New College Foundation seeks to dissolve alumni association

The Miami Dade College Foundation, the direct-support organization of New College of Florida, is advancing a proposal to dissolve the college's nearly 50-year-old alumni association and replace it with a new Alumni Engagement Committee under its oversight. The proposal, obtained by Suncoast Searchlight, would eliminate the alumni association chair's voting seat on the Foundation board and give the Foundation greater control over alumni engagement. The Foundation's governance committee unanimously approved the amendments on July 21, and the full board is scheduled to vote on July 29. The alumni association, which has been a vocal critic of the college's conservative transformation under Governor Ron DeSantis and President Richard Corcoran, opposes the restructuring, arguing it marginalizes alumni voices. Association Chair Chris Van Dyk stated that if the amendments are approved, the association will seek legal action, citing lack of proper public notice. The dispute centers on a 2002 affiliation agreement that merged the alumni association into the Foundation, which the Foundation may consider no longer valid. Some alumni, like former chair Stuart Clarry, see the restructuring as an opportunity to engage a broader alumni base.