DeSantis at New College Flashback 2023: "for people out of state"

Sarasota, FL — Ron DeSantis returned to New College on August 18, as statewide anger continues about his 2023 statements at New College that DeSantis wanted Florida public universities to attract more out-of-state students.

Ron DeSantis, May 2023: "What a great opportunity to get a high-quality yet affordable education, even for people out of state" [17:30]

In 2023 DeSantis also said, "I know that there's a lot of parents around the country looking for schools that have a strong mission and where they think that their kids can get a good education." [0:18]

DeSantis and New College President Richard Corcoran said they were keeping out-of-state tuition low and lavishing money on New College.

Richard Corcoran, May 2023: "$50 million is more money than New College has ever received from the state… at least 20-plus years." [30:55]

Timestamps are from DeSantis's 5/15/2023 appearance, on the Florida Channel: thefloridachannel.org/videos/5-15-23-signing-of-education-legislation

New College alum Mike Sanderson, who has been tracking the spending, said "New College is worse off than before they started. Corcoran has wasted tens of millions of state money building himself lavish offices with a podcast studio and lounge while the biggest dorm building hasn't been fixed."

"$20 million was spent on hotels, millions more on athletic scholarships for students from around the world."

2023: DeSantis predicted low out-of-state tuition would appeal to out-of-state parents

In 2023, DeSantis specifically cited the out-of-state tuition and bragged it compared favorably to other states' in-state tuition:

"Look at some of the parents out of state. What is it, $16,000 for out-of-state tuition, $16,000, $17,000 for out-of-state tuition?" DeSantis said. [17:15] DeSantis stated, "What a great opportunity to get a high-quality yet affordable education, even for people out of state." [17:30]

DeSantis was planning a presidential run at the time. Florida out-of-state tuition was not raised until 2025.

Richard Corcoran: "$50 million is more money than New College has ever received from the state"

New College's interim president bragged that the state had given New College more money.

Corcoran said in May 2023, "The governor mentioned we got $35 million more this legislative session. They gave us $15 million before the legislative session. That $50 million is more money than New College has ever received from the state as far back as we can see, which is at least 20-plus years combined." [30:55]

In 2022, in his first term, DeSantis vetoed funds to renovate classrooms in the historic 1960s Pei complex, which had been ranked the highest-priority project in the entire State University System.

NCF First-Time-In-College students vs. recurring state appropriations, 2011-2025.

NCF applications, freshmen, SAT scores down

DeSantis also said, "The more they find out that they have an opportunity to send their kids to Sarasota and be able to visit here in this nice place, I think you're going to see a lot more applications coming through the door." [0:27]

Applications, freshmen, and test scores are all down below 2022 (see below).

Applications for New College went up in 2023, but were down in 2024 and 2025 relative to the previous 2022 high, and in 2025 New College had fewer First-Time-In-College students than 2022. (NCF admissions funnel data)

SAT scores are also down below 2022 and any year before, despite spending tens of millions more. (NCF SAT score data)

NCF SAT composite scores by metric, Fall 2019-Fall 2024. Source: NCF Office of Institutional Research & Assessment.

Mike Sanderson is a writer and computer programmer. A Florida native and New College graduate, Sanderson has engaged with the Board of Trustees and Board of Governors to scrutinize illegal spending and waste. mikesand.com.

Public Comment FIU 7/30/26: CarryForwards

Hi, I’m Mike Sanderson. Some of you know me from my comments to the Board of Governors, including a great one at FIU in Fall 2024. My full comment is at Mike Sand dot com.

While I have so much to say about the legislative budget request, I have to turn to the quantum computer. Specifically how it’s financed— Carryforwards.

This is money left over that universities “carry forward” to the next fiscal year and spend on new projects — With specific Board of Governors approval, by statute and regulation. Yet this document expects signing on August 4, Tuesday. Is Alan Levine calling a special meeting of the BOG on Monday?

Seperately there’s the payments from carryforwards in future years. You’re voting to, in coming years, budget too much money so there’ll be money left over.

