The Florida Constitution provides that each state university shall be administered by a board of trustees consisting of 13 members dedicated to the purpose of the State University System. Six citizen members are appointed by Florida’s Governor and five citizen members are appointed by the Florida Board of Governors. In addition, the chair of the faculty and the president of the student body serve on the board.

The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Both the presiding officer of the board and a majority of other voting members of the board are free of any contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. The President of New College serves as Secretary to the Board, but is not a voting member of the Board of Trustees.

Under Florida Statutes, the Board of Trustees is established as a public body corporate with all the attendant powers and obligations of a public instrumentality. In addition to its Constitutional and Statutory authority, the Board of Trustees is afforded rights and responsibilities under the Regulations of the Florida Board of Governors.

The Board of Trustees is vested with a broad range of authority and responsibilities for governing and managing New College. Its specific powers and duties include responsibility for making cost-effective policy decisions, authority to adopt rules, authority to acquire and to dispose of real and personal property and for controlling college-owned property, responsibility to establish degree programs, and generally, authority and responsibility to do all things needed to administer New College. The Board has the authority to take action whether recommended by the President or not, and can direct the President to deliver all information required by the Board.

Chapter 2 of the New College Regulations Manual identifies the specific rights, duties, and powers of the New College of Florida Board of Trustees.

The New College of Florida is committed to promoting transparency and opportunity for public comment regarding the governance of the New College. The regular form of communication with the Board (by members of the faculty, staff, students, and the general public) is either by electronic means or in writing. However, the board sets aside time during full board meetings for members of the public who wish to be heard regarding an action item on the agenda.

A request to speak during the public comment portion of a Board meeting must meet the following guidelines:

  • Submit a request to speak to the Board of Trustees Liaison no later than two days or forty-eight hours in advance of the full board meeting scheduled.
  • Speakers must specify the matter on which they wish to speak that is specific to an action item on the agenda.
  • A group of individuals wishing to address the Board on a common proposition will have to designate a representative to speak on its behalf to ensure the orderly presentation of information to the Board.
  • Individuals and representatives of groups will be allotted three minutes; however, this time limit may be extended or shortened (at the discretion of the Chair) depending upon the number of speakers.
  • Only one speaker will be permitted to speak at a time. No one will be permitted to speak on behalf of someone else.
  • If there are time constraints this request cannot be accommodated and the comments can be received in writing and added to the record.
  • The Board Chair may decline to hear any matter determined not to relate to a particular action item or that is outside the Board’s jurisdiction.
  • Requests to speak during the public comment section of a meeting require submitting an online request form that will become live once the agenda is published for the upcoming meeting: February 22 Meeting: https://ncf.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8jBTteCJbh78ebA

Upcoming Meetings

To see and attend upcoming meetings, see the below link. In accordance with the Sunshine Law, the public is invited to listen and observe these meetings. View Meetings

Board Members

Mark Bauerlein is Professor Emeritus of English at Emory University and an editor at First Things magazine.  In 2003–‘05, he served as the Director, Office of Research and Analysis, at the National Endowment for the Arts. He is the author or editor of 11 books, including Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 (2001) and The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (2008). His essays have appeared in Yale Review, Partisan Review, Wilson Quarterly, PMLA, and Philosophy and Literature. Apart from his scholarly work, Dr. Bauerlein publishes in popular periodicals such as New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education. He has been interviewed by media outlets more than 500 times, including spots on CNN, Fox News, NPR, BBC World Today, CBS News, Nightline, PBS Frontline, and 20/20.  Bauerlein earned his doctorate in English from UCLA.

