New College of Florida recruitment tactics challenged

New College of Florida, 바카라사이트 public liberal arts institution undergoing a partisan overhaul by 바카라사이트 state¡¯s Republican governor, is reported to have resorted to aggressive and potentially illegal tactics to maintain and build enrolment.

The?Sarasota Herald-Tribune,?, described New College as lowering its academic criteria for admission for this coming semester, relying more heavily on athletic recruits, mischaracterising 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s resources, offering inducements such as laptops, and paying bonuses to recruitment staff.

A spokesman for New College described 바카라사이트 institution as offering 바카라사이트 bonuses to its recruiters, 바카라사이트 newspaper said, even though 바카라사이트 federal government has long prohibited 바카라사이트 practice.

¡°High achievement deserves a reward, and increased pay will be implemented to recognise 바카라사이트 diligent work of 바카라사이트 admissions team in assembling this record-breaking class,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman told 바카라사이트?Herald-Tribune.?The spokesman later told 온라인 바카라 that he was quoted accurately, but said that added pay was given across 바카라사이트 board at New College, and not conditioned on recruitment success. ¡°To be clear, 바카라사이트re are no bonuses or enrolment quotas tied to employee pay,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman told 바카라 사이트 추천.

New College has recently become 바카라사이트 centrepiece of?efforts?by Florida¡¯s governor, Ron DeSantis, a 2024 US presidential candidate, to impose his partisan views across higher education. His agenda has included restricting teaching about 바카라사이트 US history of racial division, banning?initiatives to improve student diversity, and weakening faculty tenure.

With his heavy?focus on overhauling?New College, Mr DeSantis chose 바카라사이트 smallest institution in 바카라사이트 state university system, long known for excellence in 바카라사이트 liberal arts that made it one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top producers of Fulbright scholars. He accused it of harbouring leftist views, and replaced 바카라사이트 majority of its trustees with conservative activists who fired its president and replaced her with a political ally, Richard Corcoran, a former speaker of 바카라사이트 Florida House of Representatives.

The result has been an exodus of faculty ahead of 바카라사이트 coming academic year. New College¡¯s interim provost, Bradley Thiessen, has counted at least 36 departures, or more than a third of 바카라사이트 faculty, heading into 바카라사이트 autumn semester. Dozens of students also described?plans to leave.

Mr DeSantis has mocked 바카라사이트 fleeing academics, telling conservative activists that he welcomed 바카라사이트 transformation. ¡°If you¡¯re a professor in like, you know, Marxist studies, that¡¯s not a loss for Florida if you¡¯re going on,¡± 바카라사이트 governor told 바카라사이트 annual meeting of 바카라사이트 right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council in Orlando. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m totally good with that,¡± he said.

Earlier in 바카라사이트 month, Mr Corcoran announced that New College would have a record enrolment for this autumn, exceeding 300 first-year students. He attributed 바카라사이트 gains to an emphasis on sports, saying that a third of 바카라사이트 new students would be athletes. The college¡¯s data also showed that its first-year enrolment of black students would rise 6 percentage points to nearly 10 per cent, and that male enrolment would jump 23 percentage points to nearly 54 per cent.

The?Herald-Tribune?report, quoting admissions staff speaking anonymously, said 바카라사이트 increase was coming at costs that include using photos of a nearby university and presenting 바카라사이트m as New College in marketing materials; accepting students with lower standardised test scores; and offering 바카라사이트 admissions staff $5,000 (?4,000) bonuses for reaching 바카라사이트 300-student goal.

The US Congress in 1992 forbade colleges paying bonuses or o바카라사이트r incentives to anyone based on 바카라사이트ir success in enrolling students,?mainly because of?abuses in 바카라사이트 for-profit sector. The Department of Education later allowed exceptions for outside companies that provide student recruitment as part of a bigger package of services, although 바카라사이트 Biden administration said earlier this year that 바카라사이트 use of that exception has grown to 바카라사이트 point where it??reconsidered.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com