“Our students are not political pawns”: hundreds gather on campus to oppose elimination of DEI, Richard Corcoran
Students, community members, parents and alumni gathered outside of the Hamilton "Ham" Center on Feb. 28 in protest. Photo by Nat Kornblum

“Our students are not political pawns”: hundreds gather on campus to oppose elimination of DEI, Richard Corcoran

“Fight fight fight, education is a human right!” This mantra was chanted by hundreds of students, alums, parents and community members gathered on the steps of Hamilton “Ham” Center before the Feb. 28 New College Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting. The meeting would be the…

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New College students join state-wide coalition in “Stand for Freedom” walkout
New College students gathered outside of the Jane Bancroft Cook Library during a student walkout protesting actions taken by the Board of Trustees. The “Four Winds” sculpture is displayed on the right, adorned with dark streamers placed by students. Photo by Nic Steinig.

New College students join state-wide coalition in “Stand for Freedom” walkout

On Feb. 23, around 100 of the 698 students enrolled at New College of Florida walked out of their classrooms in protest of recent actions taken by the new Board of Trustees (BOT) and the proposed changes targeting Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives made…

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Manhattan Institute turns its attention to New College: things to know about this conservative think tank
A screenshot of the Manhattan Institute logo superimposed over the city skyline at sunset. (Photo taken from manhattan-institute.org)

Manhattan Institute turns its attention to New College: things to know about this conservative think tank

Following their appointments, something the New College community quickly recognized about the seven new Board of Trustee (BOT) members was that not all of them had prior experience working in educational institutions, and many were coming from out of state. Even without the work credentials…

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Ohio train derailment: health concerns and waste removal begin
Image of multiple train cars derailed and on fire. Photo taken by Gene Puskar.

Ohio train derailment: health concerns and waste removal begin

Following the environmental disaster that occurred on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, when a Norfolk Southern train crashed and caught fire, the roughly 4,700 residents of East Palestine and the surrounding area are still being affected by the derailment. The train had a total…

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NCF Board of Trustees approves revised contract for Richard Corcoran
Vice Chair Ron Christaldi tuning in to the Feb. 21 Special BOT Meeting from his car. Photo taken by Basil Pursley

NCF Board of Trustees approves revised contract for Richard Corcoran

Incoming Interim New College President Richard Corcoran’s employment contract was approved on Feb. 21 by the Board of Trustees (BOT), including his lofty base salary of $699,000. Approval of Corcoran’s contract was the only action item at this virtual Special BOT meeting, and judging by…

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Alumni Letter addressing the New College Foundation
A photo of the Keating Center, where the New College Foundation office is location. Photo courtesy of ncf.edu

Alumni Letter addressing the New College Foundation

The following is a letter written to the New College Foundation on Feb. 21, 2023. It has been signed by 156 New College alumni, with cohorts ranging from the 1960s to New College's most recent graduating class. Dear Members of the New College Foundation:   The…

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Former New College President Patricia Okker gives first interview
Former New College president Patricia Okker, courtesy of LinkedIn.

Former New College President Patricia Okker gives first interview

We don’t know what could happen was the general sentiment shared by many members of the New College community in the weeks leading up to the first Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting scheduled just after a slate of new conservative appointments by Gov. Ron DeSantis.…

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Florida student athletes required to identify gender assigned at birth
An empty locker room. (Courtesy of flickr.)

Florida student athletes required to identify gender assigned at birth

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has been fighting controversy in recent weeks after discussing the possibility of requiring student athletes to answer questions about their menstrual history on the state-wide pre-participation physical evaluation form. The form has included questions about menstrual history since…

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Board of Trustees approves Corcoran’s Interim President contract: NCF faces uncertain future
The Board of Trustees (BOT) and a handful of other New College administrators present for the Special BOT Meeting on Feb. 13 via Zoom. Photo taken by Sophia Brown

Board of Trustees approves Corcoran’s Interim President contract: NCF faces uncertain future

After a deeply disruptive Jan. 31 meeting, the New College Board of Trustees (BOT) was not expected to meet again until the end of February. However, on Feb. 6, it was posted on the New College website that a Special BOT Meeting would be held…

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New College’s faculty meets for first time this year, focus on retaining values
Faculty applauding Provost Sherman following her opening statement. Photo taken by Nic Steinig

New College’s faculty meets for first time this year, focus on retaining values

On Feb. 8, the New College of Florida’s faculty held their first public meeting since the announcement of new appointments to the Board of Trustees (BOT). It was also the first in-person faculty meeting since the coronavirus pandemic began. Professors and staff from across the…

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