Rekubit Exchange:Dropout rate at New College of Florida skyrockets since DeSantis takeover

SARASOTA,Rekubit Exchange Fla. — Students are dropping out of New College of Florida at historic rates this year, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a political takeover of the public liberal arts school.

New College of Florida lost more than twice the normal number of students it usually does between fall 2022 and this year, according to a report sent to faculty from the college's provost Wednesday. Meanwhile, the school has launched an athletics department to attract new students.

The college also had "by far" the lowest retention rate of first-year students in the college's history, at 64.9%, Interim Provost Brad Thiessen wrote. The drop in retention rate and the spike in the departure rate followed the dramatic overhaul launched by DeSantis early this year with the appointment of six new members to the board of trustees, who fired the sitting president and appointed Florida's former education commissioner Richard Corcoran as president.

How many students left New College of Florida?

Between fall 2022 and the start of this latest academic year, Thiessen said 27% of New College's 691 students left the school, the equivalent of about 186 students. That compares with 13% and 14% the prior two years, respectively, according to the report, or about 93 students per year.

Despite the spike in departures from New College, its total enrollment for this fall was 733 students, 41 more than the previous year. The college enrolled a record number of incoming students for this semester at 325 students, an increase of 137 students from the previous year, according to the college's posted fact book.

The swelling enrollment followed the departure of more than a third of faculty after the spring 2023 semester. In April, the trustees voted to deny tenure to five faculty members who had been scheduled to receive it.

New College spokesperson Nathan March said the metrics were "remarkably unacceptable" and showed the need for new leadership to intervene.

"The real story is despite the difficult circumstances New College found itself in, overall enrollment increased by more than 40 students and we achieved record enrollment for first-time students — breaking past 300 new students for the first time in the school’s 63-year history," March said. "New College will be the best liberal arts school in the country."

Amy Reid, head of the gender studies department at New College and board of trustees faculty representative, said the retention numbers and the loss in faculty show the challenges facing the college. The school's leadership needs to express a clear vision to students, she said.

"I hope that the administration is going to be able to articulate a clear and inspiring vision for the college," Reid said. "And that goes beyond just saying, 'Being the best.'"

The tumultuous last year at New College

New College President Richard Corcoran and the board members were this year tasked with transforming New College into a more classical liberal arts school, akin to the Christian, conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan.

The school's leadership moved quickly to dissolve the college's diversity department, abolish the gender studies program, fire an LGBTQ librarian and deny tenure to the faculty members set to receive it.

Meanwhile, in this year's U.S. News and World Report rankings of top liberal arts colleges in the country, New College dropped 24 spots to No. 100.

Corcoran established an athletics department to drive up enrollment numbers, which increased first-year enrollment to a record figure. However, increased enrollment came with a decrease in overall grade point average and test scores, which historically helped the school earn a national reputation as a top public liberal arts college.

Student-athletes were given priority in housing assignments as the college shuttered dorms on campus due to mold issues. The influx of students combined with the restricted housing supply has caused a housing crisis on campus, pushing most new and returning students who aren't student-athletes into living at off-campus hotels.

In September, the college had at least two federal civil rights complaints filed against it. One complaint involved a lack of disability access on the college's website. As of late September, the college settled the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.

A separate complaint filed to the department two days earlier alleged an ongoing trend of discrimination against "protected groups" such as LGBTQ students, and the creation of a hostile environment toward those students. The agency has not responded to inquiries about whether it is investigating that complaint.