State Budget Funds Major Projects at New College

Florida’s budget, approved today, funds two major initiatives at New College of Florida: construction of the Heiser Natural Sciences Complex expansion, and programming at the Center for Engagement and Opportunity, or CEO, the College’s career services program.

The budget sets aside $3 million for the first phase of the Heiser expansion, a 22,000-square-foot addition that will increase classroom, office and laboratory space by about 50 percent. It also includes $500,000 to support the CEO, which has dramatically increased the number of internships offered to New College students.

The state legislature approved the budget on Friday, June 19. Gov. Rick Scott signed the budget this morning, eliminating by line-item veto $461.4 million in spending projects, but approving the New College proposals.

“We’re pleased that the legislature and governor chose to support these two projects,” said John Martin, vice president of finance and administration at New College. “They are closely aligned with the state’s goals of producing more graduates who are trained in science and mathematics, and well prepared to meet workforce needs now and in the future.”

The Heiser expansion, expected to begin in April 2016, will add teaching labs for bioinformatics, molecular biology, earth science, bio-organic chemistry, and biology and environmental studies. Nearly one-third of New College graduates concentrate in science and mathematics, and every semester, more than half of the College’s students take at least one science course.

The governor’s action follows the state Board of Governors’ restoration last week of another $540,000 to New College’s budget, money initially withheld under the Board’s performance metrics system. The Board has now restored the entire $1.1 million it withheld in June 2014.