Speaking of the future of quantum, it’s more future proof and flexible to use cutting edge quantum computing on the Cloud. This $25 million dollar hardware could be obsolete in 6 months.

And I know that you might say “oh it’s really half-off” — look at the schedule. You're committing $7.5 million now, from the flexible carryforward fund you could spend on other priorities.

And about carryforwards, this Board previously spent carryforwards on athletics scholarships. Ask your Chief Compliance Officer about the outcome of that complaint — specifically against the signers of the certification.

I submit this document’s brazen violations of statute and regulation are related to the fact that President Nunez didn’t sign the certification.

Look at the last page — the certification you rely on. She didn’t sign it! Is the Board of Trustees a delivery guy with a package, “I can sign for that.” It’s like you go to a deposition, “do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth…” “My assistant will be answering that question for me.”

USF Public Comment 7/27/26: Prayer

EDIT: This comment was not delivered due to a technical issue on my end.

I’m Mike Sanderson. My full comment and supporting material is at Mike Sand dot com.

Many of you know me from my last comment to this board on the metrics and my many appearances before the Board of Governors. I’ll start today, though, with an invocation. I’m serious. The ironic ridicule is coming, but, last night I prayed and asked God to help President Lemayem, the Trustees, the students of USF and of New College, and to help me make my points engagingly but realizing it’s actually a devastating situation. Amen.

You’re evaluating the president, and in 1999 was a student of New College of USF and I knew Judy Genshaft from when she was a presidential finalist. Judy is the yardstick, you could say, hey, in 2001 Genshaft lost the Sarasota Campus to New College har har har. No. Judy Gensaft lost New College. Judy Genshaft liked New College, she got it, she fought to keep it, she had plans for it. And when she lost it, in those first few years, by now I was editor of the student newspaper, Genshaft put a leader in place named Laurie Stryker. There’s someone who remembers Mike Sanderson after 25 years. There was this anthropomorphic bulldozer. Dr. Stryker was a bulldozer for USF, she fought tenaciously for years and got this beautiful green and gold campus built for USF Sarasota Manatee. And now, 25 years later, in order to turn the campus over Richard Corcoran, Dr. Stryker's work and the work of so many others is being liquidated.

I read the teach out plan. The goal is to protect your people. Keep in mind, the Sarasota Faculty and Staff have been adjacent to New College this entire time, they know what’s going on.

They hear New College needed classroom space, they know Corcoran took the main Academic building, converted it entirely to administrations, classrooms became office suites and lounges, and then “woah New College doesn’t have enough classroom space.” The latest line is that the campuses were neglected—the campus was extensively photographed in 2023. The governor was there in May 2023— “Beautiful New College” he said. The latest smear is backfill to retroactively claim spending went to those renovations that turned classrooms into lounges and a podcast studio.

Your Sarasota Manatee people know millions of E&G funds went to hotel leases. Corcoran got legislative permission for that, that money is gone. They know in three and a half years, he hasn’t broken ground on one building. Corcoran’s failure to do that work then justifies the taking of the buildings that USF fought to build.

Your Sarasota people know those athletics are paid for by diverting millions in E&G funds because instead of coaches dispensing athletic scholarships, it’s student recruiters dispensing merit scholarships. They know 40% of New College students are from out of state, that all the admissions statistics are worse, and those are just First Time in College. In 2024-25, according to the Fact Book, New College had more students from Brazil than from Miami Dade County.

Your Sarasota people saw the talking points that put words in the mouth of the USF president, and talking points stating that New College would be better able to attract out of state students. In May 2023 at New College the governor bragged he kept out of state tuition low so parents from other states.

I was served the video of Governor DeSantis in Bradenton justifying the transfer. Quote, “We do the stuff with New College.” The governor is coming to Bradenton, and justifying the liquidation of the USF campus by brazenly lying that New College hasn’t received increases in recurring funds, that the “nonrecurring” funds are capital improvements and lying that improvements done were necessary and that the necessary improvements were done.

All of this, and the transfer went through. I don’t know what the solution is, but I am praying for President Limayem, the trustees, the USF communities and for all the people of the State of Florida. Thank you.

