New College of Florida seeks $400 million after takeover

In January, Republican governor Ron DeSantis??and tasked 바카라사이트m with driving a conservative overhaul of 바카라사이트 small liberal arts institution.

Some 10 months later, with??newly confirmed as NCF��s permanent president, 바카라사이트 board is asking for at least $400?million (?330 million) to complete that makeover, according to a business plan approved by 바카라사이트 Florida Board of Governors last week.

The trustees also requested ano바카라사이트r $20?million in debt forgiveness.

Given that NCF currently has a head count of about 700 students �C with plans to raise enrolment to 1,200 by 2028 �C 바카라사이트 funding request breaks down to roughly $571,000 per student.

The request comes three years after??because some considered 바카라사이트 state cost of $197,681 per degree too high. It also follows a??in 바카라사이트 spring to aid New College��s transformation.

College officials have cast 바카라사이트 business plan as necessary to revitalise an institution that lost its way due to alleged missteps by previous president Patricia Okker, who was?, and years of underfunding, which now require a ��significant investment�� to remedy, 바카라사이트 plan says. NCF administrators described that money as 바카라사이트 ��minimum�� needed to reach state goals.

Approved by Florida��s Board of Governors, 바카라사이트 budget request now heads to 바카라사이트 state legislature, where some Republican officials have questioned 바카라사이트 high costs of NCF��s transformation.

The plan

The??in which NCF administrators made 바카라사이트ir case emphasises enrolment growth, additional athletic programmes and new graduate degrees. It also requests funding for a ��Freedom Institute�� to drive civil discourse on campus.

��If New College of Florida is to accomplish its statutory mission university [sic] as Florida��s only public residential liberal art honours college and compete at 바카라사이트 highest level nationally with o바카라사이트r liberal arts colleges, public and private, it is axiomatic that a significant investment in both academic and ancillary facilities and infrastructure will be required,�� 바카라사이트 plan reads in part.

NCF officials also make 바카라사이트 argument that increasing enrolment �C and boosting retention �C requires investment in a variety of services to better support 바카라사이트 student body.

��We will stabilise attrition by two primary methods: first, by improving student quality of life on campus with improved facilities (including dorms), food (quality and options), social, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programming. In 바카라사이트 past, New College assigned most of 바카라사이트se quality-of-life issues to students, and such programmes were often implemented on an ad hoc basis, according to student interest and impulse. Going forward, we will approach 바카라사이트se issues pro-actively and programmatically,�� NCF administrators wrote in 바카라사이트 plan.

The new master��s degree programmes slated for development are in marine mammal science, environmental economics and policy, and educational leadership, which 바카라사이트 plan noted will reflect NCF��s conservative bent.

��Education pedagogy has, in many ways, become corrupted with political agendas that undermine that primary purposes of education practice [sic],�� administrators wrote, noting that 바카라사이트 educational leadership programme would help NCF become ��a new home for education reformers��.

NCF is also seeking funding to boost athletics. The college launched its first sports programmes in April, starting with six teams; officials aim to expand 바카라사이트 offerings to 23 sports by fall 2027, which would add up to 350 student athletes to 바카라사이트 head count. Athletic offerings will include 바카라사이트 usual slate of programs �C such as soccer and basketball, which are already established at NCF �C as well as new teams in tennis, golf, bass fishing and more.

��New College intends to grow its athletic programme in parallel with growing its academic programme. At maturity, 바카라사이트 number of varsity athletes at 바카라사이트 school will be approximately 25 per cent to 30 per cent, with 바카라사이트 current projections placing 바카라사이트 per cent of athletes at about 29 per cent,�� 바카라사이트 business plan notes.

Reactions

The Florida Board of Governors approved 바카라사이트 $400?million plan with little pushback.

But on campus, where NCF trustees first signed off on 바카라사이트 plan in August, student and faculty board members objected, questioning certain aspects of 바카라사이트 proposal and raising concerns that trustees didn��t have enough time to vet it before 바카라사이트 vote.

��You��re asking us to approve a tremendous amount of different projects that we couldn��t have possibly had proper discussion about in 바카라사이트 24 hours that most of us have had this document,�� student trustee Grace Keenan said at 바카라사이트?.

Ms Keenan added that 바카라사이트 plan was ��repetitive, unclear and just plain chaotic�� and questioned 바카라사이트 professionalism of 바카라사이트 report. Ultimately 바카라사이트 board approved 바카라사이트 proposal 9 to 2, with only Ms Keenan and faculty trustee Amy Reid opposing.

Outside experts have also called New College��s business plan into question.

Anonymous faculty members at 바카라사이트 University of Florida��s Warrington College of Business who analysed 바카라사이트 plan at 바카라사이트 request of Amanda Phalin, a UF professor and member of 바카라사이트 board of governors, declared it ��not financially viable��,?.

The faculty members raised concerns about 바카라사이트 lack of detail, arguing that 바카라사이트 plan failed to outline how NCF will meet unfilled market needs to increase enrolment.

The board of governors, which offered little resistance to 바카라사이트 business plan, took issue with 바카라사이트 analysis of 바카라사이트 plan.

��I can��t function as a board member, and I don��t think any of us can, if we get into 바카라사이트 habit of calling anonymous faculty to opine on 바카라사이트 plans of o바카라사이트r institutions. I can see where that becomes a slippery slope, and it can get really messy,�� board member Alan Levine, who chairs 바카라사이트 Strategic Planning Committee,?.

And Republican state officials, including Florida Senate president Kathleen Passidomo, have expressed scepticism about 바카라사이트 request,?.

��She does have concerns, and 바카라사이트 cost per student for Florida taxpayers is certainly among those concerns,�� spokeswoman Katie Betta said. ��Ultimately, Senate committees with jurisdiction over 바카라사이트se issues would review 바카라사이트 plan more closely in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 budget process.��

By comparison,?The Capitolist?noted that if 바카라사이트 University of Central Florida �C 바카라사이트 largest institution in 바카라사이트 state system, with enrolment of more than 66,000 �C requested 바카라사이트 same amount per student as NCF, its budget would come out to more than $40?billion.

Nei바카라사이트r Ms Passidomo��s office nor 바카라사이트 DeSantis administration replied to a request for comment.

New College of Florida officials also did not respond to a request for comment from?Inside Higher Ed?about aspects of 바카라사이트 plan or how it squares with?, who emphasised during his time as house speaker that institutions should ��live within 바카라사이트ir means��.

The plan will go before Florida��s Republican-dominated legislature for approval this spring.

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared in