Welcome to the new NCF.edu! New College was named the top public liberal arts college in America by Washington Monthly in 2023. Our rigorous classical education and robust environment of student life, intercollegiate athletics, and support systems for college success and career development make New College an ascendant choice for success-driven students. Learn more about your future at New College. Visit NCF.edu/Admissions today!

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College President Richard Corcoran proudly announces that esteemed entrepreneur and philanthropist Joe Ricketts will be the commencement speaker at this year’s graduation ceremony on Friday, May 17, 2024. Ricketts will deliver his address to a valued assembly of graduates and their families amidst the serene backdrop of the Sarasota Bayfront, adjacent to College Hall and the Historic Ringling Mansion.

A titan in the business realm, Ricketts boasts over 35 years of experience in building one of the largest brokerage firms, TD Ameritrade, recently sold to Charles Schwab. His visionary approach to recognizing market opportunities in the deregulated discount securities market, coupled with innovative technologies and distinctive marketing strategies, propelled TD Ameritrade into a global financial juggernaut after its inception as First Omaha Securities in 1975.

Beyond his illustrious business achievements, Ricketts is also celebrated for his family’s ownership of the Chicago Cubs, culminating in the end of the franchise’s century-long title drought with a historic World Series win in 2016. However, his impact extends far beyond the financial sector and realm of sports, as evidenced by his dedication to philanthropy and entrepreneurship.

Earlier this year, Ricketts embarked on a groundbreaking venture in Sarasota, announcing New College as the first institution in the nation to adopt a distance-learning curriculum from Ricketts Great Books College. This innovative initiative enables students worldwide to access a rigorous liberal arts education, with many eligible for scholarships that will allow them to graduate with little to no debt, thanks to Ricketts’ generous philanthropy.

“Joe Ricketts believes in the kind of education we hold dear at New College, a liberal arts education exploring the good, the true, and the beautiful,” Corcoran said. “Graduates of New College leave with the indelible lessons of how to think critically for themselves and not what to think by others. It has been a marvelous experience working with Joe over the last several months to provide a platform for students everywhere to learn timeless lessons from some of history’s greatest thinkers. We are honored to have him address our graduates this May.”

Some of Ricketts’s other notable ventures in entrepreneurship and philanthropy include Opportunity Education Foundation and Quest Forward Learning, The Cloisters on the Platte Foundation, Straight Arrow News, Village PieMaker, High Plains Bison, The Ricketts Conservation Foundation, and The Ricketts Art Foundation.

Ricketts is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, and a graduate of Creighton University. He resides in Little Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife of 60 years, Marlene.

New College’s commencement ceremony remains an exclusive affair, reserved for graduates and their invited guests.

For further insights into the transformative collaboration between New College and Ricketts Great Books College, please visit NCF.edu/Worldwide.

Associate Professor Sherry Yu teaches economics at New College and says she never imagined the sea change in student interest she is experiencing this semester.

“I’m seeing a complete difference in last year to this year,” said Yu, who has been at the College since 2014. “Definitely the largest (class) I’ve ever taught. It’s a totally different feeling for teaching right now.”

She says she now has dozens of first year and transfer students who are digging into their economics coursework, a huge surge at a small school where 25 students in a course is considered large. “It’s all going in the right direction,” said Yu who credits the new administration with positive improvements like adding full time tutors and an athletics program. “A lot of entering athletes are interested in economics.”

Compared to previous years, Yu says this semester’s incoming and transfer students exhibit more active participation in class, self-discipline and a desire to improve the campus culture.

“It used to be a clash of culture here,” said Yu. “Economics students were viewed as money makers having an adverse effect on our society.”

Yu says she had reached the point where she seriously considered leaving New College. She watched class sizes dwindle, motivation plummet and students complain that the ideology of some of their peers made them afraid to take her classes.

While 55 students are now enrolled in Principles of Economics, only one student graduated with an area of concentration (major course of study) in economics last semester. “I was very saddened by that,” said Yu who believes bullying was part of the problem. “Some students suggested that income inequality or climate effects were all because of capitalists and that businessmen were the reason for agonies in our society.”

Yu is adamant that a difference of opinion should not become a license for ridicule or labeling. “It’s the opposite of open mindedness,” Yu said.

She understands the value of respectful discourse better than most. Yu was born in China and grew up in Canada.  “I was not comfortable being a critical person,” said Yu.

But while studying finance at the University of Toronto, she mustered the moxie to push back on a professor who blamed the market collapse in 2008 on the actions of the Federal Reserve. Determined to seek out answers for herself, she pursued economics and earned her PhD from Boston University.

“I’m glad I was able to criticize something I was told and turn that into a profession,” Yu said.

