Jacob Ogles
A proposal to put New College in Florida in charge of the University of South Florida Sarasota campus appears to be dead.
Sources tell Florida Politics the proposal will not be considered this Session, nor will a proposal by Gov. Ron DeSantis to put The Ringling Museum of Art facilities under the auspices of the Sarasota school.
The Ringling currently is run by Florida State University in Tallahassee, while USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) houses students and programs overseen by the Tampa-based USF. Both campuses neighbor New College’s Sarasota campus.
Since DeSantis appointed Trustees who undertook a conservative makeover of New College — including hiring former Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran as President — the Legislature has directed more state funding to the school. But plans to shift management of nearby community treasures were met with local resistance.
Much of that comes from supporters of New College who dislike the new direction of the school. Many don’t want to compromise the existing successes of USFSM or The Ringling.
“I’ve made it clear that it’s not something the community supports,” said Rep. Fiona McFarland, a Sarasota Republican.
Sen. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican, said the institutions will all continue to thrive regardless.
“New College will continue its rapid expansion and is well-positioned to thrive under the leadership of President Corcoran,” Gruters said.
Of note, Gruters is an alumnus himself for the USFSM.
“USF Sarasota-Manatee holds a special place for me personally — it’s where I completed my fifth year of accounting in preparation for the CPA exam,” he said.
“The campus has long played an important role in our community, and it will continue to serve the needs of the region with the same strong academic programs. Long term, I believe it’s worth bringing the community, the schools, and all stakeholders together to explore whether some form of unification could create greater efficiencies and an even stronger academic environment for everyone involved.”
5 comments
Michael K
May 2, 2025 at 8:55 pm
Well that’s a bit of good news. Still not happy about the destruction of New College.
KathrynA
May 3, 2025 at 9:23 am
Totally agree with Michael. Public pressure sometimes works yet and glad it did in this case and let’s find out why Corcoran makes so much money for such a small college!!
greg klein
May 3, 2025 at 11:33 am
Maybe Corcoran’s outrageously high salary–particularly for someone with zero experience in higher eduction–is one reason the cost-per-student at New College is around $91,000 compared to the state average of $10,000.
Tess Koncick
May 3, 2025 at 5:00 pm
The complexities of maintaining a museum cannot be considered lightly. FSU has the necessary resources and capabilities to support a world class museum and museum education program. This is the right decision for the museum and the State of Florida.
Lynne Hensley
May 11, 2025 at 3:40 pm
Great news on keeping the Ringling as a valuable resource for the community! Richard Corcoran is making 1.1 million a year to oversee a school with 700 students despite his total lack of professional education experience. The Republicans are using our tax dollars to support their sycophants, a cost that must be born by struggling Florida students and their families. The president of the University of Florida, with over 55,000 students and a championship basketball team, makes a similar amount.
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