President Corcoran credits enrollment gains, outlines $36 million funding lift and Rice student center plans

President Richard Corcoran told the New College of Florida Board of Trustees on June 26 that the college is seeing historic enrollment gains and an influx of state and private funding that will support campus building projects and operations.

“We'll have our third class in a row of over 300 students,” President Corcoran said. He described the incoming class and related recruitment as pushing total enrollment to “the highest enrollment ever in the history of New College,” and stated the figure verbally as “somewhere between 909 50.”

Corcoran told trustees the college expects approximately a $36,000,000 increase in funding this cycle. He said the state provided roughly $5,000,000 to start work on the Rice student center — described as the project's initial tranche to allow design and engineering work — and that an additional $25,000,000 nonrecurring appropriation would be available for operations and physical‑plant work. He also described a $6,000,000 revert and reappropriation and ongoing discussions with the airport and FAA regarding a land purchase that did not close.

The president highlighted private philanthropy: a $2.5 million gift to build a contemplative center from the DSF Charitable Foundation, a $500,000 gift from former state senator and developer Pat Neal, and multiple other donations that he said push recent fundraising near $6 million for the calendar year. Corcoran said the foundation anticipates additional auxiliary revenue from new facilities, estimating the contemplative center could generate “upwards of 750 to a million dollars a year in auxiliary revenues,” while noting final figures are not yet set.

Corcoran also addressed hurricane recovery: the college borrowed $2.5 million from reserves and has repaid roughly $1.3 million so far; the college is pursuing FEMA and insurance reimbursements for roof, portable classroom and other repairs.

Trustees asked follow‑up questions about housing capacity if enrollment reaches 1,000 students. The president described ongoing negotiations with the University of South Florida that could free up 60–70 beds and outlined near‑term options to add roughly 100 beds using existing master‑plan sites on 50 Eighth Street as a faster construction path. He said larger dorm projects in the master plan would require roughly two years of construction.

Ending: Trustees directed staff to bring timeline and financing details for housing and the Rice building project back to the board for subsequent approvals. The president said the campus master plan had been released and an informational public meeting would be scheduled for July 15, with public hearings to follow.