Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ anti-‘woke’ college is about to triple in size
A small Florida liberal arts college seized in 2023 by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to triple in size come next week. New College of Florida, which is controlled by a board of trustees mostly appointed by DeSantis, is set to acquire the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus on July 1.
The acquisition will significantly increase the size of New College of Florida, which can only accommodate about 900 students. USF’s 32-acre Sarasota-Manatee campus boasts a new six-story residential hall and a $44 million student center, according to The Guardian, and enrolls about 2,000 students annually.
State leaders say the goal is not only to expand New College but to improve the use of the state’s higher education resources. DeSantis has touted New College as the blueprint for his anti-”woke” agenda.
“This is a public institution and we have, not only a right, we have an obligation to make sure that our public institutions are serving the best interests of the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in 2024.
The plan ‘reeks of a grift’
Critics of the plan, however, call the move “unnecessary and unjustified.”
“USF SM is also the responsible financial choice,” a letter signed by education, healthcare and nonprofit officials said. “A Florida DOGE [Department of Governmental Efficiency] report shows USF spends about $72,000 per degree, while New College spends nearly $500,000 per degree. USF-SM and New College have coexisted for 25 years, each with a distinct mission; sacrificing USF-SM is totally unnecessary.”
Fentrice Driskell, leader of Florida’s House Democratic caucus, said DeSantis’ plan “reeks of a grift.”
“There is so much waste here, and it is incredibly frustrating to watch the governor try to bend the higher education system towards his political will,” Driskell said. “New College is a vanity project, and he’s been willing to spend whatever it takes to prop it up. Whatever New College needs, they’re going to give it those resources, but you know the truth is that it’s a failure.”
Critics also point to New College President Richard Corcoran’s pay as a money pit. Corcoran, a close DeSantis ally and former Florida House Speaker, has a salary package worth about $1.2 million annually – four times more than the school’s previous president, who was ousted by DeSantis’ board.
And while Corcoran says changes in the school are not political, critics say the progressive college’s prominent LGBTQ+ community has been “destroyed” by changes made since DeSantis gained control.
The college also announced it is commissioning a statue of assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. And in 2024, the school threw away hundreds of library books after its diversity, equity and inclusion programs were terminated.
What happens to USF-SM’s students and staff?
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New College of Florida’s average class size is 13 students.
According to USF officials, students enrolled at the Sarasota-Manatee campus before July 1 will get “priority” use of classroom space. Current USF-SM students will be able to finish their degrees under USF faculty, but new students will not be accepted to the campus under the USF name come July.
Classroom spaces not in use by USF will be available to New College. A USF spokesperson said the school is analyzing what it has available.
“We expect this will be an ongoing analysis and New College will gradually start to use more space over time as it becomes available,” USF Spokesperson Althea Johnson said.
It is not yet clear what New College will use the spaces for. New College spokesperson Jamie Miller said the school is waiting for the governor to sign the state’s latest budget, in which the deal will be finalized, before releasing any more details.
USF president Moez Limayem says that taking care of the school’s faculty during the transition is a top priority.
He said all employees will be retained and eventually have the option to transfer to different campuses in either St. Petersburg or Tampa. USF is also exploring a voluntary buyout program for faculty and staff who do not want to transfer to another campus, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Officials say most of USF-SM’s faculty will continue to work at the Sarasota-Manatee campus at least until the newest class of students graduates.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
