Free expression, civil debate thrive at New College of Florida

Over the past 18 months, we at New College of Florida have become central players in the debate about civil discourse and the free exchange of ideas.

Of course, given that a “debate” is little more than a free exchange of ideas subject to a few rules that promote civility, there’s more than a touch of irony to finding oneself at the center of a debate about debate. There’s also more than a touch of sadness in the idea that a country that long prided itself on the First Amendment should find itself mired in a debate about debate.

Yet here we are.

In early 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a number of initiatives designed to eliminate the conformity and indoctrination that has poisoned so many of our schools. He chose New College of Florida, by far the smallest member of the State University System, to lead the way with a massive reorientation and restructuring. He brought in a new Board of Trustees, and it quickly tapped former state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran as president.

In short order, New College eliminated its DEI office, clamped down on disruptive conduct and vastly reduced the scope of a stultifyingly conformist gender studies program that had entwined a stunning 40% of the faculty (including some in math and science).

As civility flourished and the mix of ideas on campus broadened, withering criticism emerged from those who had lost their longstanding monopoly on academic thought. It was a great sign that we were doing something right.

Clearing away those impediments to genuine debate and education were prerequisites for New College’s return to what it was founded to be – the best liberal arts college in America. But they were only gentle first steps in the right direction.

During the academic year that just ended, we introduced new faculty and new courses presenting a breadth of perspectives rare on today’s college campuses – and particularly the most prestigious among them.

We introduced the Socratic Stage Dialogue series, which is open to the community, as a model of civil discourse. The first few dialogues included discussions of deeply charged issues like the Gaza war and academic freedom.

Last month, we hosted the Global Liberty Institute’s full-day symposium on the ideological capture of universities and institutions – a free speech celebration of the challenges that free speech advocates face in America today.

And now we’re kicking off our partnership with Incubate Debate as hosts of their Summer Debate Institute. Incubate Debate was founded to provide a new model of debate and argumentation to high school students. It is a perfect partner for New College; it is training the sort of high school students we most want to attract in the skills they will need to navigate a future they will share with far too many indoctrinated peers.

Rather than herding all students through formal teams at their schools and institutionalized competitions subject to the same ideological capture that has corrupted our universities, Incubate welcomes all interested students. Incubate immerses these students in the art of critical thinking, an appreciation of persuasion, reasoning from evidence and respect for competing perspectives.

Next month, dozens of new faculty will arrive on campus – following an outpouring of interest from hundreds of stellar applicants hungry for genuine intellectual freedom. They will ensure a level of viewpoint diversity that is almost unimaginable in today’s academic climate.

At New College of Florida, we are indeed committed to becoming America’s best liberal arts college. We’re not there yet. We’ve had an exciting start, but we know that much work remains. What we’ve done to date is build a platform for freedom. We’ve launched programs bringing civil presentations of competing perspectives to high school students and the general community, as well as to our own students and faculty.

In less than two years, New College has become a place where genuine debate, civil discourse and the free exchange of ideas all thrive. Watch us expand our programming – and come join us. We’re eager for civil, respectful participants from all walks of life. The greater the diversity of viewpoints, the more we all have to learn from each other.

Bruce Abramson is the executive director of new students and graduate admissions at New College of Florida.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Free expression, civil debate thrive at New College of Florida