Could USF Sarasota-Manatee merge with New College of Florida? Rumors swirl as group begs for answers
SARASOTA, Fla. - USF Sarasota-Manatee trustees, former board members and supporting organizations are begging for transparency about a rumored merger with New College of Florida. NCF is already in discussions to consolidate Asolo Preparatory and the Ringling Museum.
What they're saying:
On Wednesday, a group pleaded with the campus board during the public comment section of a meeting. John Horne of USF Sarasota-Manatee's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management was one of them.
READ: New USF program focused on AI and cybersecurity
"As New College has tried to expand and get a bigger footprint in our area, there's a lot of rumblings," he said. "We've asked our local legislature what's going on. It seems like there's a lot going on, but no one is talking about it."
Horne hoped the campus board could provide affirmation that the school wasn't going anywhere.
"A lot of us came to this meeting today to ask the question, ‘is there a consolidation?’ And if there is, ‘whose name is going to be still standing over the building?’" he said. "The legislators are telling us it's a 99% done deal, yet no one is talking about it. So we're just asking questions of what is going on?"
He said with different student demographics and programs, a merger would not make sense at this time. He said, "They are different. They're completely different. So I think at this time we do need two separate schools."
Former campus president Laurey Stryker was also in attendance.
"I had the privilege of building this beautiful campus in the early 2000s," she said. "We asked the board today to make an affirmative action to say this is an integral part of community. Our economic future here is dependent upon a vibrant USF with the workforce degrees that this campus specializes in."
MORE: USF, UTampa under federal antisemitism investigations by Dept. of Education
The other side:
In response to Horne's comments on Wednesday, the board said it has heard the rumors but could not comment until there are concrete plans released to the public.
FOX 13 reached out to New College and USF Sarasota-Manatee for comment, but we has not received a response from either school.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered during a campus board meeting's public comment section.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter