The future of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus will be decided in budget talks in Tallahassee this month, and several chambers of commerce have urged lawmakers to consider the needs of local businesses that rely on graduates in education, nursing and accounting.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has laid out a plan to transfer the southernmost USF campus to New College of Florida, a liberal arts school with about 900 students, which DeSantis has made a beacon in his so-called "war on woke" in higher education.
But in the midst of its ideological transformation, New College was also singled out by a Florida DOGE report last year as the least efficient in the state, with the second-lowest median salary for graduates (after Florida A&M University) and the highest operating expenses per student.
Supporters of USF Sarasota-Manatee say the proposal would amount to an eviction of a prominent educational institution, warning that a multitude of programs that feed key jobs will go away.
ALSO READ: USF president says prospect of losing campus keeps him up at night
“The fate of our hometown university depends on the next weeks, and just a few who will negotiate the budget,” said Laurey Stryker, a former president of the USF-SM campus.
“It is clear that our community opposes losing their talent pipeline,” she added.
A special session to finalize the state budget begins May 12 in Tallahassee. And while the House passes a bill to hand over the USF SM campus to New College, the Senate did not match it. That means it's likely a small budget conference committee will take on the matter of negotiating the details of DeSantis' proposed asset transfer.
A 'Hillsdale' of the South
To remake New College in the image of the private Hillsdale College in Michigan, DeSantis appointed a slate of conservative trustees in 2023. His longtime political ally Richard Corcoran, a former House speaker, became president and earns close to three times the annual salary of his predecessor.
DeSantis’ budget for 2026 called for transferring the land and assets of the 32-acre USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College. In exchange, New College would pay off $53 million in dorm debt incurred by construction of new housing at USF-SM.
But New College is already in debt — owing about $17 million, more than twice the average in Florida’s state university system — and has not been able to borrow money for years, as a result.
USF Board of Trustees member Will Weatherford has pointed out that the land and buildings belong to the state, not USF, and that any decision would be up to legislators. Weatherford stepped down last month as chair but remains on the USF BOT.
If the transfer of 32 acres of land and buildings goes through, the USF Sarasota-Manatee program will no longer exist. USF leaders say they have plans for a teachout and want to protect their students and staff, but those details have not been made public. USF’s main campus is in Tampa, and another branch campus is located in St. Petersburg.
Business leaders calculate the costs
Four chambers of commerce wrote letters against the transfer in March and April, saying USF Sarasota-Manatee provides a critical pipeline for hiring in healthcare, accounting and education. Neighboring New College of Florida doesn't offer undergraduate degrees in those areas.
“USF has several programs that impact a lot of different industries, and we wanted to make sure that those were protected,” said Justin Phillips, chairman of the board at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
"It's not about one school over the other. It's really about the impact that we would see to workforce development in our area," he said.
The Manatee Chamber of Commerce letter, sent to area lawmakers, said “programs like business, nursing, education, accounting, healthcare, hospitality, and others directly support job opportunities in our region” and “a reduction in degree programs that feed the workforce needs of Manatee/Sarasota would hurt our economy, businesses, and residents.”
Other business leaders questioned why there haven’t been community discussions about the reasons for DeSantis’s proposal, and the impact of closing a campus that serves around 2,000 students.
ALSO READ: Hundreds speak out against a proposed USF Sarasota-Manatee transfer to New College
“As you consider this decision, we respectfully encourage a transparent process and meaningful engagement with the business community before any action is finalized. The future of our workforce — and our region — depends on it,” wrote Heather Kasten, president and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
Karen Fordham, chairwoman of the board of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the importance of nursing and healthcare graduates.
“It is essential that any proposed changes to our local higher education infrastructure are guided by a clear and comprehensive plan that enhances not diminishes academic offerings,” Fordham, said, adding, “a reduction in degree programs that directly support regional workforce needs would have significant downstream effects on our businesses, our healthcare systems, and our broader community.”
Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance president Brittany Lamont said “employers depend on a reliable local talent pipeline to fill critical roles and keep businesses expanding. Institutions like the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee are essential to that pipeline.”
New College’s president has spoken favorably about the proposal at NCF Board of Trustees meetings, but in little detail. New College has struggled with providing housing for students, after mold issues shuttered dorms on its east campus near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
New College already rents more than half of the beds in the USF Sarasota-Manatee dorm. A former New College insider has also questioned whether small college would be able to make payments on the debt, given its lack of tuition revenue.
WUSF reached out to New College for comment on the business leaders’ concerns, and has not yet heard back.
Another letter, signed by dozens of business leaders, alumni and campus board members and sent to lawmakers this week, argues that USF "is also the responsible financial choice," with USF spending about $72,000 per degree compared to nearly $500,000 at New College.
"USF SM and New College have coexisted for 25 years, each with a distinct mission; sacrificing USF SM is totally unnecessary," said the letter, signed by the CEO of Blake Hospital Steve Young; Sarah Pappas, president emerita of State College of Florida; Bob Bunting, the CEO of the Climate Adaptation Center, and nearly three dozen other prominent community leaders.
Supporters of USF are holding a rally at 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, outside the Sarasota-Manatee campus, on Friday at 5:30.
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 reviewed this story before it was published.
