The School is doomed but the kids are alright

May 21, 2024 3:54 PM

Inside New College of Florida’s Counter-Commencement
posted by Artw (11 comments total)

Given the FAFSA disaster, maybe the enrolled students will be able to graduate OK, and the sorry wreckage be shut down. I feel intensely for the faculty, staff, and (some) administrators, but graduating the remaining students safely should be the priority.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:11 PM on May 21 [3 favorites]

Given the FAFSA disaster, maybe the enrolled students will be able to graduate OK, and the sorry wreckage be shut down.

What FAFSA disaster are you referring to? I couldn't find anything in the article.
posted by mr_roboto at 4:19 PM on May 21 [1 favorite]

This FAFSA disaster, mr_roboto.
posted by joseph_elmhurst at 4:27 PM on May 21 [4 favorites]

I'm aware of that; I was wondering if it had affected New College particularly. It's a public school with a relatively affordable in-state tuition, so it's not clear why it would particularly suffer. Big deal for private liberal art schools, definitely.
posted by mr_roboto at 4:30 PM on May 21 [1 favorite]

I don't know how it has specifically impacted this one institution but the FAFSA fuck ups are impacting many US colleges and universities, including public and private ones. The main impact is that they prevented institutions from being able to calculate financial aid offers on the planned timeline and that has had many ripple effects, most notably forcing many institutions to push back the date by which they require admitted students to accept the offer. This has introduced immense uncertainty into the enrollment process that has been increasingly difficult to predict and understand for many institutions as demographics, culture, economies, and public perceptions of higher education have undergone massive shifts. It's especially challenging for smaller institutions whose budgets are proportionally much more impacted by small numbers of students choosing to not accept admission offers - that usually has a multi-year impact on the institution's budget.
posted by ElKevbo at 5:01 PM on May 21 [9 favorites]

In 2023, in a doomed bid to seem like a big man, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis replaced six on NCF’s board of trustees with the head of a local Christian sports academy and a clutch of out-of-state conservative operatives—including Chris Rufo, colleague to fascists, race scientists, and “debate me!” white supremacists, and uncredited assignment editor of The Atlantic and The New York Times.

shots fired
posted by hydropsyche at 5:10 PM on May 21 [17 favorites]

Awwww, so many feelings. The article mentions Dr. Vesperi, who is retiring this year. Just a few small moments in one of her classes set me on a course that led to who I am now. Much love and respect for the students who are once again rescuing some joy and dignity from a truly awful situation.
posted by feckless at 6:28 PM on May 21 [21 favorites]

interfluidity:

“Every aspect of life at New College is, or should be, an experiment. The spirit of the place depends upon individuals with the courage and the idealism to try out ways of thinking, learning, and playing that are out of the ordinary. The social importance of New College comes from our experiments in living. New College students create an everchanging, tiny society that is radically different from, and in many ways better than, the society outside. My hope is that, as generations of New College students come and go, they will carry some of what is beautiful about living at New College to the outside world, and leave the experiments that don’t work out behind.” -Steve Waldman '93

We haunt: "Even now, our usurpers live only in our negative spaces. Or in weak caricatures of our negative spaces that their own smallness and madness have hallucinated for them. Pity them. They make so much noise, they stomp gleefully upon the wildflowers. But despite their professed religion, no spirit stirs beneath their ruckus. They croak sound with no echoes. Their footprints are nothing to time and wind. Wildflowers grow back, thick in bright colors, from detritus of root and seed."

Palm Court Podcast: Notes from The Center of the Universe with Steve Waldman
posted by kliuless at 7:10 PM on May 21 [14 favorites]

I followed this business for some time, probably too long. This idiotic, vengeful takeover of a small place that was good in the world on top of all the other terrible things is just the most depressing cartoon evil irl. I know I should try to continue to witness in some way, I guess? I don’t feel able to do anything useful about it and I needed a break from the relentless infuriating details. May or may not read this, but at least it sounds like a few bright spots were found.
posted by Glinn at 7:23 PM on May 21 [7 favorites]

It certainly doesn't balance out their constant stream of "is the kids too woke?" opining, but there was a story in the NYT in January about some student athletes who didn't play into being political pawns that was somewhat heartening. I've been wondering how the rest of the year played out.
posted by queensissy at 8:11 PM on May 21 [8 favorites]

Previously.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:18 AM on May 22 [1 favorite]