You searched for Honors - New College of Florida

New College of Florida Athletics collected five weekly honors across three sports following a standout week for the Mighty Banyans, highlighted by Naomi Woerner earning PrestoSports NAIA Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Woerner was also named Sun Conference Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, while volleyball’s Soraya Nacero and Addison Phillippe earned Sun Conference Attacker and Setter of the Week honors, respectively. Cross country’s Mireille Gomez and Cole Fleming completed the haul by sweeping The Sun Conference Cross Country Runner of the Week awards.

Woerner was named the PrestoSports NAIA Offensive Player of the Week following a record-setting start to the 2026 season. The national honor came one day after she earned her second consecutive Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Week award.

Across NCF’s first four matches, Woerner recorded eight goals and three assists for 19 points, scoring at least once in all four contests.

Woerner opened the season with a hat trick in the Mighty Banyans’ 16-0 victory over Florida Polytechnic on Aug. 20. She followed with a goal against Florida National before scoring twice against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

She capped the stretch with two goals and three assists against Wesleyan College on Sunday, accounting for seven points. Her three assists established a new NCF single-game program record.

Woerner’s eight goals through four matches have already tied Sophia Hernandez Cruz’s 2024 NCF single-season program record. Woerner, who became the program’s all-time leader in career goals during the season opener against Florida Poly, has reached the single-season mark with the majority of the 2026 schedule still ahead.

Through four matches, Woerner leads The Sun Conference with eight goals, 13 shots on goal and three assists. She has totaled 19 points on 23 shots while averaging 2.00 goals and 4.75 points per match.

Nacero was named Sun Conference Attacker of the Week and Phillippe earned Setter of the Week honors following NCF’s trip to the Florida College Lady Falcons Classic in Temple Terrace.

Nacero earned Attacker of the Week honors for the second time in her career after leading the NCF attack across two matches. The senior recorded 10 kills on a .333 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep of Life University before finishing with 17 kills and a .283 hitting percentage against Florida College.

The Second-Team All-Sun Conference selection from a season ago totaled 27 kills over seven sets, averaging 3.86 kills per set while hitting .300. She also added nine digs and four service aces.

Nacero ranks third in The Sun Conference with 3.65 kills per set and second with 4.59 points per set. Her .275 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the conference, while her 29 service aces and 0.85 aces per set rank second.

Phillippe earned Setter of the Week honors for the second consecutive week after totaling 65 assists across seven sets for an average of 9.29 assists per set.

The sophomore recorded 30 assists and seven digs in the sweep of Life before adding 35 assists, seven digs and a block against Florida College.

The recognition continues a strong stretch for Phillippe, who was named both Sun Conference Setter of the Week and NAIA National Setter of the Week following NCF’s 4-0 showing at the La Tribu Invitational the previous weekend.

Phillippe enters the week as The Sun Conference leader in total assists and assists per set, recording 368 assists through 35 sets for an average of 10.51 per set.

Nacero and Phillippe have helped NCF open the season with an 8-1 record. The Mighty Banyans return to action Saturday when they open Sun Conference play against Ave Maria at 7 p.m. at Bradenton Christian School.

Gomez and Fleming swept The Sun Conference Cross Country Runner of the Week awards following historic performances at the season-opening Panther XC Invitational.

Gomez earned Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week after making history in her collegiate debut, finishing second in the women’s 5K with a time of 21:17.98.

Her runner-up performance made her the first race medalist in NCF history and marked the best individual finish by a Mighty Banyan runner. Gomez helped lead the NCF women to a fourth-place team finish with an average time of 24:45.

Fleming earned Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week after delivering a record-setting performance in his NCF debut, winning the men’s 5K in 16:42.66.

The junior crossed the finish line nearly 15 seconds ahead of the runner-up to become the first individual race winner in program history.

Behind Fleming, the Mighty Banyan men captured the first team championship in program history, finishing 25 points ahead of runner-up Lake-Sumter State.

Fleming led a group of six NCF medalists, the first six race medalists in program history. The Mighty Banyans placed six runners among the top seven finishers and seven inside the top eight.