Public Comment UCF 7/16/26: Spooky Ghost Stories

Hi I'm Mike Sanderson. Some of you know me from my comments to the Board of Governors and otherwise.

This is my first time speaking to the UCF Board of Trustees— and my standard intro speaks directly to the legislative budget request. My grandfather Herbert Sanderson was born in Orlando in 1920 and was the first person from Orange County public schools to go to MIT, and in the 1950s the first person hired by Martin when it came to Florida, as he had previously worked for Martin in Baltimore. Martin was the largest employer in Florida before Disney.

My great uncle Carl Langford was elected Mayor of Orlando 4 times in the 1960s and 70s, when UCF was in its first decade as Florida Technological University under Charles Millican, but Charles Millican shows up in 1950s Martin materials when he was at UF.

Central Florida Future, Vol. 08 No. 01, September 26, 1975 (Source)

I was born and grew up in Miami, and was in high school when the Blair Witch Project came out, so for many years I associated UCF with spooky ghost narratives. People do love spooky ghost stories.

At the University of West Florida, last year a trustee said the legislature's intention was to remove the space program from general ed. That trustee, from out of state with no connection to Florida, has since been rejected by the legislature for the second time.

At Florida Atlantic, I am still waiting for President Hasner to say what someone would do with an on-prem quantum computer, and I assume taxpayers are picking up the $20 million price tag.

I went to New College, where in recent years Richard Corcoran has received tens of millions of dollars more every year and squandered it — he has built nothing of value. This has nothing to do with the stated intentions. In 2023 I spoke in favor of eliminating DEI. In 2023 the three most popular majors were Environmental Studies, Computer Science, and Economics. Nobody wants to go drop their kid off at a school that made its brand culture war antagonism and is staffed by the President's unqualified buddies.

If New College is the tragedy, Florida Poly is the farce. A UCF engineering degree is worth more than a Poly degree, and its President uses the average to directly assert otherwise. The students there are miserable, the administration has almost no one with any STEM background, and it's a PR machine whose concern is pushing out photos of people sitting side-by-side signing documents. Florida Poly is soaking up tens of millions of dollars and pumping out embarrassment.

https://mikesand.com/blog/2026/6/2/bar-complaint-2-millikins-merit

https://mikesand.com/blog/2026/5/24/52626-ilya-shapiros-hot-mic-misdemeanor

https://mikesand.com/blog/2026/5/18/watch-disastrous-board-meeting-at-florida-university-that-hired-unqualified-anti-abortion-lobbyist-to-replace-general-counsel

☆☆☆☆☆

Before I end, Trustee Jeff Vahle is retiring as head of Walt Disney World. I was going to offer — if the UCF archeologists who mapped Greenwood Cemetery, where 8 of my direct ancestors are buried, want to go digging for Sanderson family relics on Disney World's forbidden island, which we used to own. My grandfather could lead the project to accelerate a missile at 100Gs to hit an incoming Soviet ICBM, but he still got tricked out of my birthright by a wiley mouse. I have more to say about that. People do love spooky ghost stories.

A group of 14 couples including Herbert and Jean Sanderson owned Bay Lake (left) from 1955–1965

Article appears in the Mouselets video at 3:47; Douglas Root is great-uncle by marriage to great-aunt Martha Sanderson Root.

Public Comment Florida Poly 6/30/26

Good afternoon. I'm Mike Sanderson.my full comment and more is at Mike Sand dot com.

To the feedback I received from the board on my previous comment, “it was so disjoint,” and “he sent me some long convoluted thing,” I take responsibility for communicating clearly verbally and in writing.

I know you're talking about me during the recess. I blame the Teams interface— was Microsoft the low bidder or something? I think you could sole-source a Zoom license.

First a follow up to last meeting, and then to the packet.

About my comment that it’s illegal to spend nonrecurring expense over several years, the following week I called the office of the house budget committee in Tallahassee, spoke to Billy, and was told , pretty authoritatively, that while for normal agencies this would be not allowed, the universities can do it as part of the carryforward process. Ok, that makes sense.

