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Student-led protest at New College calls out 'extravagant' president salary, DEI criticism

Samantha Gholar
Sarasota Herald-Tribune

SARASOTA — Outraged and disappointed students led a protest for educational freedom Tuesday morning on the liberal arts campus of New College of Florida ahead of the latest Board of Trustees meeting that included a discussion of various changes to the culture of the school.  

Around 300 gathered peacefully as many hoisted signs that denounced the overhauls on the table. Concerns over dismantling the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and related outreach offices, budget funding, curriculum criticism, and student life were brought to the forefront as speaker after speaker addressed the large crowd of faculty, students, and advocates. 

Protest for educational freedom was held Tuesday morning, Feb. 28, 2023, on the liberal arts campus of New College of Florida. Students expressed outrage at the attacks on gender studies, transgender students, and the LGBTQ+ community on campus.

“I’m here, today, for a lot of reasons,” said New College alumnus Carmela French. “The argument that we are not academically rigorous, or we don’t produce great minds and great scholars is totally unfounded and the first slap in the face."

French, 33, graduated from New College in 2010. She relocated back to Sarasota in early February from Washington, D.C. after 12 years and plans to stay indefinitely she said Tuesday. She said the changes to her alma mater inspired her to come home to support the current students, who could be facing detrimental changes to their futures.   

“As an alum, I have a certain amount of security in my life. I don’t need to worry about if my school is going to be accredited, I’ve already got professional experience under my belt, and my career is set. So, I am here to support these students who are just starting out in their lives and who may not have access to the same things that I had access to simply because of this political maneuver.” 

Current NCF student Sam Sharff, 22, addressed the crowd during the protest expressing outrage at the attacks on gender studies, transgender students, and the LGBTQ+ community on campus. 

“Their demonization of gender ideology and queer theory is an assault on trans, non-conforming students, faculty, and staff,” Sharff said.  

Many students and parents also spoke out about funding and questioned the priorities of the board and legislators, many echoing concerns over the state's neglect of the NCF campus in recent decades.  

Campus needs, including broken emergency and security phones, non-working elevators, dormitory upgrades, and various other maintenance problems have united students “in anger and fear” one parent said.  

However, many still choose New College for their higher education despite the condition of the 63-year-old liberal arts college. 

Others showed up to push back directly against the recently approved $1 million salary package for interim NCF president Richard Corcoran. 

“This college is small but the kids are smart, and they have heart,” said Caroline Heuermann. Heuermann's daughter is an alumnus of NCF who completed her degree and met her husband on campus. She joined dozens of other parents who all spoke about the importance of the New College curriculum model for their children and the unanswered funding questions for the interim president's salary. 

Donors and funders of New College have answered back to the recent changes, however, as many began halting donations to the school’s foundation following the approval of Corcoran’s salary demonstrators said throughout the protest. 

Former State College of Florida president Sarah Pappas, who spent 45 years in higher education positions at Florida universities, was vocal about combatting some of the current obstacles NCF is facing. 

“Taking money out of the foundations is a good place to start. I understand how hard it is for college presidents to defy DeSantis because so much of the funding comes from there and they don’t want to hurt students and faculty,” Pappas said. “But we have to stand up, now.” 

Co-founder of New College Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer closed out the demonstration by expressing his outrage at Gov. Ron DeSantis's efforts to disrupt and target students with political overreach. 

“I’m here to make a continuing promise that the community that you’ve created, we will be there to protect it, to defend it, and to make a charge to the beautiful, brilliant students of this campus,” Dorhauer said.