University of South Florida leaders quietly drafted a plan to hand over their Sarasota-Manatee campus to neighboring New College, even as they worked behind the scenes to keep the public in the dark, internal emails show.
The records, obtained Thursday by WUSF, reveal a level of involvement far deeper than previously acknowledged — and a coordinated effort to keep it under wraps as takeover rumors began to spread.
Among the emails is an exchange from February about a draft bill USF officials prepared detailing the transfer of the 32-acre Sarasota-Manatee campus and its facilities — including newly built dormitory buildings that opened to students last year — to New College.
ALSO READ: Emails detail plans to ‘transfer’ USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College
The deal would have required New College to immediately assume debt for those facilities, which were reported to cost $43.9 million in August. Asked for an update, a USF spokeswoman said Thursday the university is paying $1.95 million annually until 2052, for close to $53 million total.
On Feb. 20, Mark Walsh, USF’s assistant vice president for government relations, emailed a draft bill to USF President Rhea Law, general counsel Gerard Solis, and Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford.
“I put the attached together as a precautionary measure in the event that we need language quickly during the upcoming session,” Walsh wrote. “It endeavors to address what would be our chief concerns, namely the retention of all USF students and employees should they desire to stay with us, the release of the USF BOT from any debt obligations associated with the campus, and an orderly teach-out process.”
Walsh noted that Solis, a lawyer, had reviewed the draft and “offered some helpful tweaks… regarding the debt issue.”
The following day, Weatherford responded: “I am good. I say we send it to New College today.”
Despite all this happening behind the scenes, rumors started to swirl about a potential merger or takeover by New College — a tiny liberal arts school overhauled into a more conservative institution in 2023 by Gov. Ron DeSantis and now led by former Florida House speaker, Richard Corcoran.
Rather than acknowledge their role in the plan, emails show, USF leaders took steps to avoid putting anything in writing for the public.
Several staff members, including the interim chancellor of USF-SM, Brett Kemker, sent emails to USF leadership in early February, asking how to respond to the public, other employees and alumni, who were asking about media reports of a potential takeover.
“We are not responding to inquiries like this via email,” answered Daniel Caterinicchia, vice president and chief marketing officer for university communications and marketing.
Caterinicchia said he could provide “a few talking points” for a phone conversation, “but again, there is no template or stock response, as the articles mentioned do not have any tangible questions for us. In some cases, they are pure speculation, and in others refer to supposed conversations that do not actually identify anyone from USF being involved in.”
About a month later, in late March, a public records request by WUSF revealed a draft press release New College had written to announce the transfer, along with talking points and Q&A documents.
Asked for comment at that time, USF communications acknowledged USF leadership “has been in discussions with New College,” and sent a statement that recalled how Florida Board of Governors chair Brian Lamb had asked the two institutions in September 2024 “to look at how our two institutions can identify additional synergies in our partnership.”
The USF statement from March added: “The documents WUSF received are several months old and include a draft press release and talking points that were prepared by New College. USF did not approve the proposal or communications drafted by New College, and there were no plans made to make any such announcement.”
USF did not acknowledge that it had prepared its own talking points memo in mid-February, which the records request obtained in May revealed, nor did USF mention the legislative language its leadership had drafted.
USF President Rhea Law has made no public comment on the matter and did not respond to a request for an interview.
Supporters of USF-SM noticed that USF leadership was staying silent about a potential transfer of the campus to New College. Along with citizens opposed to a potential takeover of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art by New College, USF alumni organized rallies and reached out to legislators to urge them to abandon such a plan and keep the college in Sarasota.
Former USF regional chancellor Karen Holbrook and longtime USF Sarasota-Manatee campus leader Laurey Stryker were among those who spoke in favor of keeping USF-SM intact, for the benefits it provided students and the community.
Holbrook said she was shocked and disappointed to learn that USF had been working behind the scenes to negotiate a handover of the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
"We were just plain shut out, and that is hard when we're supposedly one USF," Holbrook said on Friday. She retired from USF in December.
"Our goal was always to add programs to our curriculum that would build a workforce for the community and have our students, who are top notch, stay here and contribute. We didn't do esoteric courses. We did ones that really made sense. Risk management, insurance, finance, auditing, social work, all of these programs that fit what the community needs," added Holbrook.