I stand by my comment it's not a good practice to have a $19 million presidential discretionary fund, 27% of the E&G budget. There are still rules for carry forwards, by the way. A big problem here is the administration has destroyed its credibility.

Can an LLM Replace the Board?

On to the meeting packet, I’d like to recall something— Trustee Otto. Cliff? Do you remember when you were Chair, we met and chatted for a few? At breakfast, in Orlando at the Board of Governors meeting in November 2023? I mentioned I am a software engineer, and I was experimenting with LLMs. Do you remember what I said? I said it would be possible to have an AI replace the board of governors.

Well that day has finally come.

I have Anthropic’s Claude Cadillac plan so dropped the packet into and said, “I’m a on the board of trustees, give me some things I should ask.” And it did. Then I gave it last years packet too and it found even more. All pages are in the PDF.

The Budget

The first thing it said about the budget was the line “Contingencies & New Initiatives is down by $7 million.” Both that it’s down, and that’s 17% of the budget this year, that’s a lot to be in big ol black box. Utilities increase by 252%. Chemistry gets added. Why is your police under your IT budget line? I heard the VP of IT went to Colorado to receive a prestigious award from your vendor. And the award from your vendor came with a cash prize, is that right?

Other changes:

• Civil Engineering ×~4,

• Industrial Engineering ×~3,

• International Relations ×~4

• LIbrary: ×~1/2.

In fact, took a different session and dropped this pack and last years packet and asked it to find stuff.Then it said, that “presidential discretionary"got renamed probably after somebody started asking questions.

A bunch of other stuff is renamed without notes. It even noted moving General counsel into presidents office and reducing its budget threatens the independence of the legal function.

First thing it said, what's with that $19 million presidential discretion fund? It's renamed to contingent funds

Capital Spending

The Claude AI also reviewed the capital spending. About the Student Center, it noticed the $12,001. Then it zeroed in on “professional services.”Claude asked how a building spent $5 million on professional services already. And on proposed Academic Building 3, it asked why that’s spending $4 million on professional services in its first year.

Around this point also, AI said, you know your CFO is interim? How’s the search for a permanent CFO going, while you’re

The Legislative Budget Request

The legislative budget request was the most amazing. The AI caught that on the bottom of Page 18 you say 2031 will have “4,107 FTE” but then the next page you say headcount of 3,462 by FY31.

The year-to-year caught stuff from the metrics. Post grad earning declined, and percent employed declined, but you raised the goals for both. Classic Florida Poly.

And then, AI caught, ironically, $1.5 million for AI? 15,000 staff hours redirected or avoided? Where’s this coming from. Maybe the more expensive AI will tell you what the more expensive AI is good for.

Workaday Sole-Source

And finally, they all caught the last item, asking the president to sign everything on a $3 million increase for a contact you signed a year ago.

You’ll never guess who the presenter is telling you to give the President authority to spend another $3 million as he sees fit.

And on the subject of sole-source, I see the document has been pulled down so I reposted it. Single-Source-Justificaiton_Barbar-Associates.pdf

Conclusion

I appreciate the questions about the Presidential Yacht. I did note President Stephenson went on a junket to Barcelona to get some fake award. I don’t care about the money, I care about the fake award. It’s embarrassing. And I would add, is this the Theranos Board of Governors? Fancy technology, no expertise to see if it is actually working. So is the fact that Florida Poly is essentially no different in marketing from a Silicon Valley hype machine or a trade school.

Board of Governors Comment 6/25/26: The Victim of the Metrics

Hi I’m Mike Sanderson, I’m sorry I won’t be able to join the State University System in Palm Beach County this week as I had hoped.

I have a two comments, the other about the future of my involvement, but this comment is about the metric.

If you know Mike Sanderson, you know I love the metrics. Especially for New College. Let’s see how Richard Corcoran is doing on the metrics.

Post graduation employed, Didn’t meet the goal,Post graduation earnings, didn’t meet the goal; Cost per student, did meet the goal—because he’s paying students nearly $20,000 to go there; graduation rates, didn’t meet the goal; retention, didn’t meet the goal; Programs of Strategic Emphasis, didn’t meet the goal.

