Is New College of Florida accredited? Where is it? What to know about its transformation

In January, Governor Ron DeSantis started overhauling one of Florida’s smallest, most unique colleges. The New College of Florida, which is in Sarasota, is a small public liberal arts college that’s been around since 1960.

Over the summer, DeSantis appointed six conservative trustees to the college’s leadership to begin replacing the nearly 40-faculty members that left the school following his efforts to rehaul it. That’s a pretty impactful number for a school that only had about 700 students enrolled last year. Over 100 of those students chose not to return this year.

The new and sparse leadership of the college fired the college’s former president, Patricia Okker, dissolved the diversity, equity and inclusion office, and denied five faculty members tenure. But staff aren’t the only ones feeling the effects of the rushed and messy transition from liberal arts to conservative college.

Why did students leave New College?

Many would-be returning students this year chose to transfer to different schools that would best fit their areas of concentration (this is what the New College of Florida calls majors) after a lack of faculty led to a lacking course catalog.

Only weeks before they were supposed to return to campus, New College students struggled against last-second class cancellations, changes to their housing assignments and some questioned their ability to complete their mandatory senior capstone projects under the school’s changing leadership.

But USA TODAY reported in July that these changes and the exodus of faculty and returning students didn’t hinder the school from taking on plenty of new students this year.

Admissions data showed that the conservative makeovers of the school succeeded in drawing a record number of incoming students for the 2023-24 school year, largely driven by student-athlete recruitment, according to USA TODAY.

“The increased enrollment also came with a decrease in overall grade point average and test scores,” USA TODAY reported. “Markers that historically had helped the school earn a national reputation as a top public liberal arts college.”

Here are the basics of what the New College of Florida is, or was, without diving into the complicated lawsuit that Florida College students and professors filed against education officials over DeSantis’s alleged violation of their rights by his censoring of academic freedom.

Who is the new president of the New College of Florida?

The interim president, Richard Corcoran, last month was voted into the permanent role. He has been a Florida attorney for over 20 years and served as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 through 2018. In 2018, Corcoran was appointed by DeSantis to serve as the state's commissioner of education, a position he resigned from in 2022 to start a law and consulting firm.

Corcoran joined the New College as its interim president in February.

What kind of college is New College of Florida?

The New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college that offers over 50 undergraduate majors and one master’s degree program in data science. New College was built on an innovative educational model, which boasts a more intimate learning environment and a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, according to the State University System of Florida.

Is New College of Florida an accredited school?

Colleges do not have to be accredited by the federal government or government agencies.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Accreditation in the United States involves non-governmental entities (accrediting organizations) as well as federal and state government agencies.”

The New College of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees.

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Does New College have sports?

Last week, only six months after the launch of its athletics department, New College of Florida was approved to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Starting in July 2024, The New College of Florida Mighty Banyans will compete in the Sun Conference with colleges like Ave Maria University, College of Coastal Georgia, Keiser University and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

The college's website lists six sports that it will compete in: baseball, softball, basketball (men's and women's) and soccer (men's and women's).

Where in Florida is New College located?

The New College is in north Sarasota County, about 50 miles away from Tampa, a few miles from downtown Sarasota, near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

What is the New College of Florida known for?

U.S. News and World Report ranked The New College of Florida in the top 10 public universities in the country, at No. 6, but 100th (dropping 24 spots) in National Liberal Arts Schools. It ranked high for its graduation rate and diversity. It's known for its alternative, intimate approach to education and emphasis on environmentalism.

The New College’s graduation rate hovers around 64%. Over half of its student body is female, with 68% of its students being women and 30% of the students enrolled are minorities. There are also no fraternities or sororities at The New College.

The campus is on the bay, giving students a taste of life on the water. And students live in theme-based housing that organizes housing assignments by interests, like sustainability, writing, outdoor adventure and international culture.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What is the New College of Florida? Is it an accredited university?