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What a year—and what a journey to get here. Along the way, we’ve made new friends and raised more than a few question marks. Change at a public liberal arts college is never easy, but this past year has shown us just how much can be accomplished when a community is pot-committed for the future of our students.

This fall, we crossed a new threshold: more than 900 students enrolled, the largest student body in our history, and our third straight year welcoming 300-plus new students. Retention has rebounded to roughly 75 percent. The academic profile of our incoming class is the strongest in years—higher SATs and ACTs, GPAs near 4.0, and applications rising alongside selectivity. Those aren’t just numbers; they are families choosing Sarasota, choosing Florida, and choosing a distinctive education that fits their ambition and how they see their future.

You can see the momentum across campus. We have welcomed more than 65 new faculty in two years—scholars from places like Oxford, Stanford, and the University of Chicago—while investing in the professors who have long defined New College’s rigor. We launched 18 varsity sports, making our bayfront a home for scholar-athletes and their families on weekends. Our graduate programs are expanding: Applied Data Science continues to climb nationally, and Marine Mammal Science is drawing talent to the Gulf Coast to study and protect the waters we share.

Strength follows stewardship. Our Foundation has grown markedly—moving from a vulnerable position just a few years ago to one of real resilience, with record annual fundraising and new scholarships for students. State partners have backed that work with major funding that is turning deferred maintenance into new facilities and a renewed shoreline. When you walk the bayfront today, you feel it: a campus is preparing for the future while honoring its past.

Some people are asking why liberal arts, why now? Because this is exactly what our moment demands. In an age of AI, and constant disruption, the skill that endures is the capacity to think: to analyze, to connect ideas, to communicate, to lead. That is what the liberal arts, done seriously and in small cohorts, uniquely develop. At New College, students sit down with faculty early, write and defend a senior thesis, and learn to be accountable for their work. It’s personal, rigorous, and transformational. Undergraduates at New College don’t wait until year five to participate in meaningful research, they are participating right away. Our students participate and plan their destiny.

Recognition has followed the work. Washington Monthly named New College the No. 1 public liberal arts college in the country. The Princeton Review lists us among the nation’s best values. Fortune ranks our Master’s in Applied Data Science among the top programs in the United States. I’m proud of those accolades—but prouder still of what they represent: students who are seen and stretched, faculty who are energized, and a community that chose progress over pessimism.

None of this happened by accident. Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, state leaders, and neighbors rolled up their sleeves. Businesses offered internships. Families showed up at games. Alumni mentored undergrads. Our partners across Sarasota and Manatee leaned in. That is the story I most want our region to hear: this has been a team effort, built the Sarasota way—pragmatic, optimistic, and focused on results.

Is every question answered? No. Real change is hard. We have made tough calls, learned in public, and adjusted when needed. But the direction is clear and the energy is real. We are more than halfway up the mountain, and the view gets better with every step.

Here is what comes next. We will continue to recruit exceptional students from Florida and beyond who want a serious education in a close-knit setting. We will keep hiring world-class faculty and invest in the spaces where learning happens. We will deepen our ties to local employers so that more graduates launch careers right here on the Suncoast. And we will safeguard affordability so that any talented student can say yes to New College.

To everyone who believed in this turnaround—thank you. To those who are curious—come see us. Walk the bayfront, meet our students, and sit in on a seminar. The bones of greatness have always been here. This year, they have come to life.

And the best is yet to come.

Richard Corcoran is the President of New College of Florida.

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