By Richard Corcoran, President, New College of Florida

Students return to New College this week, and together bring the energy every campus knows. I look forward to it every year. This year I look forward to it more than most, because the college is at the beginning of the most significant expansion in its history.

On July 1, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus transferred to New College of Florida. This collaboration will shape this academic year and our future more than anything else I could tell you about. It drastically increases our physical footprint and brings new academic programs, new laboratories, new residential capacity and new possibilities for research on Sarasota Bay. It positions Florida’s designated honors college to accomplish at a serious scale what it has done so well at a small scale.

New College is one part of Florida’s elite State University System, and a small one by enrollment. But our charge is unmistakable, and I have never been quiet about it: to make New College of Florida the number-one public liberal arts college in America. Florida has set the national standard for higher education, and this college intends to be one of our state’s crown jewels of that system. The transfer of the Sarasota-Manatee campus is the most consequential step toward that goal this institution has ever taken.

Our responsibility grows with this transfer, because a transition of this scale deserves a careful hand. USF has been a serious and generous partner, and I am grateful for it. As our plans take shape we will collaborate with students and this community, and we will listen to ensure a collective vision is implemented for our thriving region.

The Sarasota and Manatee region has never settled for the ordinary version of anything. The museums, the performing arts organizations, the marine research institutions and the schools were built by people who intended them to outlast their own lifetimes, and they are why a community of this size earned its world-class reputation. New College has been one of those anchors for more than 60 years. College Hall was completed in 1926 and turns one hundred this year, alongside several of the landmarks built in that same short stretch of the 1920s. A century later it still sits at the center of a thriving college community, and that is the standard against which I measure our own planning.

An anchor institution earns the description by what it returns to the community. It educates its students exceptionally well, and that is the first obligation. It also draws talent here, keeps graduates here, and gives employers a reason to build here rather than somewhere else. A larger, stronger public college on Sarasota Bay means more of all of it: more opportunities for Florida students, more research in Sarasota, more graduates who stay. The return has always been regional, which is exactly why we intend to grow carefully and collaboratively.

This summer our Fulcrum Career Center hosted the Teen Summit with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County, bringing more than one hundred local young people onto campus, and the Pritzker Marine Science Center continues its work with community partners on the dolphins of Sarasota Bay, part of the longest-running study of a wild dolphin population anywhere in the world. Neither could exist without partners beyond the college.

So here is my personal standing invitation to you. Come to the Markovitz Socratic Stage and engage with the speaker afterward. Sit in on an Independent Study Project presentation in January, when our students spend a month on a single serious question and then share what they found. Visit a lab and see undergraduates doing research most students do not touch until graduate school. Come to a performance, to the Clambake, to a game. I know you will leave impressed by these students. I always do. And I hope you will consider what you might build here: an internship and workforce pipeline with the Fulcrum Career Center, a seat on a New College community advisory board, your next business event on campus, an investment in the programs we are expanding.

A lot of the questions I spend my time on are the long ones: What kind of institution will occupy these buildings in the decades to come, and how a college sitting on Sarasota Bay uses that position to lead nationally in the fields that matter most to Florida, from marine science to data science, technology, the classics and the liberal arts. Institutions of consequence are built patiently, and what matters is knowing where we are going and bringing people with us as we get there.

I do not take the stewardship of New College lightly. A college like this one is handed to you for a while and then handed on, and what we do with the year in front of us will be visible on this bay long after all of us are finished watching these sunsets. Walk the campus this fall and see the foundation we are laying. This next chapter belongs to the whole region, and we look forward to anchoring Sarasota’s future with you.

Richard Corcoran is president of New College of Florida.

Washington Monthly, The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report each place the public honors college of Florida among the nation’s strongest public liberal arts colleges, with gains concentrated in the categories that decide student futures and the value of a degree.

SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 22, 2026 – New College of Florida rose across three national college rankings published this cycle. Each places the college among the top public liberal arts colleges in the country. Each shows gains in the measures that forecast what happens to students after they graduate.

