A Campus Divided? Florida's New College Signs On to a Peculiar Trump-Era Promise

Something rather remarkable, and perhaps a little disquieting depending on your perspective, just happened down in Florida. New College, a public liberal arts institution that’s been, let’s just say, in the headlines quite a bit lately, has become the very first to ink a rather specific kind of pledge. This isn’t your typical institutional commitment, mind you. No, this one promises – rather strikingly, I think – that if Donald Trump finds himself back in the Oval Office, the college won’t take any actions against him. It's all part of something called the "Presidential Coalition for America First" from the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), and their stated aim? To prevent any repeat of what they term a "weaponized government" during future transitions. Quite a mouthful, isn't it?

Now, if you’ve been paying even a little attention to the academic landscape in the Sunshine State, you’ll know New College isn't just any institution. It’s been at the epicenter, really, of a very public, very spirited conservative makeover, championed by none other than Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis. He’s been rather hands-on, you could say. Remember when Richard Corcoran, a former Florida House speaker with quite the political pedigree, was appointed first as interim president and then, rather swiftly, made permanent? Well, that was New College.

And Mr. Corcoran, for his part, seems absolutely thrilled about this latest development. He's been quoted expressing his excitement, framing this whole AFPI initiative as a vital bulwark for "protecting American liberties." One has to wonder, though, exactly which liberties are being protected here, and from whom? It certainly adds a layer of… well, intrigue to the narrative, doesn't it?

This entire episode, let's be frank, isn't happening in a vacuum. It’s notable, genuinely so, because New College has become something of a flashpoint in a much larger, frankly quite intense, battle over the very direction of higher education in Florida. Governor DeSantis, through his appointments and directives, has meticulously reshaped the college's board, influencing its curriculum in ways that have certainly ruffled more than a few feathers. We've seen faculty members, even students, decide to pack their bags, moving on as critics lamented what they saw as an undeniable politicization of a public academic institution. It's a tough situation, honestly.

And the pledge itself? Well, it’s been rather quaintly dubbed a "gentlemen's agreement," which is an interesting choice of words, I'd say. The gist is that signatory universities are promising not to "target" former Trump administration officials or, indeed, actively oppose his policies. This whole endeavor, it seems, is the brainchild of AFPI, that conservative think tank, who, rather strategically, launched this initiative with an eye toward – or perhaps in preparation for – a potential second Trump term. It paints quite the picture, doesn't it? Of institutions perhaps aligning themselves politically, or at least promising a certain kind of non-interference. It’s all rather unprecedented, for a public college anyway.