Ron Christaldi is a partner in the law firm of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, LLP where he has a broad practice, comprised of both transactions and complex litigation. Ron also serves as the President/CEO of Shumaker Advisors Florida LLC, a government relations and public affairs firm. He has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Florida and one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Ron served as the past Chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber. He also has served a variety of organizations including the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, Friends of the Riverwalk, Inc., City of Tampa Charter Review Commission, Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts, Creative Tampa Bay, Inc., City of Tampa Creative Industries Council and the Tampa Theatre Facility Master Plan Task Force among other groups. Trustee Christaldi received his bachelor’s degree from New College of Florida, his master’s degree from Florida State University, and his law degree from Florida State University College of Law. His term began on January 6, 2020 and ends on January 6, 2025.

Debra A. Jenks is a Floridian and lawyer in Palm Beach County. She practices in the areas of securities arbitration, litigation, registration, and regulation. She graduated from New College of Florida in 1980 with a degree in Economics, and earned her juris doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon in 1983.

Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., is the President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is the author or co-author of five books, and his research has been cited by two U.S. Supreme Court justices, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas, in two Supreme Court cases. Anderson received his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, and he received his doctoral degree in political philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. His dissertation was titled: “Neither Liberal Nor Libertarian: A Natural Law Approach to Social Justice and Economic Rights.” In addition to leading the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Anderson serves as the John Paul II Teaching Fellow in Social Thought at the University of Dallas, and the Founding Editor of Public Discourse, the online journal of the Witherspoon Institute of Princeton, New Jersey. 

Dr. Karp attended the University of Florida where he obtained a Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Dental Medicine, and General Dentistry Residency. He currently serves on the National University of Florida Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Manatee Technical College Dental Assisting Advisory Board, and the Florida Blue Key Alumni Advisory Board. Since March 2010, he has served as President of the Sarasota Sheriff’s Activities League, a not-for-profit board associated with the Sheriff’s Office of Sarasota County. The board works with the Sheriff, local law enforcement, local businesses, and community members to coordinate and raise funding for programs that provide local youth with safe, experiential educational opportunities. He is the owner and President of Sarasota Dental Group. Dr. Karp was appointed by the Board of Governors for a term beginning on January 7, 2021 and ending on January 6, 2026.

Grace Keenan is the 2023 President of the New College Student Alliance (NCSA), NCF’s Student Government.

Dr. Kesler is the is the Dengler-Dykema Distinguished Professor of Government at Claremont-McKenna College and Editor of the Claremont Review of Books. Dr. Kesler is the author of many books, including most recently The Crisis of the Two Constitutions. Kesler earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate degree in government from Harvard University.

Jacquot, of Jacksonville, is a Shareholder of Gunster Law Firm. He is a veteran of the United States Navy and previously served as the General Counsel for the Executive Office of the Governor. He is a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association and Leadership Florida. Jacquot earned his bachelor’s degree in political and social thought from the University of Virginia and his juris doctor from the University of Florida.

Dr. Sarah Mackie is an Optometrist and Co-owner and Vice President of Eye Center, Inc. She founded the Eye Center Vision Foundation in 2013 to provide free eye exams and a full set of glasses to underprivileged students in Manatee County. She is an active member of the PTO at Palmetto Charter School and is an active member (and former member of the Executive Board) of the Junior League of Manatee County. She is currently a member at large of 100 Women Who Care – Manatee, a group of women interested in supporting the local community by combining donations to impact local charities. Dr. Mackie was appointed by the Board of Governors for a term that began on November 5, 2020 and ends on January 6, 2025.

Rufo is a Senior Fellow for the Manhattan Institute. He is also a writer and  filmmaker. As a filmmaker, Rufo has directed four documentaries for PBS, Netflix, and international television, including America Lost, which tells the  story of three “forgotten American cities.” In recent years, Rufo has led the fight against critical race theory in American institutions. Rufo’s research and activism inspired a presidential order and legislation in fifteen states, where he has worked closely with conservative governors and lawmakers to craft  successful public policy. Rufo has been featured in the Wall Street Journal,  New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. Rufo earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s degree from Harvard University. 