Together, these three different ranking systems carry more weight than any single system alone. The three publications measure different things by different methods and share no common data set. Washington Monthly rates colleges on what they contribute to the public good, weighing social mobility, graduation outcomes and public service. The Princeton Review builds its rankings entirely from surveys of enrolled students. U.S. News & World Report weighs class size, faculty composition and academic resources per student. New College improved in all three.

“Last year I said we were determined to earn top rankings across multiple national publications,” said Richard Corcoran, President of New College of Florida. “These metrics prove the positive outcomes New College is creating. It also comes at a moment when families are asking a fair question about whether a degree is still worth the investment. Our answer is that the content of the four years matters. A student who writes a thesis, who is known by name by full-time faculty, and who has taken responsibility for their own education under an academic contract is not interchangeable with their transcript. Three independent rankings now say we are building that.”

What the three rankings show

Washington Monthly

Washington Monthly rates institutions on what they do for the country rather than on wealth, selectivity or prestige, weighing social mobility, graduation outcomes and public service. New College was named:

No. 1 among public liberal arts colleges in the United States.
No. 1 among liberal arts colleges in Florida.
No. 6 among all liberal arts colleges in the United States.
44th overall among 1,583 ranked institutions.

The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is the only one of the three built on what students say. Its rankings come from surveys of enrolled students, not from institutional data. In the Best Colleges 2027edition, announced in August, New College earned its strongest recognition to date from the publication:

Named one of the 50 Colleges That Create Futures
No. 2 nationally among Top Public Schools for Financial Aid
No. 24 among Best Public College Values
A rating of 97 for how interesting students find their professors, and 95 for how accessible those professors are, on a scale that tops out at 99
Named to the Best 392 Colleges and the Best in the South

Those faculty ratings are among the highest marks the survey awards, and they come from students rather than from the college. New College also received ratings of 92 for financial aid, 88 for academics and 87 for admissions selectivity.

U.S. News & World Report

In the 2027 Best Colleges edition, New College improved by double digits in three metrics. Each draws on data since 2023, illustrating the college’s current academic model rather than earlier years. In that time, New College of Florida has made substantial strides in:

Financial resources, or academic resources per student, where the college ranks 14th nationally among liberal arts colleges and has shown a 64% score increase.
Academic profile of the entering class as measured by standardized test scores, where it ranks 37th, a 60% score increase.
Share of faculty who are full-time, where it ranks 88th, a 27% score increase.

The measures that moved for New College describe the kind of education that is hardest to automate. Small classes. A faculty that is overwhelmingly full-time. Academic resources concentrated on a few hundred students.

“Our response to a shifting economy is to lean into the rigorous, hands-on research that defines this institution,” said Provost David Rohrbacher. “Whether they are working in our Data Science master’s program or researching marine life in Sarasota Bay, our students are actively addressing real world problems. They leave here with a combination of practical skills and intellectual grounding that AI cannot replicate, which is why their futures are so secure.”

The college credits three features of its academic model. An academic contract under which each student takes documented responsibility for their own course of study. A senior thesis or capstone required of every graduate. Close work with full-time faculty across disciplines. New College leads all public colleges in the country in the share of graduates who go on to earn doctorates.

New College invites families, educators and neighbors across the region to visit the campus on Sarasota Bay, sit in on a class and see the work.

About New College of Florida

New College of Florida is the public honors college of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1960, the college offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and a master’s degree in data science on a 151-acre campus on Sarasota Bay. Founded in 1960, New College of Florida is the state’s designated public honors college. Recognized nationally for its academic excellence, rigorous inquiry, and commitment to free expression, New College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, graduate programs in Applied Data Science, Marine Mammal Science, and a new Master’s program in Educational Leadership, and a growing NAIA athletics program on a 151-acre campus on Sarasota Bay.

SARASOTA, FL — In a highly unconventional and deeply effective approach to prison rehabilitation, Dr. Tyler Fisher and his undergraduate students at New College of Florida are utilizing purpose-built puppetry to teach vital job interview skills to incarcerated individuals.

