If you want to see the future of higher education, don’t look to the Ivy League. Look to the shores of Sarasota Bay.
This fall, New College of Florida welcomes an extraordinary group of new faculty members – scholars drawn here from top institutions including Penn, Columbia, Michigan and Johns Hopkins.
They join us not by accident, but by conviction.
They believe, as we do, that a true liberal arts education is not about telling students what to think, but about teaching them how to think.
New College is liberal arts education done right.
Our time-tested academic program gives students feedback through detailed and individualized narrative evaluations, not mere letter grades, and provides students with extensive opportunities for independent study, experiential learning and undergraduate research.
Graduation from New College requires not the simple accumulation of credit hours, but the demonstration of true mastery through a required senior thesis.
At New College faculty engage students in spirited debate, confront them with challenging ideas and prepare them to navigate a world where intellectual dexterity and moral judgment matter more than ever.
This is why so many of the nation’s most accomplished educators are choosing New College at this moment in history.
These new professors will play a central role in guiding New College toward our goal of becoming the No. 1 liberal arts college in America. Their contributions will extend far beyond the classroom.
One-on-one mentorship
Great education requires that teachers get to know students as individuals.
What are their strengths and their weaknesses, their goals and dreams?
A New College education includes intensive one-on-one mentorship from faculty teachers and advisors during the course of their college career – a hallmark of our model that ensures each student is known, challenged and supported.
Another promising chapter
New College continues to grow and improve.
The arrival of these educators, each bringing unique expertise and a shared commitment to our mission, signals a new chapter in New College’s story – one where the best traditions of a classical liberal arts education meet the boldest innovations of the 21st century.
The future of higher education is unfolding right here in Sarasota. And it’s being written by the faculty and students of New College of Florida.
David Rohrbacher is provost and vice president of academic affairs at New College of Florida. He teaches Latin at all levels and Classical Civilization in all periods. He is also active in the concentrations in literature, medieval and Renaissance studies. He is a recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Society for Classical Studies, the premier organization for the study of Classics in North America.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College of Florida shaping future of higher education | Opinion
Reporting by David Rohrbacher Guest columnist / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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