Florida lawmakers are talking about big changes to higher education in Sarasota.
Among them is the idea that the University of South Florida's Sarasota Manatee campus could be vacated and given to neighboring New College of Florida, which was taken over by allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023 and seeks to become a bastion of conservative teaching in the South, modeled after the private Hillsdale College in Michigan.
A local businessman spoke to lawmakers in Tallahassee about that last week and urged them to keep USF's Sarasota campus intact for the benefits it offers business students and the community.
RELATED: USF faculty worry about losing Sarasota campus as New College takeover plans surface
John Horne is chief executive of Oysters Rock Hospitality, which owns the Anna Maria Oyster Bars franchise, as well as Cafe L'Europe on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota.
He's also on the advisory board of USF Sarasota-Manatee's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
He spoke with WUSF's Kerry Sheridan after a trip to Tallahassee with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association for Tourism Day.
This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
What was your experience like last week?
All of the legislators are very aware of all of these negotiations. We visited with almost all of our local delegation, either in their office or at a reception that the Restaurant and Lodging Association put on afterward. And they're all working on it, and they all have all kinds of different stories as to who's going to take over.
I heard that USF was going to take over. I heard New College was going to take over. I heard Florida State (University) was going to take over both. So, you know, there's just so much going on up there that no one wants to commit to anything. But obviously, there are conversations going on. So, as we've been saying, USF is an integral part of our community. What they're offering in our community, with all of the degrees, is so important to maintain in our community.
Tell me more about what you said to them about the importance of USF Sarasota- Manatee and what's offered there.
I just said, with the degrees and the connection with USF Tampa – you know that "one USF" – it enables so much to be offered in our community, and it enables us to produce students that hopefully will stay in our community.
New College, they're saying, is something that's important, and people are looking for that type of an education. It hasn't proven itself, yet. It's basically a brand new university. It's brand new. I mean, they're introducing a whole new curriculum. They're starting over. So maybe there isn't a need for this. For that curriculum. But as most of us kept saying, let's put it under the umbrella of an existing university. So hopefully, hopefully, that's what will happen, and that's what I think the community is pushing for to keep it that way.
And if you know, in five-plus years, let's just say that New College is part of USF and they're showing an enrollment increase because there is a demand for that, then we've all been successful, right? But the value of putting that under an umbrella of an already-established (university) is immeasurable, totally immeasurable.
Did you feel like you were listened to? You were heard?
Oh, absolutely. I mean, we had some good conversations with our legislators, who said they had just sat down the day before with (USF) president Rhea Law. So it's top of mind for them without a doubt.
And how optimistic are you?
With state legislation? (laughs). I think they're hearing from the community, and that's important. I truly do.
It's really helpful to hear your perspective. John, thank you so much for making the time to talk to me about it.
I hope I can help.
This interview was conducted by WUSF reporter Kerry Sheridan and edited by Emily Le Coz, executive editor-in-chief of Suncoast Searchlight, an independent nonprofit newsroom based in Sarasota. This was done to ensure editorial independence.
WUSF broadcasts from studios at the University of South Florida, including one on its Sarasota-Manatee campus, which is the subject of this story. Its broadcast license also is held by USF.
No USF or WUSF officials, or WUSF news managers reviewed this story before it was published.