Funded by a Community Impact Grant from United Arts of Central Florida, Dr. Fisher is collaborating with the bilingual performing arts non-profit Open Scene to bring the program, “The Art of Interviewing: Voice, Vision, Vocation,” to the Osceola County Corrections Department. Having recently concluded a highly successful series of puppetry workshops in English and Spanish with both male and female inmates, Dr. Fisher and his team are focusing the program this summer specifically on female inmates and the unique challenges they face during reentry.

The New College Difference: Real-World Undergraduate Impact

This initiative highlights exactly what sets New College of Florida apart from peer institutions: providing undergraduates with hands-on, real-world experience that goes far beyond traditional classroom theory.

New College students Jones Hogsed and Alicia Byrne serve as integral co-creators of the project. Rather than simply observing, they are gaining high-level professional experience by contributing directly to the program’s daily execution.

“What truly distinguishes New College is that our undergraduates are doing the kind of hands-on, community-impacting work usually reserved for graduate students or full-time professionals,” said Dr. Fisher. “Jones and Alicia are not just assisting; they are actively building a curriculum and facilitating a program that gives incarcerated individuals a real second chance.”

Byrne, who is pursuing an English and Creative Writing concentration, has leveraged her academic focus to directly shape the curriculum by:

Drafting Custom Practice Scripts: Writing engaging interview scripts for the initial practice sessions.
Creating Distinct Scenarios: Developing three playful, tiered scripts for the puppets to perform—ranging from a deliberately “disastrous” interview to a solid, adequate interview, and an off-the-charts superlative interview.

Serious Fun: The Psychology of Carceral Puppetry

Working alongside Open Scene and co-teacher Leah Basaria, Dr. Fisher and the students designed specific puppet-building materials that are safe and effective for a carceral environment.

The custom-designed puppets function as highly specialized therapeutic and educational tools:

Safe Construction: Crafted strictly from soft foam and felt.
Meaningful Self-Representation: Featuring interchangeable appendages and facial features that inmates assemble themselves.
Neutral Design: Intentionally designed as anthropomorphic (human-like) figures in non-human colors to avoid any racial connotations.

Envisioning the Future: Puppet Personas and Career Goals

Going beyond physical assembly, the puppets act as distinct, forward-looking personas for the incarcerated students. Each puppet is given a unique name and a specific job aspiration envisioned by the student, allowing them to visualize their future success. Real examples created during the workshops include:

Sheree, aspiring Dog Kennel Owner
Pepito, Jr., Camionero (Truck Driver)
Waffles, Asphalt Foreman
Little One, Clothing Retailer
Sir Charles Legend, Restaurateur

During a four-week workshop series, the inmates use these custom personas to practice mock job interviews.

“The puppet acts as an empowering extension of the self,” Fisher explained. “It equips these individuals to overcome the shame, inhibitions, and self-consciousness that often accompany job interviews after incarceration. If a critique is given during the mock interview, it is directed at the puppet, not the person. That critical distance relieves the pressure and is completely transformative for their confidence and agency.”

From Inmates to Artists: The Upcoming Public Exhibition

The profound impact of this scalable program will soon be shared with the broader community. Beginning in September 2026, the puppets created by the inmates will be exhibited at the Hart Memorial Central Library, the principal library of the Osceola Library System.

“As these individuals prepare to reenter society, we want the public to see them as artful makers, creators, and performers,” Fisher noted. “This exhibition is a positive display of their self-portraits in puppetry. It serves as a creative, humanizing alternative to a traditional mugshot.”

About New College of Florida

Founded in 1960, New College of Florida is the state’s designated public honors college. Recognized nationally for its academic excellence, rigorous inquiry, and commitment to free expression, New College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, graduate programs in Applied Data Science, Marine Mammal Science, and a new Master’s program in Educational Leadership, and a growing NAIA athletics program.