Amy B. Reid is the Chair of the NCF Faculty and the Faculty Representative on the Board of Trustees. She is Professor of French and Director of the Gender Studies Program and has been a member of the NCF Faculty since 1995. She earned an AB from Colgate University (1986), and an MA (1989) and PhD (1996) from Yale University. Her current research focuses on contemporary literature from francophone Africa and the Diaspora. She is an award-winning literary translator, collaborating with contemporary authors including: Véronique Tadjo, Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice (Ayebia Clarke, 2009) and Far from my Father, (CARAF, UVA Press, 2014); Patrice Nganang, Dog Days (CARAF, UVA Press, 2006), and the Cameroon Trilogy, Mount Pleasant (FSG, 2016), When the Plums are Ripe (FSG, 2019), and A Trail of Crab Tracks (FSG, 2022); Mutt-Lon, The Blunder (Amazon Crossing, 2022); and Blaise Ndala, In the Belly of the Congo (Other Press and Scribner Canada, 2023). She received both a translation grant from the NEA, in 2016, and a French Voices Award, in 2017, for When the Plums are Ripe, and an Honorable Mention for the MLA’s Lois Roth Award in 2017 for Mount Pleasant.

Don Patterson has a long history of both business success and notable philanthropy, and recently co-chaired the New College Foundation’s Annual Clambake. Patterson spent 40 years in the communications industry, culminating in his role as co-founder and CEO of Ascend Wireless Networks, taking the business from startup to acquisition by a private equity firm in less than 10 years.

Patterson has a long track record of supporting the underserved in the Sarasota community, holding numerous high-level roles with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast. He led the creation of “Stay Safe” in partnership with the Salvation Army, an initiative that serves as an emergency alternative for women victims of abuse as a result of being homeless. He attended the first conference by the Department of Justice to address the emerging Human Trafficking crisis, and “Stay Safe” continues to work in Sarasota to this day.

As a community leader in Sarasota, he funded the creation of the “Thursday Night Market” in the Rosemary District, reviving traffic flow to businesses in the area post-pandemic. He is also an accomplished marathoner and Ironman.

Dr. Spalding is the Kirby Professor in Constitutional Government at Hillsdale College and the Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C., campus. As Vice President for  Washington Operations, he also oversees the Allan P. Kirby Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship and the academic and educational programs of Hillsdale in the nation’s capital. Dr. Spalding earned his bachelor’s degree from Claremont- McKenna College and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from Claremont Graduate School. 

Meeting Materials & Past Minutes of the Board of Trustees

The meeting materials and minutes from prior Board meetings are posted below in PDF format. The agenda for upcoming meetings of the Board of Trustees will be posted here 7 days in advance of the scheduled meeting.

Thursday, January 11, 2024 – CANCELED

Friday, February 9, 2024

Friday, February 16, 204

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Thursday, March 14, 2024 – CANCELED

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

  • Academic and External Affairs Standing Committee Meeting

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Thursday, October 10, 2024 (Virtual)

Thursday, December 12, 2024 (Virtual)

Monday, December 11, 2023 (Virtual)

Monday, November 6, 2023 (Virtual)

Friday, October 20, 2023 (Virtual)

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Friday, September 15, 2023

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Monday, July 31, 2023

Friday, July 28, 2023:

Monday, July 17, 2023:

Thursday, July 6, 2023:

Friday, June 23, 2023

Friday, June 16, 2023:

Thursday, June 1, 2023:

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

Monday, April 17th, 2023

Wednesday, April 26, 2023:

Friday, March 24th, 2023

Tuesday, February 28, 2023:

Tuesday, February 21, 2023:

Monday, February 13, 2023:

Tuesday, January 31, 2023:

Wednesday, January 25, 2023:

Monday, January 23, 2023:

Tuesday, December 6, 2022: Approved Minutes

Tuesday, October 18, 2022: Approved Minutes

Saturday, August 27, 2022: Approved Minutes

Wednesday, August 10, 2022: Approved Minutes

Wednesday, June 22, 2022: Approved Minutes

Tuesday, April 19, 2022: Approved Minutes

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 : Approved Minutes

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 : Approved Minutes

Friday, December 10, 2021:  Draft Minutes

Tuesday, October 19, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Monday, September 13, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Saturday, August 21, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Wednesday, July 7, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Saturday, June 5, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Tuesday, April 20, 2021: Approved Minutes

Monday, March 22, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Tuesday, February 23, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Thursday, February 11, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Monday, January 8, 2021:  Approved Minutes

Monday, December 7, 2020:  Approved Minutes

Tuesday, October 27, 2020:  Approved Minutes

Saturday, August 29, 2020: 

Saturday, June 6, 2020:  Virtual meeting via Zoom

Tuesday, April 21:  Virtual meeting via Zoom

Tuesday, February 25:  Sudakoff Conference Center

Tuesday, January 21: Sudakoff Conference CenterApproved Minutes

Wednesday, December 4:  Conference Call

Tuesday, October 22:  Sudakoff Conference Center

Saturday, September 14:  College Hall Music Room

Saturday, June 8: Sudakoff Conference Center

Friday, May 31: 2019 Ad Hoc Presidential Evaluation Committee Approved Minutes

Tuesday, April 23: Sudakoff Conference Center

Tuesday, April 16: 2019 Ad Hoc Presidential Evaluation Committee Approved Minutes

Tuesday, Feb. 26:  Sudakoff Conference Center

Tuesday, Feb. 5:  Sudakoff Conference Center – Approved minutes

Monday, Dec. 17: Cook Hall, Room 120 – Approved minutes

Saturday, Oct. 20:  Sudakoff Conference Center

Saturday Sept. 8, Board of Trustees Annual Meeting

Monday, Aug. 13: BOT Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, Cook Hall Conference Room 120 – Approved Minutes July 17, 2018: BOT Joint Strategic Planning and Ad Hoc Governance Committee Meeting with Internal College Strategic Planning Committee – Approved Minutes​ ​July 16, 2018: New Trustee Orientation – Approved Minutes

June 9, 2018: Board of Trustees Meeting — Approved Minutes

June 7, 2018: Ad Hoc Governance Committee Approved Minutes

June 4, 2018: Ad hoc Student Housing Committee Approved Minutes

May 30, 2018: Ad Hoc Committee on Presidential Evaluation and Compensation Approved Minutes

April 20, 2018: Trustee Orientation Approved Minutes

April 2, 2018: Ad hoc Committee on Presidential Evaluation and Compensation Approved Minutes

March 20, 2018: Ad hoc Committee on Board Governance Approved Minutes

March 3, 2018: Board of Trustees Meeting Approved Minutes

February 16, 2018: Board of Trustees Teleconference Approved Minutes

January 17, 2018: Board of Trustees Meeting Approved Minutes

November 4, 2017: Board of Trustees Annual Meeting — Approved Minutes

October 10, 2017: Board of Trustees Teleconference — Approved Minutes

September 28, 2017: Audit and Compliance Committee Meeting — Approved Minutes

September 19, 2017: Strategic Planning Committee Meeting — Approved Minutes

September 9, 2017: Board of Trustees Annual Meeting – Postponed

August 18, 2017: Ad hoc Board Appraisal Committee Meeting — Draft Minutes

July 10, 2017: Board of Trustees Meeting — Approved Minutes

June 10, 2017: Board of Trustees Meeting — Approved Minutes

June 6, 2017 Ad hoc BOT Presidential Evaluation and Contract Committee Meeting — Approved Minutes

May 22, 2017 Ad hoc BOT Presidential Evaluation and Contract Committee Meeting — Draft Minutes

April 28, 2017 BOT Teleconference Meeting — Approved Meeting Minutes

April 10, 2017 Ad hoc BOT Presidential Evaluation Committee Meeting — Approved Minutes

March 11, 2017 Board of Trustees Meeting — Approved Meeting Minutes