The New College Foundation is moving to scrap the college’s nearly 50 year old alumni association and replace it with a foundation run alumni engagement committee, a shift alumni leaders say would strip the group of its hard won independence. The association, which has been publicly critical of the school's conservative overhaul, argues the change is really about silencing dissent and reshaping how alumni organize and fundraise. The proposal has already drawn swift pushback and now heads to the Foundation board for a final vote later this month.
Foundation pitches new alumni committee
Under a bylaws amendment circulated by the Foundation’s Governance Committee, the existing Alumni Committee would be replaced by an "Alumni Engagement Committee" tasked with aligning alumni activity with the college’s mission, as reported by Tampa Bay Times. Foundation leaders say the revamped structure is meant to expand alumni mentoring, programming and philanthropic coordination and to strengthen what they describe as "meaningful alumni participation." Supporters of the plan argue that a more centralized model would make it easier to pull together events and fundraising efforts that support students and faculty.
Alumni leaders warn of lost independence
Leaders of the New College Alumni Association say the amendment would effectively "dissolve and reconstitute" their organization and voted unanimously to oppose the change, Florida Politics reports. Association Chair Chris Van Dyk has warned that the group may pursue legal remedies, pointing to a 2003 affiliation agreement that he says limits the Foundation’s ability to unilaterally eliminate the association and noting that roughly $300,000 was transferred to the Foundation under that deal. For now, the association has asked its executive committee to review any potential lawsuit while leaders say they are still hoping for a constructive resolution.
Why this fight matters in Sarasota
The clash is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader transformation at New College that began when a state appointed board installed a conservative administration, a shift that has drawn national attention and internal upheaval, as documented by Newsweek. The Foundation maintains that its proposed change is about tightening up donor coordination, alumni programming and student support, the core duties it lays out on its website. Materials from the New College Foundation identify the Keating Center as the group’s on campus base for advancement work.
What comes next and the legal stakes
The Foundation board is expected to take up the Governance Committee's recommendation at its July 29 meeting, and alumni leaders say that vote could decide whether the association survives in anything like its current form, Florida Politics reports. Legal observers note that fights over affiliation agreements and donor control usually hinge on contract language and nonprofit bylaws, which means any challenge would likely play out in civil court. Alumni and donors say the larger battle is over keeping an independent alumni voice at the table while New College remakes itself.