Aligning with the Fulcrum Career Center Mission

This hands-on initiative aligns perfectly with the mission of the Fulcrum Career Center at New College of Florida. The center empowers students to connect their liberal arts education with meaningful careers through intentional professional development, personalized coaching, internships, mentorship, and experiential learning. By partnering with employers, alumni, and faculty, the Career Center helps students build the skills, experiences, and professional networks needed for success after graduation, preparing them to lead lives of purpose and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Students rate professors 95 for both accessibility and interest. The College ranks No. 2 nationally for financial aid, No. 24 for value, and is named one of the 50 Colleges That Create Futures.

SARASOTA, Fla. (Aug. 25, 2026) — New College of Florida has earned its strongest recognition to date from The Princeton Review, receiving national distinctions for faculty, academic quality, financial aid, value and its record of preparing students for successful futures.

The College was named to The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges, Best in the South and the 50 Colleges That Create Futures. It ranked No. 2 nationally among Top Schools for Financial Aid and No. 24 among Best College Values.

The ratings are drawn from surveys of enrolled students. New College faculty received ratings of 95 for how interesting students find their professors and 95 for how accessible those professors are, among the highest marks the survey awards. The College also earned a 92 financial aid rating, an 88 academic rating and an 87 admissions rating.

Despite extraordinary national visibility and repeated attempts to define New College politically, students did not place the College among the nation’s 25 most politically active. The recognition the College received centered instead on the substance of the student experience.

“The latest Princeton Review results tell a very different story from the political narrative often imposed on New College,” said President Richard Corcoran. “Students describe a college defined by exceptional professors, academic strength, financial support, value and opportunity, not political activism nor ideological conformity.”

The recognition arrives as the College completes the largest physical expansion in its history. The transfer of the former USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, now New College’s North Campus, added modern classroom, laboratory, library and student life facilities to the College’s bayfront property. New residential capacity is coming online for incoming students as part of the same campus transformation.

“Our academic reputation has always been ahead of our facilities,” Corcoran said. “That changes now. We are building a physical campus that finally matches the brilliance of our students and the world-class education happening inside our classrooms.”

New College of Florida is the State of Florida’s designated honors college, located on 110 waterfront acres in Sarasota. Its academic model is built on the student contract, an agreement between each student and the faculty that makes students accountable for the design of their own education and requires close work across disciplines.

SARASOTA, FL — At New College of Florida, the world is the classroom. Moving far beyond traditional textbooks and campus lectures, New College is redefining the study abroad experience, offering transformative international adventures that turn exceptional students into culturally fluent, globally prepared leaders.

Today’s top employers are looking for more than just technical skills. They want graduates who are adaptable, resourceful, and capable of solving complex problems in unfamiliar environments. At New College, international education is not just an optional add-on—it is a core pillar of a dynamic honors curriculum that seamlessly connects elite academics with high-impact, real-world exploration.

Through faculty-led programs, immersive research, and international internships, New College students are taking their passions across the globe.

For students like Abigail Hickinbotham, studying abroad in Italy meant stepping directly into history. Rather than simply reading about the Roman Empire or the Renaissance, students studying in Italy get to explore iconic landmarks like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain firsthand, bridging the gap between classical education and physical exploration.

Meanwhile, in Central America, New College students Jayden Ponsford and Josh Evans recently participated in the faculty-led Coral Reef Issues program in Cayos Cochinos, Honduras. Trading a traditional classroom for tropical jungles and one of the world’s most biologically diverse marine environments, they conducted hands-on marine research and engaged directly with local communities.

“Studying abroad in Cayos Cochinos, Honduras completely changed my life,” Ponsford said of the immersive trip. “It was more than just an academic experience; it was the most fun and eye-opening adventure I’ve ever had.”

What sets New College’s international programming apart is the unparalleled support students receive to make these adventures a reality. The Office of International Education works hand-in-hand with the college’s Career Center and dedicated faculty mentors to ensure every trip is tailored to a student’s specific career goals.

