Posted on 02/01/2023 5:57:15 AM PST by Presbyterian Reporter
Richard Corcoran in March will take over as interim leader of the university.
New College of Florida President Patricia Okker was fired Tuesday by the school’s newly installed Board of Trustees.
“I understand that there is a new mandate for this college,” Okker said.
Before the meeting, a new contract was negotiated to allow for a sabbatical for Okker, and then for her to take a full-time teaching position at the school if she does not take a job elsewhere.
The parting of ways with the administrator comes after significant upheaval on the board. Gov. Ron DeSantis this month appointed six new members to the board and promised to remake the college more like Hillsdale College. The State University System’s Board of Governors appointed another member of the same background, the leader of a conservative think tank.
Okker was hired for the job in 2021. She previously served as dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri.
At the trustee meeting, Okker slammed the new direction being pushed for the college as a “hostile takeover.”
“I’m going to say publicly. I do not believe that students are being indoctrinated at New College,” Okker said.
New trustee Matt Spalding proposed hiring former Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran as interim President but said he would not be available until March. In the interim, the school will have Dr. Bradley Thiessen fill in.
New trustee Chris Rufo later tweeted the change would re-establist important values in the institution.
“We are restoring public authority over the public universities,” he posted. “Governor DeSantis has provided us with a vision and a mandate for change. We will do everything in our power to make New College the best publicly-governed classical liberal arts institution in America.”
The board of trustees after firing Okker discussed hiring counsel for the college. The current attorney advising the board, David Smolker, is not serving the institution full-time. Trustees decided to begin negotiations with former Senate President Bill Galvano, a Bradenton attorney, about the job.
While the board parted ways with Okker as a President, her time at the school is not necessarily over.
A five-year contract Okker signed on April 28, 2021 promised her an annual salary of $305,000. The contract runs through June 2026. The contract also allows her to give notice of intent to resign without a breach in contract, but she must give 90 days notice.
New College’s general counsel David Smolker laid out the specifics of how money could be paid out in installments, noting if Okker found work at another college the obligation would end.
New terms for a contract negotiated ahead of the meeting noted her contract also allows for her in the event of termination to take on a full-time teaching position. She is guaranteed pay of at least $150,000.
The college had the power under the contract to terminate Okker without cause, but must give six months’ notice, and can only take such an action with a two-thirds vote by trustees. Ultimately, nine of the trustees voted in favor of firing Okker.
Okker by contract could also be fired with cause if trustees felt she has failed at her job. Reasons itemized in the contract include a deliberate violation of duties, moral misconduct that brings disrespect or ridicule on the institution, or if the board judges that she has violated any college rules or the state Constitution.
Mary Ruiz, a member of the Board of Trustees since before the recent appointments, chaired most of the meeting where Okker was terminated. She noted there had been comments in social media that Okker will be terminated. That seemed to reference in part a blog post by new trustee Eddie Speir.
Grace Keenan, the student trustee on the board, said she felt Okker should be kept on the board.
“I think you’re an incredible person to lead us through these changes. and I hope you stay,” she said.
She voted against firing Okker, and also raised concerns about hiring Corcoran before the entire board could meet with him.
But other board members, even some who praised Okker, said she likely was not the right person to lead the college with the new board.
“This is a different dynamic that we’re encountering,” Speir said. “I think it would be fair to her and to the new person that came to understand the full ramifications.”
The news about Okker followed word Corcoran was already planning to take over as interim New College President. His consulting firm, Continental Strategy, sent a letter to clients saying he would take over administration for the school.
At the trustee meeting, numerous speakers praised Okker, while none disparaged her besides those on the board.
“We fully support President Okker as the leader we need to realize the vision we share with trustees, a future of the colleges and innovative rigorous program which is a model of free speech expression and critical inquiry,” said Chris Kottke, a math instructor at the college.
The entire episode has caused uproar and outrage among the New College community. A packed crowd watched the trustee meeting unfold, with a number of faculty, students and members of the public speaking out in defense of Okker and against major changes to the university curriculum.
Trustees member, said he regretted informing the state he did not want to serve another term on the board. He said there were some changes the college could use, such as instituting grades in classes.
“Some kids and parents choose not to come here because of grades are not given,” he said.
But most defended the academic structure at New College, in particular the faculty-student contracts that measure progress for students.
“We fully support President Okker as the leader we need to realize the vision we share with trustees, a future of the college’s innovative rigorous program, which is a model of free speech expression and critical inquiry,” said Chris Kottke, a math professor at the college, on behalf of the United Faculty of Florida’s New College chapter.
There were some dissenting voices on issues. Garin Hoover, a former Board of
Some of the trustees thought the pushback from the public was itself an indication of a problem at the school.
“The campus needs a deep culture change,” said new trustee Matt Mauerlein, an Emory College professor. “You sat up here, you’ve called us racist, sexists, bigots, outsiders.”
But Sam Sharp, a transgender woman and part of New College Students for Academic Freedom, expressed concern that new trustees will bring a right-wing agenda hurtful to many students.
“We reject your attacks on LGBT students,” she said. “We statistically perform better academically when we are in informing environments that allow us to thrive as our best selves. This is what New College offers to us.”
