Over the holiday weekend, the Florida House and Senate agreed on language to transfer the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College.
If passed, the legislation would transfer the property ownership, leases, fixed facilities and equipment from the USF Sarasota-Manatee to New College. New College would also assume liability by Dec. 30 for any outstanding debt as of July 1.
Students enrolled at USF Sarasota-Manatee before July 1 would receive priority use of classroom space in the transferred facilities.
In the regular session, the House’s budget bill asked for around $23 million from the state initially allocated to USF to go to New College instead. The Senate’s initial budget bill did not mention a proposed transfer. The monetary transfer does not appear in the draft budget.
Will Weatherford, the outgoing chair of USF’s Board of Trustees, wrote on X that the transfer makes sense with the state’s focus on efficiency and the proximity of the two campuses.
“I am confident we will be able to protect our exceptional students, faculty and staff, which has been our priority,” he wrote. “While we may no longer have the same physical footprint we do now, I know that USF can maintain a meaningful presence in the Sarasota-Manatee with opportunities for our university to continue delivering world-class academic programming.”
Nancy Parrish, the president of Citizens to Protect the Ringling — a group that has expanded its mission to include preserving USF’s control of its Sarasota campus — said in a statement that the deal was made against a promise made to a growing community. It is one of the most irresponsible acts against higher education from Tallahassee “in a generation,” she said.
“It dismantles a thriving, community university that for decades has educated working adults, veterans, place-bound students, nurses, teachers, and the regional workforce our economy actually depends on,” she said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Check Tampabay.com for updates.
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