Ron DeSantis, Flailing Presidential Candidate, Is Still Waging a Higher-Ed Culture War
One of the governor’s allies Corcoran, was recently elected president of #NewCollege, where students say DeSantis has carried out a “hostile takeover” of the school’s leadership
Over 30 faculty members have left the school since the governor began meddling in January
"This was once touted as one of the finest colleges in the United States. Now it is shunned due to #DeSantis
"As the new semester starts . . . One third of faculty have gone. Students cannot find classes. Students with housing contracts are being relocated to an airport hotel.
The new President is a former GOP House speaker, who was handed a salary more than double than that of his predecessor. The new Dean of Students is a lobbyist. Trustees were selected for their ideological leanings rather than experience." https://sciences.social/@donmoyn/110907286140693603
My alma mater, New College of Florida, has, very unfortunately, become a subject of public interest as Ron DeSantis along with right wing provocateurs like Chris Rufo have engaged in a “hostile takeover” to remake it a “Hillsdale of the South”.
My friend Mike Palmer has started a podcast about New College and its culture. He interviews me here, if you are curious about (my take on) the place:
"Although DeSantis claims he targeted the school specifically for their “progressive culture,” the fact is that this particular college dealt a major blow to Florida’s white supremacist movement...If someone like Derek Black, son of the [#KKK Grand Wizard] can change his mind with exposure to diversity, equality, and inclusion, what the hell will that do to people who weren’t raised to hate others?"
Hi, I'm a New College alum. I have been following this closely, so I can give you a run-down. (Also don't worry, you sounded fine!)
Background: New College of Florida is a small liberal arts college in Sarasota. It has around 800 students, and probably less next year. It does not have grades, it instead has narrative evaluations. There are no required classes beyond what is legally required for Common Core. As an Honors College, everyone is required to do an undergraduate thesis and defend it in front of a Baccalaureate Committee. I studied Environmental Science and I was able to create my own major (known as an Area of Concentration). I even designed an Independent Study Project that went in-depth on cholera.
As for what is happening now, the simple answer is that Governor DeSantis appointed a bunch of conservatives to the Board of Trustees (or BoT). One of these is Chris Rufo, the guy behind the CRT scare. They have been trying to systematically tear down the college. This has included things like firing the president and trying to change the school's curriculum and entrance requirements, with a conservative evangelical Christian angle.
For a more in-depth answer, here is a list of things they have done or are currently planning on doing. (i had it under a readmore but it looks like that fucks up the formatting)
They fired the previous president, even though she was ACTUALLY solving many of the issues including enrollment and bringing in donors. By every measure she was doing a great job. Of course, you can't hire DeSantis's cronies if someone else is in the position!
They fired a queer librarian a week before finals.
They denied five professors tenure, including two from the "woke" specialization of... organic chemistry.
They are currently they are trying to change the school mascot. It is, according to the student government constitution { }, AKA the null set. They want a mascot to be more marketable, not because students are asking for it. Most insultingly, they sent out a survey asking for students' "opinions" and one of the options they had was the Conquistadores. It's 2023, it's hilariously out of touch.
They removed the "DEI Department". Which didn't exist. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was part of the admissions and outreach department. New College isn't even big enough to have staff dedicated to that. They couldn't even fire anyone so they made a stupid show of "eliminating it" that did nothing.
They are trying to use the CLT, a Christian-based entrance exam, instead of the SAT. (Several alums have started adding an I after the CL.) Also, the formerly student-run cafe is now being run by a local business that has put (misspelled) bible verses on the cups.
They want to have a "classics" education, and require students to take specific courses. New College already teaches from "the greats" for many classes, but they don't actually know what the New College curriculum is. It will also almost certainly be from a Christian, western perspective, rather than the broader one that students currently get. New College teaches you HOW to think, it doesn't tell you to think a specific way.
They are trying to put in both a baseball and basketball team. That doesn't sound that bad on the surface but New College has barely enough students for ONE team, and that would have to be co-ed. It's a school of around 800 students. (Probably less next year). There's no way they qualify for competitive sports. It's a grift meant to give positions to friends of the BoT through cronyism. I genuinely feel sorry for any student transferring because they were promised a sports career.
Also, New College doesn't have sports and is proud of that fact. It's an attempt to ruin our culture by attracting students that didn't come here solely for learning. We even have a motto that our football team is "undefeated" (because we don't have one). They also want to make this a pipeline for students from Inspiration Academy specifically and are trying to make it easier to enter.
Finally, the cherry on top of the cake, and the reason that Mr. Gaiman gave this speech in the first place, is that they asked Scott Atlas to be speaker for commencement. He was one of the members of former President Trump's COVID taskforce and actively downplayed the threat of COVID. His speech was not about how students have a bright future and how they will do great things. No, it was full of self-congratulations, name-dropping, and lies about COVID. If I hadn't known what it was I would never guessed that it was a commencement speech. The only thing even remotely about the students was about standing up for your beliefs, even when people tell you you're wrong.
The people watching literally turned their backs on him and started chanting "Wrap it up!" which was pretty funny honestly. I enjoyed that. I'm pretty sure most people who attended did so to protest him. Also, the current president of the college didn't make a speech or hand out diplomas, probably because he knew how disliked he is.
Make no mistake, this is meant to be a test case. And when they are done here they will move on to other colleges, and conservatives will bring this to other states as well. That's why resisting is so important.
I will say a bright spot in all of this is the outpouring of support we have received. Thank you everyone who has reblogged this with a message of support. We appreciate it. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
New College students holding their own graduation ceremony with lawyer and civil rights activist Maya Wiley, instead of the official commencement staged by Republican Party apparatchiks.
The Republican apparatchiks who took over Florida’s New College scheduled a Trump propagandist as commencement speaker, so students are ditching to organize their own event.
"[Librarian Helene Gold] suggested the move 'feels like a deliberate and targeted attack on our students who need support now more than ever. Removing a key figure from the college's academic support team does not serve in the college's or students' best interest and feels like it was intended to actively demoralize and destabilize our community.'"
Chris Rufo is getting his way at #NewCollege. He understands the people are the battlefield.
It may feel good to walk out, rage quit, as several prominent faculty have done. It may very well be the best decision from a personal perspective. But it is ceding the only terrain that ultimately matters.
@LouisIngenthron if we could do a brain transplant, migrate into some new place its essence intact (though so much of its essence is wedded to that particular, extraordinary place) i might agree.
but faculty and students will just go elsewhere, and not the same elsewhere. there is no plausible land of milk and honey for the exodus. they just scatter to the wind.