She started her teaching career at New College and never left. Yu embraced its educational model that attracts curious thinkers and measures student performance with narrative evaluations rather than grades. She says an environment where students are free to study what they wish fosters the kind of critical thinking it took her years to embrace and express. Earlier this year, Yu and colleague Tarron Khemraj had inflation research published in the Eastern Economic Journal, a feat rarely accomplished in liberal arts schools.

“Every discipline should be appreciated, we value that as a society,” said Yu.

Yu is glad to find more of balance in viewpoints among her students. She sees a bright future ahead for the school and a rewarding experience for students who are choosing the course of study she also happens to love.

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida will host a Socratic Stage Dialogue Series Event: “Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Political Expression” on Wednesday, April 10, 6-7:30 p.m. at Sainer Auditorium, 5313 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. New College Trustee Dr. Mark Bauerlein will interview Presidential Scholar in Residence Dr. Stanley Fish on timely questions relating to academic freedom and political expression on college campuses. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested. Online registration is now open.

Among the important questions that will be discussed include:

“Mark Bauerlein and Stanley Fish are giants in the field of academia, and their conversation will be a can’t miss event within our community,” said New College President Richard Corcoran. “Dr. Bauerlein’s leadership on our Board of Trustees over the last year and Dr. Fish’s presence in the classroom this spring have been great assets for advancing New College on the path to being America’s number one liberal arts college.”

Dr. 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.

Dr. Stanley Fish brings more than 60 years of scholarship with him to New College, where he serves as a Presidential Scholar in Residence. His incredible career has included teaching stops at Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Cal Berkeley. There is a dedicated library archive of his work at the University of California, Irvine. He has held the title of Davidson-Kahn Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Law, Florida International University since 2005, and Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Chicago Tribune named Fish was Chicagoan of the Year for Culture in 2003. In the past thirty years, there have been some two hundred articles, books, parts of books, dissertations, review articles, etc., devoted to his work. Fish earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his master’s and Ph.D. at Yale. Professor Fish has published more than 20 books. His latest is Law at the Movies, Oxford 2024.

For more information, visit New College Office of Public Policy Events webpage.

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida welcomed principals and headmasters from esteemed private and public charter schools on February 22-23 for a transformative two-day engagement centered around the essence of classical liberal arts education. The event served as a platform for meaningful dialogue on the ethos of traditional liberal arts and its significance in shaping future leaders.

The two-day gathering hosted K-12 educational leaders on New College’s Sarasota Bay waterfront campus and embraced discussions on the challenges and opportunities inherent in contemporary learning paradigms and the future of higher education.

“It was a privilege to host academic leaders from diverse educational institutions and showcase firsthand the vibrant intellectual community happening at New College,” remarked President Richard Corcoran. “One of New College’s priorities is to nurture intellectual inquiry and personal growth for our students while preserving the critical thinking that a classical liberal arts education provides.”

The event featured members of the New College administration and guests, including Jeremy Tate, founder of the Classic Learning Test (CLT). Discussions included New College’s academic landscape, its world-class faculty and curriculum in Data Sciences, Marine Mammal Sciences, Economics, and Psychology, along with personalized educational opportunities, financial aid initiatives, and campus enhancements.

Highlighting recent milestones, New College marked its largest incoming class in 2023 and expects to exceed all admissions goals year on year. Additionally, New College is pioneering its distance-learning program and the introduction of a classical great books degree program in collaboration with Ricketts Great Books College. Notably, the Board’s approval of the Master’s of Marine Mammal Science program for 2024/2025 underscores New College’s commitment to excellence in graduate education.

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida has hired Bruce Gilley, Ph.D as a Presidential Scholar in Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year. Gilley is a distinguished professor of political science who will be on sabbatical from Portland State University in Oregon. He is one of the foremost scholars of democracy, political legitimacy, public policy, and global politics.

“Students have the opportunity to learn from some of the most brilliant minds in their fields when they attend New College,” said Richard Corcoran, President of New College. “Dr. Gilley’s scholarship in political science and public policy is exemplary, and his willingness to engage challenging and controversial topics in his work is welcome in the academic environment of free speech and civil discourse at New College.”

“New College’s commitment to academic freedom, free speech and civil discourse is exciting,” said Gilley. “I’m looking forward to joining New College and setting the example for how higher education can and should work in America.”

An author of four university-press books and dozens of scholarly articles, Gilley is perhaps best known for writing ‘The case for colonialism” in 2017. Originally published in Third World Quarterly, the publication later withdrew the article after hostile feedback that included threats of violence against the publication’s editor. It was republished the Spring 2018 issue of the National Association of Scholars’ journal Academic Questions.

Gilley was a Commonwealth Scholar at Oxford while earning his master’s degree and a Woodrow Wilson Scholar while completing his doctorate at Princeton.