The result is a graduate who possesses a distinct competitive edge. By studying internationally, New College students develop highly sought-after professional competencies, including:

Cross-Cultural Communication: Collaborating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and languages.
Complex Problem Solving: Navigating unfamiliar environments and adapting to sudden changes with confidence.
Global Perspective: Understanding how international issues impact local economies, healthcare systems, and businesses.

When New College students return to Sarasota, they bring the world back with them. The confidence, perspective, and adaptability they gain abroad are immediately reinvested into the local community. As Sarasota continues to grow as a hub for innovation, marine science, and entrepreneurship, New College graduates are uniquely equipped to lead the charge, thinking globally while solving challenges locally.

Studying internationally at New College is not about simply collecting passport stamps—it is about cultivating intellectual curiosity, embarking on unforgettable adventures, and preparing to lead in an interconnected world.

James (Jim) Pulos is Associate Director, Office of International Education, New College of Florida

Jim has nearly thirty years of progressively responsible leadership and administrative experience in all aspects of educational programming and practice. A dynamic team-builder providing superior customer service in all areas of program development and support, Jim has sent literally tens of thousands of students abroad. He is absolutely elated to bring his extensive knowledge of best practices in comprehensive internationalization, including student mobility and recruitment, partnerships, curriculum development, health and safety, faculty engagement, and customized programming to New College of Florida and looks forward to further enhancing NCF’s international prominence and presence.

About New College of Florida

New College of Florida continues to pursue the world’s best undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and provide them with an outstanding educational experience.

Our mission is defined by uncompromising academic excellence. We uphold the highest standards of teaching, research, and scholarship, while fostering a community of distinguished faculty and intellectually ambitious students. We prepare graduates not only to solve complex problems but to lead with insight, integrity, and vision.

NCF’s Academic Mission

Guided by the Office of the Provost, New College unites its divisions and academic programs in a shared commitment to student achievement. We ensure that every student receives the support to thrive academically, graduate on time, and engage fully in a rigorous honors education. Intellectual inquiry, innovation, and global responsibility are woven into each stage of the academic journey, cultivating life-long learners prepared to shape the world around them. Through continuous improvement and an unshakable focus on academic excellence, we equip graduates with the knowledge, skills, and integrity to lead in their fields, enrich their communities, and contribute to the advancement of human understanding.

Academic Excellence By The Bay

students received Fulbright awards for the 2024-2025 academic year.

of NCF graduates are employed full time or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.

increase in graduate and professional student enrollment since Fall 2022.

Undergraduate Academic Affairs Links

Academic Calendar

The Division of Enrollment Management focuses on undergraduate recruitment and admissions, student services, retention, and graduation.

Academic Catalog

The Center for Global Engagement works to lead, coordinate, and support the university’s strategies for global education, research, and engagement.

General Education

Explore New College’s general education requirements and academic expectations for undergraduate study.

Academic Contract

Institutional Effectiveness ensures academic rigor through overseeing the accreditation process and assessment of NCF’s academic programs.

Student Assessment Policy

The Division of Student Success at NCF works to maximize each scholar’s academic experience by understanding and supporting their unique strengths.

Academic Honor & Guidelines

Quality student learning and experiences begin with exceptional faculty and instructors. NCF provides resources to help faculty strengthen their teaching efforts.

Ignite Your Curiosity

At New College of Florida, we believe that an Honors education is more than coursework — it is an immersive experience that prepares students to thrive long after graduation. Our academic programs, faculty, and campus community work in concert to provide rigorous instruction, individualized mentorship, and opportunities that integrate classroom learning with research, internships, and co-curricular engagement.

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida announced the significant donation of segments of the Berlin Wall, one of the most consequential physical symbols of oppression and division in modern history. The generous donation made by philanthropist Dr. Jack Jawitz represents the East German side of the Wall that once divided East and West Berlin and stood as a global emblem of communist tyranny during the Cold War.

