
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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| White | 67% |
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| Hispanic | 18% |
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| Other | 5% |
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| Black | 4% |
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| Asian | 4% |
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| Foreign national | 3% |
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| Sex | |||
| Female | 67% |
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| Male | 33% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 26% |
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| Affluent | 74% |
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Student Government
The New College Student Alliance (NCSA) is the student government at New College. They hold "Towne Meetings" every month. These meetings are open to all students, teachers, and staff. They are a place for public discussion and debate.
College Sports
In 2023, New College joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). This happened at the same time as other changes at the university. They became a member of the Sun Conference. The school announced plans to add 17 new sports. They also plan to increase the number of student-athletes from 140 in 2023 to 350 by Fall 2027. In March 2023, Mariano Jimenez was named the new athletic director and baseball coach.
Before this, New College only offered a few sports. These included archery, esports, powerlifting, rowing, sailing, and swimming. The club sailing team is part of the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (SAISA). The New Crew SRQ rowing club started in 2021. They train at Nathan Benderson Park. The New College powerlifting team competes against other Florida colleges.
Famous Alumni
Many successful people have graduated from New College. These include Mark Weiser, a computer scientist who came up with "ubiquitous computing." This idea is about how computers are everywhere around us. Weiser attended New College from 1970 to 1974.
Other notable graduates include William Dudley, who used to be the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Nancy McEldowney was a National Security Advisor to Vice President Harris. Anita L. Allen, a law professor, was on a special commission about bioethics. The late mathematician William Thurston also went to New College.
Margee Ensign is the current president of Dickinson College. Jennifer Granick works for the ACLU on privacy and cybersecurity. David Allen (author) wrote the bestselling book Getting Things Done. José Díaz-Balart is a TV anchor for MSNBC and NBC. Carol Flint is an Emmy Award-winning TV writer and producer. Lincoln Díaz-Balart was a U.S. representative.
David M. Smolin is a law professor. Melissa Cristina Márquez is a marine biologist known as "Mother of Sharks." Jackie Wang was a finalist for a poetry award. Malcolm Brenner is an author. And attorney Robert Bilott was featured in the 2019 movie Dark Waters.