New College is rapidly expanding its faculty hiring ahead of the 2024-2025 academic year to meet the demand of growing student enrollment. This new contingent of faculty will join what is already an excellent assembly of top-flight professors in implementing the Logos | Techne curriculum and carrying on the tradition of exceptionally individualized education offered at New College. Initiatives that began this year, like the first-year course in Homer’s Odyssey and the distance-learning great-books program will grow and flourish as well.

New College statement regarding AAUP sanctioning:

The AAUP lacks the authority to sanction New College of Florida, or any college or university for that matter. The recent announcement from the AAUP is a headline grab, echoing the sensationalistic tone of their report issued over two months ago. President Corcoran provided a comprehensive response to the report upon its release, which I have included below for your reference. Their persistent targeting of New College for any change they disagree with is clear evidence that New College is at the forefront of reforming higher education.

 

December 10, 2023 Response by President Corcoran to the AAUP’s special committee report:

We acknowledge that our passion and stance for educational freedom will be criticized by those who hold different perspectives.

What many do not know is that for many decades New College has faced significant challenges including deteriorating facilities and declining enrollment. It became imperative to develop a plan for growth before the school went insolvent, even if not all decisions during the transition were universally embraced.

Florida has always valued educational choice and freedom, principles we proudly espouse. Reports such as the AAUP’s shed extreme light on the polarized landscape taking place in higher education, and our position on classic liberal arts and educational freedom is a stance on which we will not yield.

New College’s focus lies in the incredible opportunities ahead for our growing student body, faculty, and staff, and we remain diligently committed to this. As we go forward into 2024, I look forward to coming together as a collective community of educators, faculty, and students who have traversed beyond the sensational press, and focus our inspiration on the rich history of excellence that has always been the baseline of New College.

It is important to note that the AAUP’s report does not align with our vision for New College nor the support we experience from our faculty and students. We are committed to cultivating a growing environment that encourages free inquiry, expression, and academic rigor. Our aspiration is to redefine higher education, fostering an era where profound scholarship and purposeful education thrive.

We extend an open invitation to visit our campus and welcome collaboration in building a more promising future for New College and higher education as a whole.

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida applauds Governor Ron DeSantis for instructing Florida’s public colleges and universities, which collectively rank as the nation’s best public higher education system, to “waive certain transfer application requirements that would otherwise unnecessarily burden the transfer of Jewish students who have a well-founded fear of antisemitic persecution at their current postsecondary institution.” This directive is an important and necessary escalation from New College’s November directive by President Richard Corcoran to provide a haven for students “facing intolerance or physical danger” at Harvard University—or elsewhere.

“Governor DeSantis has made Florida a model for our nation, and the fervor with which he is standing up for the oppressed and those left behind by elitist university administrators is bold leadership,” said Corcoran. “New College is eager to welcome students from across America facing danger from the latest wave of identity politics. All students should feel comfortable being open and vocal about their identities without fearing for their personal safety.  We are proud to belong to a state and a university system taking the lead in protecting Jewish students amidst the disturbing rise of campus antisemitism—particularly given the abdication of leadership we all saw when the Presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania testified before Congress.”

Governor DeSantis, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, and Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. have offered the following support to Jewish students facing discrimination:

Governor DeSantis additionally urged colleges and universities, at their discretion, to use their existing statutory authority to grant out-of-state tuition waivers on a case-by-case basis for those students who may have a financial hardship when transferring from another state to a Florida postsecondary institution. New College will begin reviewing prospective cases on these terms without delay.

As we have stated before and will hold true in perpetuity: New College will not tolerate violence, intimidation, harassment, or threats against the Jewish Community, or any other group. Free speech and expression, with the goal of fostering civil discourse, are required at New College.

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida is debuting a version of its liberal arts degree in Spring 2024 that will feature classes offered through distance learning, supported by live video-conferencing seminars and discussion groups so that it will be accessible to students everywhere. The liberal arts curriculum spans the period from Ancient Greece to the modern age, and planned program outcomes include a four-year bachelor’s degree, a two-year associate degree, and a one-year certificate.

New College was established on the foundation of great western traditions in the liberal arts. The New College faculty-led program includes Ricketts Great Books College materials and will expand access to these timeless lessons to a global audience. This program will empower students with a liberal arts education adapted for life in an ever-changing world by providing curriculum based on essential teachings from the greatest thinkers in history.  

“For college students today, it is essential they learn how to think, before embarking on a specialization and learning what to think” said Joe Ricketts, founder of Ricketts Great Books College. Ricketts added, “For 2,500 years this knowledge has been the bedrock of teaching students how to think independently. New College’s liberal arts degree, working in collaboration with Ricketts Great Books College, helps them develop critical thinking skills better than any other approach. It covers timeless ideas over the first year, then explores those ideas in depth to unearth their modern and forward-thinking applications during subsequent semesters.”   