New College will recognize the donation throughout the coming year, which began with a press conference and Socratic Stage event on May 5 with Peter Robinson – the author of Ronald Reagan’s famous “Tear Down This Wall” speech. NCF will next mark the 39th anniversary of that same speech this June, culminating in a major public event marking the 40th anniversary in 2027. The commemoration will include academic programming, public lectures, and campus dialogue centered on freedom, the lessons of history, and the enduring responsibility to promote and defend free societies.

“These authentic segments of the Berlin Wall are witnesses to the horrors of communism,” said New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran. “May the Wall remind us what happens when speech is silenced, dissent is punished, and ideology is enforced by force. New College is honored to steward this history and to ensure it serves as a permanent educational reminder of the triumph of freedom over oppression.”

The donated sections are from the East German side of the Berlin Wall. These surfaces were rarely seen or touched during the Cold War, offering students and visitors a uniquely preserved perspective of life behind the Iron Curtain. Rapidly dismantled after the fall of communist rule and German reunification, the segments collectively represent one of the world’s largest collections of the remnants of the Berlin Wall.

Dr. Jack Jawitz, the donor of the Wall segments, described the gift as a commitment to historical truth and civic responsibility.

“The Berlin Wall represented a system that feared free thought and controlled human lives through force,” Jawitz said. “Placing these original segments at New College ensures that future generations will confront the realities of communism, understand the cost of freedom, and appreciate the courage it took to dismantle that system.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute praised the donation and its educational significance.

“President Reagan understood that freedom is sustained not only by policy, but by moral clarity and courage,” said Richard Schroeder, chief education programming officer of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. “His words at the Brandenburg Gate gave voice to millions who lived behind the Iron Curtain and helped hasten the collapse of a failed and oppressive ideology. Housing these authentic Berlin Wall segments at New College ensures that this history is not only remembered, but meaningfully taught.”

The donation also underscores New College’s growing national role as a center for rigorous academic inquiry and open dialogue. Through programs such as Cold War Studies and the Markovitz Socratic Stage Series on Free Speech and Civil Discourse, New College has emerged as a leader in fostering debate that is both fearless, civil, grounded in evidence and history with respect for differing viewpoints.

“To study the Cold War is to examine how ideas became weapons and how close the world came to destruction,” said Mitchel Ruzek, Ph.D., a New College historian. “Having these original segments of the Berlin Wall on campus transforms history from abstraction into experience. Students will be able to engage directly with the physical reality of ideological division and apply those lessons to today’s global challenges.”

Gary Powers, Jr., son of CIA U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and Chairman of The Cold War Museum, emphasized the broader meaning of the gift.

“The Berlin Wall was a concrete manifestation of fear, control, and the suppression of human dignity,” Powers said. “Its collapse marked a decisive defeat of communism’s claim over the human spirit and millions of people. By preserving these eastern segments, New College is creating a living classroom that teaches why freedom matters, and what is lost when it disappears.”

About the Donation

Donor: Dr. Jack Jawitz
Gift: The largest collection of the East German side of the Berlin Wall in the world.
Historical Significance: Rarely seen sections from behind the Iron Curtain, preserved following German reunification.
Stewardship: New College of Florida will permanently maintain and display the segments for educational and public purposes.
Commemoration: Recognition throughout 2026–27, culminating in a major public event marking the 40th anniversary of President Reagan’s 1987 Berlin Wall speech. In 2029, there will be a celebration coinciding with the 40^th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall falling.

As New College prepares to receive and display this historic donation, the institution reaffirmed its mission to educate students not only in knowledge, but in responsibility.

“Freedom is not inherited automatically,” President Corcoran said. “It must be taught, defended, and renewed by each generation. This gift ensures that our students, and the nation, never forget what it took to tear down that wall, and why we must never allow another to rise.”

About New College of Florida

Founded in 1960, New College of Florida is a top-ranked public liberal arts college and serves as Florida’s Honors College. Recognized for its academic excellence, rigorous inquiry, and commitment to free expression, New College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, graduate programs in Applied Data Science and Marine Mammal Science, and a growing NAIA athletics program.

