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CATALYST OCTOBER 30, 2019 VOLUME XXXIX ISSUE VII
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
Relevant rights: student protections on campus Photo courtesy of Kathleen Vacca
BY SIERRA LAICO Amidst concerns about the seemingly heightened presence of police on campus and controversies surrounding police encounters, students have expressed confusion regarding what rights they have as residents of this community. With a Palm Court Party (PCP) approaching this Friday, there is a sense of urgency for students to figure out what protections they have under the law. Student groups such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) have created conversation among the community to address students’ discomfort and concerns of safety. “New College is an institution founded on progressive values and non-traditional methods of organizing and navigating community,” Vice President of SSDP and third-year Kendall Southworth said. “This reality is frequently swept under the rug, but it's our foundation and our power. There needs to be open and active discourse about power dynamics, accountability
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President Donal O’Shea will be travelling to Gainesville to defend the “New College Tomorrow: Arts and Sciences for Florida’s Future” proposal, which requests an additional $700,000 for the 2020–2021 school year, at the Oct. 30 Florida Board of Governors (FBOG) meeting. The proposal focuses on three main initiatives—executing the college’s strategic plan to grow enrollment, inflecting student experience toward the world of work and increasing collaborative agreements with regional institutions—and came to fruition as the FBOG adds an additional funding category to its Education and General (E&G) budget request. New College is part of the State
WHAT’S INSIDE
EVENING WITH CIW pg.
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PUMPKINS & GHOSTS pg.
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Demographic statistics for the cohort of 2019 BY ADRIANA GAVILANES
among the 12 institutions that make up the SUS. Performance-based funding: a baseline for all SUS institutions For the 2019–2020 school year, the SUS’s performance-based funding budget totalled $560 million. This money is distributed between the 12 universities in the system based on how well each performs in regards to 10 key metrics. The model has four guiding principles: use metrics that align with SUS Strategic Plan goals, reward “excellence” or “improvement,” have a few clear, simple metrics and acknowledge the unique mission of the different institutions. Each metric is scored on a scale
In the midst of the college’s growth plan, this is the second year that the incoming cohort has claimed the title of smallest class size in recent history. The cohort of 2019 totalled 173 students, including 26 transfers. This number marks a 22 percent decrease from the size of the cohort of 2018, which was 222 students. This year's cohort brings the total undergraduate enrollment of the school to 702. In past years, the incoming cohort demographics report provided a broader range of information than the current year’s report, including average SAT score, average GPA, percent of Florida residents, percent of outof-state students and more. This year, the office of research and administrators only reported the finalized data including statistics about gender, race and ethnicity. The report states that four students are nonresident aliens, 27 students are Hispanic/Latino, no students are American Indian or Alaska Native, four students are Asian, no students are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 97 students are White, six students are two or more races and four students are race and ethnicity unknown. According to the Director of Institutional Research Hui-Min Wen, the student demographic data stems from the aAdmission application every student fills out. Changes to a student’s affiliated identity can be made by contacting the registrar. Changes commonly happen when students are employed by New College and complete the HR form.
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During consensual encounters, there are no police commands, force, lights or sirens.
and retraumatization, but before that can even happen, students need to feel safe, comfortable and empowered enough to participate in those conversations. We need to reflect on our values and expectations as a community and funnel our energy into renegotiating our roles in conflict management and decision-making.” When asked about any potential changes or initiatives that have been considered by administration to ease the stress of students and other members of the community, Dean of Out-
reach & Engagement and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Bill Woodson said he was in conversation with students and other administrators. “Recognizing that there's been heightened tensions on our campus, I've been in conversation with our student affairs leadership and staff, President O'Shea, Provost Feldman and a number of faculty and students in our community, specifically to discuss what opportunities we might
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Demystifying the SUS budget: how NCF plans to take advantage of additional funding category BY JACOB WENTZ
BREXIT & CHILE
University System of Florida (SUS), a system of 12 public universities in Florida. Headquartered in Tallahassee, the SUS is overseen by a chancellor and governed by the FBOG. Every year, the SUS submits an E&G budget request to the Florida Legislature. After the sitting governor submits budget recommendations to the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, the two legislative bodies pass separate budget bills. Differences between the two budgets are negotiated and resolved through a joint public conference. A final budget bill—the General Appropriations Act—is passed by the legislature and sent to the governor, who has line item veto power. After the governor approves the final bill, the E&G budget is divided
6 Spooky Decor
8 SRQ Eat Local
12 Haitian Art Exhibit