“This effort expands the reach of New College’s offerings and further distinguishes our Honors College from our peers,” said New College President Richard Corcoran. “This program will allow us to reach constituencies of all ages and in all locations and help to create generations of better leaders, entrepreneurs, parents, and fully engaged citizens.”  

The new distance learning courses will be taught by New College faculty. The program will be overseen by Dr. David Allen Harvey, who was recently appointed as the inaugural dean of the Center for the Study of Western Civilization. Harvey, who holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History from Princeton, is tenured and has taught at New College since 2000. He is the former chair of the Division of Social Sciences and Chair of the Faculty, and former chair of the Educational Policy Committee.

“I am honored to have been selected by President Corcoran to lead this exciting new venture,” said Harvey. “The Great Books form part of the shared cultural heritage of humanity, and I am pleased that we will be expanding our reach to offer a classical liberal arts education to students who have not previously had access to this transformative learning experience.”

Mr. Ricketts has generously pledged scholarship funding to the program so that the projected tuition cost of a bachelor’s degree will be less than $12,000. With the scholarship, each 4-credit course will cost eligible students less than $160. The scholarship rewards students for investing in themselves, working hard and seeing the program through to completion. The Ricketts Scholarship will be administered through the New College Foundation.  

“The Ricketts Scholarship is one of the least restrictive scholarships in the nation, benefitting not just under-resourced learners but also those who may be pursuing college on non-traditional timelines later in life or after discovering the pitfalls of seeking higher education at an institution with higher costs and lower results,” said New College Foundation Executive Director Sydney Gruters. 

The program is designed to suit everyone from recent high school graduates to advanced lifelong learners. After completing their A.A. degree, students will have the option of continuing as distance education students to a B.A. degree or finishing their studies at New College’s beautiful Sarasota Bay campus to combine their Great Books studies with other academic programs offered by the college. The four-year completion of the program involves eight 16-credit semesters. All students completing the program will be invited to attend New College’s traditional May graduation ceremony. 

The program is launching for the Spring 2024 semester, which begins January 29, with three courses: Euclid’s Elements, Plato, and History of Ideas Part 1. The History of Ideas is an eight-part sequence covering Western Intellectual History from ancient Greece to modern America. The program is designed so that students may take the history of ideas sequence to understand the broad framework of intellectual history and then take individual courses for a deep dive into subjects of interest. More courses will be added with each semester. 

New College is the smallest of 12 institutions in the State University System of Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have provided an infusion of new leadership and financial appropriations to allow the College to reclaim its past stature among America’s great liberal arts schools. The offering of a program that takes classical learning to students outside of the historic and magnificent Sarasota campus is a leap forward in New College’s rebirth. 

More information may be found at ncf.edu/worldwide. 

Applications for the program are being accepted now at apply.ncf.edu. Rolling admission will be offered, with the first course offerings set to coincide with the start of New College’s Spring 2024 semester on January 29. Enrollment is limited. Prospective applicants should contact Alex Muller at 941-487-4476 or [email protected] for questions regarding the application process. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

SARASOTA, Fla. — The inaugural New College Athletics Gala will be held Saturday, February 3, 2024, 5:30 p.m. at College Hall, 351 College Drive, Sarasota. New College added intercollegiate sports in 2023 and is preparing to enter the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the prestigious Sun Conference this fall. Funds raised at the Gala will support scholarships to allow New College to recruit top scholar-athletes from across America and internationally. Tickets cost $100 and are available online by visiting GoMightyBanyans.com.

“The addition of intercollegiate athletics has impacted New College in numerous ways, increasing enrollment, improving the vibrancy of student life, and emerging as a shared source of pride for students, faculty and staff,” said New College President Richard Corcoran. “Athletics will continue to play a vital role in fulfilling our vision to be the best liberal arts college in America.”

The evening’s setting is on the New College Bayfront, featuring majestic views of Sarasota Bay. Wear cocktail attire and prepare to enjoy a relaxed evening featuring casino-style games. Tickets include play money to be used at gaming tables throughout the night. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, and a cash bar will be available. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still being offered.

New College began its athletics program with six teams in 2023-2024, including baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s soccer. Next year the Mighty Banyans will compete in a dozen sports, with ambitious expansion plans for the next several years.

“The New College Athletics Gala is an important event for creating scholar-athlete scholarships that will allow our athletics program to continue its rapid growth,” said Mariano Jimenez, Jr., Vice President, Athletics and Recruitment.

For more information, email [email protected], call 941-487-4105, or visit GoMightyBanyans.com.