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CATALYST May 8, 2019 VOLUME XXXVIII ISSUE 12
New College of Florida's student newspaper
An overview of the allegations of discriminatory admissions practices BY CATALYST STAFF On Apr. 6, 2018, student workers in the Office of Admissions, Maria Simmerling (‘14) and Eugenia Quintanilla (‘14), filed a complaint citing allegations of discriminatory practices within the admissions process to former General Counsel Michael Pierce and the New College Board of Trustees (BoT). In their complaint, Simmerling and Quintanilla wrote that “it has come to our attention that Dr. Joy Hamm, Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid, has stated in admissions committee meetings and in casual conversation that students who had a history of mental illnesses and disabilities should have their files ‘red flagged’ or stating that they should not attend NCF.” Simmerling and Quintanilla also alleged that Dean Hamm had “falsely stated Meighen Hopton, the [former]
Director of Disability Services at New College, provided verbal consent to the changing admissions reading and ‘Red Flag’ guidelines” Hamm implemented upon her hiring in the summer of 2017. Hopton remains unable to provide a comment on the allegations. The complaint was also substantiated by a third student worker, whose name has been redacted from the complaint due to their status as a current student, and a full-time employee of the Admissions department and alumni, Clifford Lundin (‘12). Lundin provided and signed a statement about the new admissions process initiated by Hamm. In his statement, Lundin wrote that “in a staff meeting, Dean Joy Hamm discussed that she would be changing the Admissions reading and Admissions Committee process to screen for applicants with ‘inappropriate essay topics.’ She mentioned that if they discussed is-
sues or concerns of mental health in their essay, the Admissions Committee would take a closer look at their essay, even if it was above the designated automatic-admit score of 115.” At the time the complaints were filed, the Admissions Committee consisted of three admissions staff members, two of which were readers, the Director of Financial Aid, Director of Student Disabilities and one faculty member, who only evaluates the academic portion of the application. Lundin later wrote in his statement that the alleged intent behind this change in the admissions process was to limit the number of students who would require on-campus mental and physical disability resources New College would not be able to provide.
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Changes to Student Disability Services BY ANNA LYNN WINFREY
paperwork for accommodations and expand the amount of appointments students can take at the Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC) from 40 to 80. “We must keep communicating to [the administration] that these are problems that must be addressed,” first-year student Jamie Christos said in an email
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BY MICHALA HEAD
Michala Head/Catalyst
Students gathered at the Bayfront to protest and discuss the recent allegations.
The following updated demands were floated to the group to be voted on with a show of hands before everyone set off for the Bayfront: put Hamm on unpaid leave during external investigation, develop transparent admissions criteria with New College Student Alliance (NCSA) input, hire at least two more staff members for Student Disabilities Services including an independent officiant for the NCSA, ensure reasonable
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Following the departure of former Director of Student Disability Services (SDS) Meighen Hopton in the summer of 2018, the department has undergone organizational and staffing changes. An outside consultant, Dr. Elyse Chaplin, and Coordinator of SDS Meghan Machold both left at the end of fall 2018. Formerly its own department, SDS is now organized under student support services. Some students have struggled to get accomodations amid the organizational and staffing changes over this academic year. Hopton left New College after her contract lapsed and was not renewed. She had been working at New College since the summer of 2014. Many students were confused about her abrupt departure and the lack of communication. “She always assured us that if she did leave, she would make sure we were in good hands before she left and not leave us high and dry,” fourth-year Madison Weaver, who had worked with Hopton since her first year, said. “So when [Hopton] left without letting any of us know, it was kind of like something fishy definitely happened for her to do that.” In fall 2018, Chaplin was hired on a short-term contract as an outside consultant working part-time. Machold, who had been working as the SDS Coordinator since summer 2017, was the only full-time employee at the office. Machold did not have the qualifications to grant accommodations, so only Chaplin—working part-time—granted accommodations last semester. Both Chaplin and Machold left New College at the end of fall 2018. Chaplin was only hired for a short
Students and faculty stand together in wake of admissions allegations In response to allegations that Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid Joy Hamm was red-flagging applications that mentioned mental illness or physical disabilities, students gathered for a peaceful protest on May 1. Donning red apparel, representative of the red flags, about 100 students gathered outside of the ACE building and prepared to protest. Hand-drawn pins reading “fuck red flags” were distributed, a chain link made of red construction paper—each loop representative of a student who considered themselves to be a “red flag”—was carried and food and water were set up for the group at the march destination. In anticipation of this demonstration, a handful of students had met two nights prior to update existing demands and set new ones. According to an Apr. 29 Sarasota Herald-Tribune article, New College administration agreed to meet initial student demands presented after the allegations first emerged the previous week.
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