If you’d like to learn more about the 30% graduation rate, you can see the documentary, first they came for my college, or the John Oliver program, which landed. Link in description.

Also with the metrics, we get real enrollment numbers. Let’s look at the Freshmen class, First Time In College. Fall 2025, 183 FTIC students. Lower than 2022, when it was 188 FTIC students.

If you remember the Business Plan, that the legislature required New College adopt, Corcoran claimed that he would have 275 FTIC students. He didn’t even have 225 when he presented it.

Richard Corcoran’s enrollment increase is driven entirely by transfers and graduate students, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, those students don’t count to other metrics like GPA and SAT score.

Speaking of the business side, Corcoran is getting twice as much as New College did then from recurring expenses alone. It’s pathetic.

Of course, Richard Corcoran will whine and cry. It’s like that mascot gesture, wah wah wah. I’m Richard Corcoran, it’s so unfair to criticize me for the metrics.

He didn’t even meet the goal he picked “Number of Free Speech and Civil Discourse Events Hosted on Campus”

This failure evident in this accountability plan has nothing to do with the goals of the 2023 takeover of New College, which myself and many other alums have no problem with, because ‘classical education’ doesn’t contradict what New College has long championed, which is educational excellence. Rather, this accountability plan has everything to do with Richard Corcoran being a failure, a failure beyond comparison. You can see it in the drama, you can see it in the comedy, you can see it in the boring numbers.

University of Florida BOT Public Comment 6/22/26

(May differ from delivered.)

My name is Mike Sanderson, My full comment is available at Mike Sand dot com. Many of you know me through my involvement with the Board of Governors. I went to New College and grew up in Miami, so innumerable family and friends attended UF. Up front, I thank the Board for quickly pivoting to the interim appointment of Dr. Bell and I thank Dr. Bell for accepting it. I wish I was addressing the UF Board of Trustees for the first time under better circumstances.

Since have been involved with the Board of Governors, the main part concerns the letter by the Chair of the Board of Governors, Alan Levine, on why he has held up the appointment of President-Designate Bell. I am shocked by this letter. I thought Alan Levine was smarter, or at least I thought he thought the public was smarter. There’s three main aspects to his governance complaint in my opinion.

First, the clause in Interim Prescient Landry’s contract that’s so objectionable was approved the Board of Governors, during the meeting held on September 11, 2025, at New College. The Chair saw it, the Vice Chair saw it, the Chancellor saw it, the General Counsel saw it, the full board saw it, the public saw it. Of course someone can change their mind but that’s not what Chair Levine is claiming. He’s saying he just now observed it. He then broadens his objection to practices that have been in place for year. He’s saying he just now noticed and it’s a crisis. Alan joined the BOG in what, 2014?

Then there’s the absurdity of the letter itself. Absurdity. A Board Chair acting unilaterally declares Board Chairs acting unilaterally are out of compliance.

As an aside, where was Alan Levine when New College gave its Board Chair the power to make multiple appointments to the Foundation Board? Returning to the current year, in February, Chair Levine sent a letter to the medical school accreditors as Chair despite having just told the Board the matter would be handled by Governor Good’s committee. That’s an external communication the full Board had no idea was coming.

Finally about Chair consent for agenda items, while the Board of Governors operating procedures do say items are placed on the Agenda with the Chair’s consent, there doesn’t need to be a clause declaring the Chair can’t refuse everything for a university until the university agrees with his personal determination declaration the university is out of compliance. It’s an arbitrary and capricious abuse of authority.

Whatever anyone thinks about the substance of the complaints, Chair Levine’s arbitrary and capricious abuse of authority is far, far worse for governance than anything he is allegedly addressing. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I will quote a later document, Federalist 51: Ambition must be made to counter ambition. I think the UF Board of Trustees needs to start the process, today, of taking legal action against the arbitrary and capricious abuse of authority by Chair Levine. It’s just business, although it’s of grave importance.