I watched the video of this meeting and Yokker gave a speech before she was fired and based on what Yokker said, New College of Florida was just absolutely perfect in every way.
Here is the current list of GOP Governors.
Now we need these other GOP Governors to take similar actions regarding the state run colleges and universities in their respective states.
GOP GOVERNORS IN 2023
Alabama Kay Ivey Republican
Alaska Mike Dunleavy Republican
Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders Republican
Florida Ron DeSantis Republican
Georgia Brian Kemp Republican
Idaho Brad Little Republican
Indiana Eric Holcomb Republican
Iowa Kim Reynolds Republican
Mississippi Tate Reeves Republican
Missouri Mike Parson Republican
Montana Greg Gianforte Republican
Nebraska Jim Pillen Republican
Nevada Joe Lombardo Republican
New Hampshire Chris Sununu Republican
North Dakota Doug Burgum Republican
Ohio Mike DeWine Republican
Oklahoma Kevin Stitt Republican
South Carolina Henry McMaster Republican
South Dakota Kristi Noem Republican
Tennessee Bill Lee Republican
Texas Greg Abbott Republican
Utah Spencer Cox Republican
Vermont Phil Scott Republican
Virginia Glenn Youngkin Republican
West Virginia Jim Justice Republican
Wyoming Mark Gordon Republican
DeSantis is knocking it out of the park, would be a shame for him to go to DC and not stay in Florida and revamp it all there. Showing all of the other Governors how to do it is better than going to DC. Local politics impacts more lives closer. If only Abbot here in TEXAS would do all of this stuff as fast and clean! It is working. Keep doing it over and over, let the libs flee to California or Canada or something. Restore and revise fast, move the whole goals to swing things to correct all of the wrongs you can.
And YES a college needs to give GRADES.
Here is a comment on the Florida Politics website:
“Why did New College Trustees make the YouTube video recording from today’s board meeting private? What are they hiding?”
I was watching the video of the board meeting until it stopped and showed ‘private’.
So much for abiding by the Florida Sunshine Laws!!!!!!!
True but this is somewhat state constitution dependent.
It needs to be done but one size does not automatically fit all.
“So much for abiding by the Florida Sunshine Laws!!!!!!!”
I understand Florida’s Sunshine law requires meetings to be open to the public, among other things; there is no requirement that I know requiring every meeting to be broadcast live.
“””True but this is somewhat state constitution dependent.
It needs to be done but one size does not automatically fit all.”””
What you write will be the excuse used by the spineless GOP Governors who do not want to do anything.
Before any conservative voter accepts such an excuse, they need to ask: “SHOW ME where it says the governor can’t do it?”
“””I understand Florida’s Sunshine law requires meetings to be open to the public, among other things; there is no requirement that I know requiring every meeting to be broadcast live.”””
In this case a Public Institution, funded by the Florida Taxpayers, made a video recording of a meeting and then decided to take down the video and call it ‘private’.
The New College of Florida is not the owner of the video. The public, aka Florida taxpayers, own the video and New CCollege cannot deem it to be private.
You are spot on, this is how the RINO weasels will not go along with a great idea.
“”I think the board meeting would have been open to the public physically and since YouTube isn’t exclusive to Florida residents, it’s broadcasting wouldn’t be deemed as mandatory.”””
As I replied to an earlier post: “In this case a Public Institution, funded by the Florida Taxpayers, made a video recording of a meeting and then decided to take down the video and call it ‘private’.
The New College of Florida is not the owner of the video. The public, aka Florida taxpayers, own the video and New CCollege cannot deem it to be private.”
Well, Dr. Okker, that just goes to show that you are educated well beyond your abilities!
You presume that all state education laws are the same and that all state universities and college are like the one in the article
Not at all a solid assumption
How about all y’all shut yer yaps about schools you don’t know?
Some of georgias state universities are fabulous. Nothing needs to happen to them other than give them more funding
Thinking that everything is the same everywhere is a sign of intellectually laziness
So IF you are a Floridian you can demand a copy of it
New College or New School openly implies Far Leftist indoctrination.
The left has owned those words for over 50 years.
In WV in the state constitution the state department of education is independent of the legislature & governor. For example, the state department of education says we want this much money (later distributed to the county boards of education!). The legislature has to give them the check but is not allowed any say or oversight in how it is spent. As I understand it it’s all or nothing.
The story is as to why it was put in the state constitution this way was to remove “politics” from the state/county education process. (State & county education institutions are now amongst the most “partisan” entities in this state and “partisan” toward “the left!”. They are only “nonpartisan” because that’s what they say there are!) Removing this clause from the state constitution was on the ballot during the midterms but was voted down as were the other five!
Note we now have super GOP majorities in our legislature. (GOP to Rat ratio: House of delegates 88 to 12, State Senate 31 to 4) The legislature says they are going to try again in 2024. (It was one of 5 constitutional amendments that would have “modernized” the state constitution!)
Bottom line: I wouldn’t just blithely dismiss the issue of differing state constitutions. There may well be such institutional obstacles.
Boards do hold executive sessions whereby personnel and/or legal matters are discussed.
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