New College Board, supported by DeSantis, eliminates the tenure of 5 professors.
New College of Florida, a traditionally progressive public college, is now at the center of a campaign by Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, to eliminate what he believes to be left-leaning “woke” indoctrination on campuses. The college’s trustees, now dominated by conservatives appointed by DeSantis, voted to deny tenure to five professors. This decision, which overrides concerns by faculty and students, is raising fears that academic freedom is in jeopardy.
However, DeSantis ally and former state House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is also the school’s interim president, stated that he wanted the professors’ tenure denied or delayed because of the administrative changes and a renewed focus on ensuring that the college moves towards becoming a more traditional liberal arts institution. “You’ve got a brand new president, a brand new provost. You have literally a change in direction,” Corcoran said, noting the professors were applying for tenure a year early and could return again next year. “Let’s just defer it one year.”
The new conservative board members were in the majority and thus denied tenure for all five professors on identical 6-4 votes. The audience reacted with shouts of “shame on you!,” while one trustee holdover, New College professor Matthew Lepinski, quit the board after the vote and walked out of the room, stating, “I’ve very concerned about the direction this board is going. This is my last board meeting. I’m leaving the college,” without further explanation.
In response to this decision, supporters of tenure are speaking up, calling it an important component of academic freedom. Tenured professors can typically be fired only under extreme circumstances, such as professional misconduct or a financial emergency. Meanwhile, conservatives have begun targeting tenure around the country, often taking aim at professors with supposedly liberal views.
The five professors denied tenure are Rebecca Black and Lin Jiang, who both teach organic chemistry; Nassima Neggaz, who teaches history and religion with a focus on Islam; coastal and marine science professor Gerardo Toro-Farmer; and Hugo Viera-Vargas, whose specialty is Caribbean/Latin American studies and music. All five began their applications for tenure in May 2022 and won approval of both New College faculty and the school’s previous administration, which includes its current provost.
Furthermore, students, faculty, and parents spoke in favor of granting tenure to the five professors during the trustees’ meeting. They staged a loud chant of “give them tenure” at one point. Supporters also protested outside the meeting, with several dozen protesters giving speeches and carrying signs with slogans such as “Hands Off NCF” and “Defy. The Political Pawns Strike Back.” Additionally, banners were unfurled from a nearby highway overpass that read “Protect Professors” and “Resist Fascism.”
This conservative takeover has gained national attention, prompting a visit in April by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who strongly criticized DeSantis and the changes underway at New College. During a meeting with students and faculty, Newsom stated “I can’t believe what you’re dealing with. It’s just an unbelievable assault.” New College of Florida’s move toward conservative principles has once again raised questions about the future of academic freedom in the United States.