Regarding the allegations of misconduct, including the quote-unquote review of allegations, I will repeat my warning from September 11 to Interim President Landry: In Florida, audits are weapons, and an audit or a finding just means someone with authority wanted to splatter some mud. I have a complaint against Jason Jewell at the Florida Commission on Ethics. Those complaints have to be sworn and notarized, and I did.

Finally, I will add that this is not about DEI. At New College, in February 2023, I endorsed the elimination of DEI. It was minutes after Alan Levine, then mere Governor, was at the podium to lecture about fiduciary responsibility. Kind of a role-reversal from what you expect.

But regarding DEI, some of the most odious people, who care nothing about Florida students or Florida institutions, are now weighing in on this search. You might think I mean Christopher Rufo, and I do. His term as New College trustee ended in December 2025, he slinked away without even a post. Just absolutely shameless that he’s back, weeks after he was mocked on premium cable, claiming to have secret information. Then there’s Bob Allen, of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute, a New College alum I have known since he became a trustee of New College in 2002. He was then, what we now euphemistically call a “low empathy” person.

Alan Levine is a known quantity — a known quality, but also a known quantity. Aside from litigation, the UF Board of Trustees should be clear that if Alan Levine or the Chancellor want to plunge UF into more chaos on such a selective basis, nakedly kicking up smoke over something they passed 8 months ago, he gets to own it, and it will not be forgotten.

Bar Complaint #2: Millikin's Merit

A second complaint with the Florida Bar has been filed against an employee of Florida Polytechnic University, a sign of a growing lawlessness that has marked of President Stephenson's administration since he eliminated the University’s Office of General Counsel last fall.

Joshua Millikan, now Chief of Staff, graduated from the University of Arkansas law school in May 2025. He is 26 years old. His bio page on Floridpoly.com uses the language of a decades-long elite legal career to describe law clerks and internships:

Millikin worked in both private legal practice and Fortune 1 corporate legal environments, where he concentrated on complex commercial matters spanning mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring, commercial contracts, regulatory compliance and governance frameworks, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, and wealth management.  

His five months at Florida Poly, three months of which were after passing the Bar Exam, were also described hyperbolically:

Prior to his current role, Millikin built deep experience in university legal affairs, serving as university and legal advisor at Florida Poly, advising on governance, employment matters, Foundation and Direct Support Organization (DSO) relationships, Sunshine Law compliance, and complex institutional agreements. He is particularly skilled in navigating board processes, public records issues, and executive-level decision-making in Florida’s public higher education environment.

Timing Curious Relative to Elimination of General Counsel

Millikin passed The Florida Bar Exam in September 2025, two months into his five-month tenure. President Stephenson said he was eliminating the university’s in-house legal team in October 2025 for cost reasons.

M.E.I.: Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence

Just before the complaint was filed in May 2026, President Stephenson posted to x.com that "Florida Poly is committed to a culture grounded in Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence.”

"Yes, it's hilarious," said Mike Sanderson. "But it's also serious. There is no legitimate reason to mischaracterize his experience, and for a lawyer, it's a violation of the rules regulating the Florida Bar for a lawyer to have their legal experience mischaracterized like this in order to justify putting them in a executive-level nonlegal role for which they have no relevant experience.”

Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence

FPU President Stephenson chose this moment to announce “culture grounded in Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence.”

"It makes a mockery of any suggestion of merit or excellence, or intellegence," said Sanderson. “However, the more important word is professionalism. We have already seen that the Trustees will ignore the complaint in the sunshine and then discuss what to do after they cut their mics. The Florida Bar will have to answer if it wants, in the heart of Florida, to let this monumental unprofessionalism fester at what should be a place where merit reigns.”

Rules REgulating the Florida BAr: Possible Rules Violated

● Rule 4-4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others

● Rule 4-5.7 Responsibilities Regarding Nonlegal Services

● Rule 4-7.13 Deceptive and Inherently Misleading Advertisements

● Rule 4-8.4 Misconduct

Read the redacted complaint.

####

Mike Sanderson is a writer and computer programmer from Miami, Florida. Sanderson is an alum of New College of Florida, where he was editor of the student newspaper.