New College welcomed a new administrative assistant, Mike Jones, to round out staffing for the Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence (OOIE). Jones has extensive experience with non-profit organizations and theater in the local Sarasota community. 

“The theater community gives me insight on how these organizations think, how NPO funds their priorities and how they are surviving during the pandemic. I think I bring that perspective…which is outside the realm of academia,” Jones said. 

“I think the most staff here come from academia — really tying into the community is a key part of my position. I know people in the community here and I am able to string together folks from New College into the Sarasota community.” Jones has extensive experience in stage management for the Asolo Theater and local theater in Colorado. He hopes to use the connections he has made from years of stage management to New College students. 

Jones explained that the new office of OOIE is divided into diversity, outreach and financial literacy. 

“We are brand new, so my role is to really support Bill Woodson and Stacy C. with the logistical tasks of their position like budgeting, scheduling and communications,” Jones said.

The new office is funded by several grants to make efforts in diversifying incoming students. The $500,000 Baranick grant was recently awarded to New College as means to launch a program in targeting local high school students who demonstrate leadership and outstanding service. New College has named it The Access Leadership Program, and Woodson aims to publicize this program to local Sarasota high schools.

Potential events and goals are still relatively tentative since they are currently acclimating new hires into the office space.  For now, OOIE’s immediate goal is to hire a financial literacy specialist for students and faculty.