For media inquiries or additional information, please contact:
Jamie Miller
Vice President of Communications and Chief Marketing Officer
New College of Florida
[email protected]

(Bradenton, Fla., Mar. 6, 2026) – Students in Manatee and Sarasota counties now have a clearer, more confident path to earning a bachelor’s degree in high-demand fields such as marine biology, chemistry, psychology, and economics. Through a new partnership between State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) and New College of Florida (NCF), eligible SCF students are guaranteed admission to New College after completing an associate in arts (A.A.) degree.

For students and families, the program reduces uncertainty and creates a clear academic roadmap. Those who complete their A.A. degree at SCF within two and a half years and maintain a 3.0 GPA are assured admission to New College, Florida’s public honors college. Instead of navigating a competitive transfer process, students can plan their coursework with confidence from day one.

The partnership, known as the Guaranteed Admissions Program (GAP), strengthens the region’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality, affordable higher education. By creating a direct pathway between SCF and NCF, the institutions are opening doors for students who may not have previously considered attending a selective honors institution.

The impact extends beyond individual students. By helping students complete both degrees locally, the partnership supports Manatee and Sarasota counties workforce and economic development. Local industries in science, health care, environmental research, and technology benefit when talented graduates are still in the community to launch their careers.

Marine biology is one example of how the pathway aligns with the region’s strengths. In a coastal community shaped by its marine environment, students studying marine biology gain direct connections to conservation efforts, water quality research, and coastal sustainability initiatives along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“We are excited to formalize this partnership between New College of Florida and State College of Florida. As Florida’s public honors college, New College offers a rigorous, individualized liberal arts education designed for highly motivated students. This collaboration strengthens educational pathways for students across the Sarasota-Manatee region and reflects our shared commitment to expanding opportunity, academic excellence, and community impact,” said Dr.David Rohrbacher, Provost, and Vice President of Academic Affairs at New College.

Florida’s statewide 2+2 articulation system allows students to transfer from state colleges to public universities. This SCF-NF pathway builds on that foundation by providing a confirmed admission route for eligible students, along with potential scholarship opportunities, ensuring hat academic ambition is matched with opportunity close to home.

For more information or to apply to SCF, visit SCF.edu.

TEACHERS, BECOME A LIBERTY FELLOW

Professional Development Opportunity for Educators in Grades 5-12

Teachers, a new professional development opportunity continues on September 17, 2026! New College of Florida is proud to announce a transformative project funded by the U.S. Department of Education for teachers in grades 5-12. Our grant, Invigorating Liberty and Self-Governance: First Principles for 21st Century America, honors the United States Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of America, and the Declaration of Independence. NCF’s program offers local teachers and students the opportunity to connect deeply with the ideas and principles that shaped our nation, and to cultivate habits of liberty and self-governance that will sustain our republic.

TEACHER STIPEND & ELIGIBILITY

$1,000 Stipend: Participating teachers are eligible for a $1,000 stipend.
Continuing Education Credit: An opportunity for participating teachers to earn hours toward professional education requirements.
Completion Requirement: To qualify for the stipend, participants must complete at least 80% of the scheduled program hours and a pre- and post-test.
Commitment: Teachers commit to one year of the program at a time.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

This three-year initiative includes:

Engage with Scholars & Peers: Build a professional network of up to 50 colleagues.
Digital Resources: Digital learning materials designed for use in your classroom.
Summer Experiences: Summer Institute experience offering immersive learning at New College.
Duration: 80 hours.

Year 2 schedule Liberty Fellow. Click on the image to access pdf file for accessibility

In the second year, the Liberty Fellows cohort will examine how America’s founding principles adapted to the turbulent political, economic, and scientific shifts of the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the nation faced drastic domestic and international changes, these core ideals were tested in novel and significant ways.

The curriculum is designed to deepen understanding of the major dynamics that defined this era and fueled America’s rise to prominence, including: civil & political rights, geopolitical competition in the Americas, European migration, socio-cultural impact of new scientific discoveries, the impact of formal property rights, and industrialization.

The project is led by New College professors Casey Wheatland, David Ellis, and Richard Izquierdo.