The University of South Florida’s Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to approve moving its Sarasota-Manatee campus over to the New College of Florida. The decision hands New College more than 32 acres of land and facilities, including highly sought-after student housing, while requiring the institution to assume $53 million in campus-related debt. The joint transfer and facilities-use agreement is scheduled to officially begin on July 1.
The acquisition marks a massive physical expansion for New College, which Republican Governor Ron DeSantis targeted in 2023 as a focal point for his legislative push against “woke” ideology in higher education.
DeSantis and his supporters argued that the school, previously known for its progressive student body, had become a center for leftist indoctrination and required a complete curriculum overhaul.
The proposal quickly drew sharp criticism from state Democrats during the Florida House debate. Fentrice Driskell, the leader of House Democrats, accused state Republicans of bypassing standard legislative procedures to push the land transfer through.
“My position hasn’t changed,” Driskell stated, adding that the arrangement “stinks of grift.”
University of South Florida President Moez Limayem addressed the transition in a statement published on the university’s website, acknowledging the emotional weight of the decision. Limayem noted that losing the campus “creates significant uncertainty and anxiety for our dedicated, outstanding faculty, staff and students.”
However, Limayem assured current students that their education would not be derailed. Programs on the campus will enter a four-year “teach-out” period before shutting down completely.
“USF’s strength is not a collection of buildings and land; our real strength has been, and always will be, our people,” Limayem said, emphasizing that currently enrolled students “will have the opportunity to finish their USF degrees in Sarasota-Manatee without disruption.”
Beyond political opposition, local critics worry the closure could trigger an economic downturn, noting that the university has long relied on a steady, localized workforce.
Over the last three years, New College has been fundamentally remade under the direction of President Richard Corcoran. The school fully eliminated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and cut multiple academic programs, including gender studies. This aggressive shift led to the departure of roughly 40% of the university’s original faculty.
Conservative policymakers maintain that the reforms are working. New College officials point to a clear rebound in enrollment, which has risen from roughly 700 students to a claimed headcount of over 900, driven by three consecutive years of bringing in over 300 new students.
Independent analysts and critics dispute the exact precision of these figures, pointing out that even with the recent influx, the school’s total population remains well below its long-term institutional target of 1,200 students.
READ: The Guardian Issues Apology After Smearing New College Of Florida President Richard Corcoran
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