About the Author: Alice Herman | Suncoast Searchlight
Inside New College’s unraveling financial oversight: Staff ousted, board critics removed
Two former top finance officers at the New College Foundation say they were ousted in 2023 after pushing back against college administrators who sought to use donor-restricted funds to cover President Richard Corcoran’s salary [...]
NOAA cuts could harm Southwest Florida fishing economy, threaten red tide research
Sweeping cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could imperil Florida’s multibillion-dollar fishing industry and coastal economy, industry leaders and scientists warn — a dire prospect for a region built on tourism, seafood [...]
Delayed ID, missed arrest, downgraded charge: How Piccolo avoided jail for months
Fred Piccolo Jr., the former New College communications director accused multiple times of indecent exposure, avoided arrest for months due to identification delays, a missed opportunity by a deputy to act on arrest authority [...]
New College’s background check missed 3 exposure charges before hiring Piccolo
When New College of Florida hired Fredrick Piccolo Jr. as communications director in December, he had already been charged three times with indecent exposure — a criminal history that the school’s background check failed [...]
New College communications director charged for exposure of sexual organs – again
Fred Piccolo Jr., the director of marketing and media for New College of Florida and a longtime state political powerbroker, was arrested Tuesday by the Manatee County Sheriff’s office and charged with exposure of [...]
Firing of Chinese asylum seeker under SB 846 raises alarm in Florida and beyond
New College of Florida’s recent firing of a Chinese professor under a contentious state law has drawn national attention and raised fresh concerns about academic freedom, xenophobia and the direction of higher education in [...]
New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida ‘countries of concern’ law
A New College of Florida professor was abruptly fired this month under a controversial state law that limits public universities from employing people from so-called “countries of concern,” including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and [...]
Running The Ringling costs millions and employs hundreds. Can New College handle it?
Preserving centuries-old artifacts. Managing acres of manicured grounds and rose gardens. Shielding valuable art from the ravages of powerful storms. For a quarter century, Florida State University has staffed, operated and managed the finances [...]
How New College has pursued its aggressive expansion through land acquisitions
The recent proposal by Gov. Ron DeSantis to transfer the 66-acre John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art from Florida State University to New College of Florida is just the latest in a series [...]
