SARASOTA, Fla. — A new virtual degree program that is coming on board at the New College of Florida this spring semester has already raised concerns among faculty.
A symbolic resolution was approved at a recent meeting by some faculty members with a 25-1 vote against the plan.
According to some faculty members who spoke with 10 Tampa Bay, the online curriculum falls short for a variety of reasons including what they describe as a lack of transparency.
"Honestly the specific concern is process, right? It is about consultation and hearing," Dr. Sarah Hernandez, a faculty member, said.
"We were not a part of the conversation of how to make it so that it's properly linked to the current program, and is a well-done and well-structured idea," she added.
The program is in collaboration with Ricketts Great Books College which is a classical online educational platform founded by philanthropist Joe Ricketts.
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It would offer online courses to students from anywhere in the world on subjects that range from Ancient Greece to the modern age.
According to the curriculum's information page on the college's website, the distance learning courses debut at the end of the month and will feature live video-conferencing seminars and discussion groups so that they will be accessible to students as long as they have internet access.
Students can earn a Bachelor's degree, an Associate degree, or a one-year certificate at a low cost.
"There's a course on Plato, there's a course on Euclid, and there's a course on the ideas of history. Those will be the first three spring offerings beginning January 29 and they will be led by New College faculty," Richard Corcoran, the president of New College, said.
"It all allows them to get the best education in the history of the world, and beyond a part of being a level of education with anybody in the world," Joe Ricketts, founder of Ricketts Great Books College, said.
Part of the program's aim according to New College's leaders is to help make higher education not just accessible but also affordable and with incentives.
"It's Florida tuition, it's $7,000. You would get back all of that out and they still end up with only the $12,000 of cost to themselves based on the process of succeeding in getting reimbursed," Corcoran said.
"Let's say we charge $5,000 for a semester, we have to receive the $5,000 but then when the student completes the semester they get $4,000 back so they only get the refund or the low cost if they're successful," Ricketts explained.
But despite this, one faculty member said she and her colleagues still have many questions.
"This is a residential college — how is that going to happen? There are three courses listed for that. You don't make a BA out of three courses, so how is that going to be truly incorporated with the current programming?" Hernandez asked rhetorically.
Other critics of the college's leadership said this was yet another example of what they saw as ill-conceived plans that have plagued the Sarasota liberal arts college in the past year.
"We're in the state of Florida where college administration is being run by professionals that are not necessarily academic professionals, so there's a risk that you end up with a leadership that's not really in a position to determine what the curriculum should be," Jono Miller, an NCF Freedom activist, said.
"You go online and look for information about this program. there's not really anything there. We're going to be the guinea pig and it looks like the requirements, the admission requirements are not that steep," Miller said.
"We have no voice so we have been avoided prevented from having a voice," Hernandez added.
The university is defending the online program, saying it has made great strides toward restoring its stature as America's top liberal arts institution.
New College's Full Statement:
"New College has made great strides toward restoring its stature as America’s top liberal arts institution. Many other elite colleges and universities, including 10 in our State University System (FAMU, FAU, FGCU, FIU, FSU, UCF, UF, UNF, USF, and UWF) offer distance learning programs to extend a great education to students across the country and the world. It’s illogical to argue New College should not pursue the same avenue.
New College is starting the process by offering its existing degree program for the liberal arts in a distance learning format. We are appreciative of our faculty members that are actively involved with the program and are furthering New College by offering virtual instruction. Hard work was required to assemble and launch the first fully virtual degree program in New College’s history, and we will expand upon that work in the weeks and months ahead."
Timeline of Controversies
For the last year, New College of Florida has seen a lot of changes on campus.
JAN. 9, 2023: New Appointees to Board of Trustees
It all started on Jan. 9, 2023, when then-President Dr. Patricia Okker announced new appointments to the board of trustees made by the state governor.
JAN. 31: Board Votes to remove President Okker.
A few weeks later, that same board voted to remove Okker as the school's president with board members saying she was not the right fit anymore for the future of the college. The move was greeted by protests by students and community members and dubbed a hostile take-over of the liberal arts college.
FEB. 13: Richard Corcoran named Interim President
In February, the board appointed former education commissioner Richard Corcoran as the college's new Interim President.
MAY 15: Governor Desantis signs DEI Bill into law
In May, Florida Governor Ron Desantis used New College as a backdrop when he signed Senate Bill 266 into law. The new law addressed the use of DEI programs at state colleges and universities and effectively abolished such practices.
OCT. 3: Board selects Richard Corcoran as President
In October, Corcoran was officially named President of New College to lead it on a new path towards a more conservative and traditionally classical education-focused curriculum with the addition of athletic programs.