Summary
New College of Florida, once a liberal arts institution, has undergone a conservative overhaul driven by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and allies, who installed a right-leaning board and administration.
Led by Richard Corcoran, the college has hired faculty with connections to rightwing media and think tanks, sidelining traditional hiring protocols, according to an internal letter.
This transformation, viewed by some Republicans as a model for conservative reform in higher education, has sparked controversy, faculty pushback, and a significant drop in national rankings amidst a shift in curriculum and institutional focus.
This is so fucking depressing. My brother went to New College. He’s neurodivergent, so it was a perfect place for him since it allowed him to structure his education in a way that fit his learning style.
All that is over.
What’s left for people like him of college age today? Evergreen? Maybe a Quaker college?
I went to a public college in Florida, and New College was known to be full of the state’s smartest hippies. My Spring semester bed in the honors dorm, after my first foray to Texas, was freed up because the former occupant transferred from UF to New College.
It’s a travesty what’s happening to it. Students with means or a favorable FAFSA might find some joy at a place like Reed or Oberlin. Evergreen seems like a good option on a similar model. New College being public with that traditionally low in-state tuition was such an important option for some and symbol for others, though.
