FSU is silent amid call for new oversight of The Ringling, which could put jobs at risk
Florida State University is keeping quiet on plans to pull the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art from FSU governance and move it to New College of Florida .
The surprise move was revealed this week by Gov. Ron DeSantis through a proposed bill he introduced which, if passed into law as written, could also put the jobs of The Ringling's current employees – including its five FSU faculty members – in jeopardy.
"Florida State University shall work with the New College of Florida in transferring all duties, responsibilities and state financial obligations for the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, including but not limited to, the art museum, the Ca' d'Zan and the Ringling Museum of the Circus, to the New College of Florida," the bill reads.
More: DeSantis calls in budget for New College to take over Ringling Museum from Florida State
The recommendation was made as part of DeSantis's proposed "Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year that totals $115.6 billion ahead of the legislative session, which begins March 4.
At the same time, the proposed bill does not reference details related to the transfer of current employees. If the employees were to also be transferred, the proposal would specify the change as what is called a Type II Transfer, according to Florida Statute 20.06 (2) .
But since the proposed bill does not address plans of employment changes according to Florida law, current employees at The Ringling are at risk of losing their jobs if the bill becomes a law as is – unless the Florida Legislature amends it.
The United Faculty of Florida's FSU Chapter President Robin Goodman confirmed that five faculty members currently work at The Ringling, but attempts to get information from the FSU Office of Human Resources Thursday about the total number of employees on The Ringling's payroll were unsuccessful.
State Sen. Joe Gruters – a Sarasota Republican who has long had a contentious relationship with DeSantis and an FSU alumnus who served on the university's Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2016 – was unavailable for comment regarding the transfer efforts.
While FSU President Richard McCullough has declined to comment on the matter, New College has also refused to provide any information when asked for additional comments from its President Richard Corcoran besides a previously prepared statement he shared on his thoughts regarding benefits of the potential transfer.
Corcoran, who has been at the helm of New College since 2023, applied to be FSU's president in 2021 during a search that ended with McCullough's appointment.
"Florida State University is advancing its scientific research and closing in on membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU)," Corcoran said in his statement.
"New College is building America's best liberal arts college, and the addition of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art strengthens that mission, offering an unparalleled cultural and academic resource that benefits students, local residents and visitors alike. This proposal will move the needle for both institutions to attain greater heights."
Goodman, who is also a professor at FSU's Department of English, said her only thought on the possible change of governance is that New College "does not seem like a healthy place for the museum," but the university's faculty union does not have a position to share at the time regarding the governor's efforts ahead of the session.
FSU student, faculty ties to The Ringling over the years
FSU assumed leadership of The Ringling in 2000, making the facility one of the largest university art museums in the nation. Although it is located near New College of Florida's campus in Sarasota, it is operated as part of the FSU College of Fine Arts .
FSU's partnership with the museum gives its students access to the 66-acre campus with over 200,000 square-feet of galleries featuring collections ranging from antiquity to contemporary.
In addition, students enrolled in the FSU College of Fine Art's master's program in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies complete their first year on FSU's main campus in Tallahassee before getting hands-on experience at The Ringling in Sarasota during their second year in the program, where they take additional graduate-level courses.
During the students' time at The Ringling, they also gain career-building experience working in museum departments such as archives, collections, development, education, library and a performing arts theater, according to the university.
Graduate classes and internships courses taught by FSU faculty members at the museum include The Ringling Course, which is a two-semester in-residence internship at the facility, and classes on topics such as exhibition-making and public programs.
In past years, FSU President Emeritus John Thrasher has described The Ringling as "an integral part of the tradition of excellence in the arts at FSU." Also, Lorenzo Pericolo – chair of the Department of Art History in the university's College of Fine Arts – has said museum is "a major asset to our university and our students."
Throughout FSU's governance of The Ringling, philanthropic contributions of the museum have helped move FSU's capital campaigns forward as well. In spring 2019, The Ringling completed a $100 million fundraising effort that became a significant component of the university's $1 billion "Raise the Torch" campaign at the time.
If the governor's proposed bill is approved by the Florida Legislature in this year's 60-day session, it will direct New College to take over responsibilities of The Ringling Aug. 1.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_ .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Ringling to New College? Florida State University mum on DeSantis plan
