Will the Florda Legislature close down USF Sarasota-Manatee and give its campus to New College of Florida?
Local business leaders have been renewing their call to retain the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus given its importance to regional workforce development with nursing and hospitality programs that New College doesn’t offer.
On the other side, New College President Richard Corcoran has argued that there has been a “growth surge” of new students at his school – and that acquiring the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus would solve New College’s housing problem.
However, recent numbers revealed that New College only enrolled 22 more undergraduates for the 2025-2026 school year than it had during the previous year.
That’s hardly a “surge” worth boasting about.
Corcoran has more than enough resources to enroll students: he received an additional $10 million from the Florida Legislature this year compared to last year.
It continued a trend of more legislative money for New College; in fact, funding to New College is now double what it was before Corcoran took over as president in 2023.
It has gone from $27 million before Corcoran to $62 million currently.
Yet Corcoran only managed to add 22 students this year.
So what is all that money being spent on?
Taxpayers deserve a better explanation than they have been given so far.
State lawmakers have heard about New College’s lack of student housing – the school has an estimated 40% of students living off campus, including at hotels.
And they have heard about all of the available dorm space on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.
But giving New College that campus won’t fix its housing problem.
Corcoran has acknowledged that even after accounting for USF Sarasota-Manatee’s 200 dorm beds, New College would still need at least 200 more beds to fulfill its statutory mission to serve as a true residential liberal arts honors college.
But during his three years as president, Corcoran has made no progress toward creating permanent student housing.
Is this someone you should entrust with more public resources and money?
It is clear that giving the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to Corcoran would be rewarding fiscal irresponsibility.
Brian Cody is a board member of the Novo Collegian Alliance and a New College alum. He served on the New College Foundation board in 2007. He also served on the New College of Florida Board of Trustees in 2004 and 2005.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College wastes money. Why give it another campus? | Opinion
Reporting by Brian Cody Guest columnist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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