Stryker said none of this should have happened without input from the community.
"We appreciate our legislative delegation for supporting the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, by quietly letting people know they were hearing people's concerns that this is not in the best interest of the region," said Stryker.
Asked for his reaction, John Horne, who is chief executive of Oysters Rock Hospitality, and also serves on the advisory board of USF Sarasota-Manatee's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, called for greater transparency going forward.
"We're talking about a public institution here, that's funded by taxpayer money," said Horne. "The taxpayer should be involved, or at least aware, if there are conversations going on, and the fact that everybody's like well, it's just rumor so we don't comment on rumors? It's obviously more than just rumors."
A report by Florida Politics said the deal appears to be dead, but in Horne's view, that's not a sure thing, and the community still has many questions.
"Before the hanky drops in Tallahassee, this deal isn't done. Whether it's still on the agenda for this session or next, it needs to come to light. What is the best solution for USF and New College of Florida? What is the synergy to put together? Will there be a takeover, or where are the negotiations? What's in the best interest of our community and what's in the best interest of the two universities?" he asked.
In the midst, USF president announces plan to step down
On February 14, Law’s chief of staff, Paige Geers, emailed Law, Weatherford, Caterinicchia and Solis with several attachments. This was just a few days before Law announced she would be stepping down as USF president once a successor was identified.
“Attached are the documents we prepared for next week. Media plan attached in case we decide to go that route after your conversation with Dan,” Geers wrote, an apparent reference to Daniel Caterinicchia, vice president for university communications.
“I have also attached the letter we prepared on SUS (state university system) synergy options. This may need to be modified to be more supportive.”
ALSO READ: USF faculty worry about losing Sarasota campus as New College takeover plans surface
A Word document called “media talking points” referenced the ways New College and USF-SM “currently partner on several shared facilities and services, including a residence hall and campus security,” and said “we will continue to provide the university community with any significant updates regarding our partnership.”
There is also a document titled “required items to solve for in any transfer deal.”
“Should the Florida Board of Governors, the Legislature, and the Governor conclude that it is in the best interest of the State of Florida to convert those synergies into a transfer of physical assets from USFSM to NCF, then items 1-4 below would be essential to support student success, activate employees, practice sound financial stewardship, and meet external research requirements,” it said.
Law did not elaborate on any plans to transfer USF-SM to New College when announcing her retirement.
It’s unclear what happened to accelerate the process from “identifying synergies” to a complete transfer of 32 acres of land, buildings and brand new dormitories.
Internal USF documents obtained in the records request mention “ongoing New College discussions” in late January, without further detail.
Another internal document notes that “negotiations with Richard Corcoran [are] being conducted by Eddie Beauchamp,” and “New College “wants office space in Research Annex” (we don’t have any room – filled with researchers). The PRIOR negotiation was for dorm space; now 80 New College students in dorms, less than last semester.”
Geers and Beauchamp, USF-SM regional vice chancellor for business and finance, also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
USF university spokeswoman Althea Johnson sent the following statement:
“As we have said, USF and New College of Florida were asked by the Florida Board of Governors in September 2024 to explore possibilities for expanding our partnership or identifying additional synergies between our institutions.
“As part of that process, USF prepared for a scenario in which state leaders might conclude that it is in the best interest of the State of Florida to transfer facilities and physical assets from USF Sarasota-Manatee to New College. In that scenario, the top priority for USF would be our people and ensuring that all our students and employees are retained, including a teach-out process that allows for enrolled students to complete their degrees from USF on their home campus."
“No bills were filed and no formal proposal was introduced at the state level during this year’s legislative session. USF looks forward to continuing to serve the Sarasota-Manatee area as the only preeminent state university and Association of American Universities member located in the region.”
This story was written by WUSF reporter Kerry Sheridan and edited by Emily Le Coz, executive editor-in-chief of Suncoast Searchlight, an independent nonprofit newsroom based in Sarasota. This was done to ensure editorial independence.
WUSF broadcasts from studios at the University of South Florida, including one on its Sarasota-Manatee campus, which is the subject of this story. Its broadcast license also is held by USF.
No USF or WUSF officials, or WUSF news managers reviewed this story before it was published.
