In the final analysis, every student is responsible for his or her own education. - The New College motto
The best education comes from the active confrontation of two first-class minds. - The other New College motto
New College is a tiny liberal arts college in Sarasota, on the Gulf Coast of Florida. New College has no grades, no grade point averages, no credit hours, no course requirements, and no conventional thinkers.
New College is a place where non-conformists can find a sense of belonging and individuality is fostered as a necessary prerequisite for creativity.
While it may seem that having no grades and being located next door to one of the world's finest beaches is a formula for slacking off, this is not the case. A New College student with a tan doesn't remain a New College student very long. There are no fixed requirements - you are not graded against your peers. Rather, you are expected to perform at your peak - anything less is simply unacceptable. All New College students are self- starters. If you do not take responsibility for your own education, nobody else will. As a result, almost half of any incoming class has transferred to less rigorous climes before the end of the second year.
No. Ask that again, and I'll break your legs.
New College has no grades. Rather, a student's performance is deemed as either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. In addition, the students are given a written evaluation of their work. These evaluations are written from the professor to the student and are entirely private. As a result, there is no "grade inflation" - most evaluations spare the praise and tell the student precisely where improvements are possible.
In order to graduate, a student must complete seven satisfactory contracts and three independent studies projects (ISPs). A contract is just that, a contract between the student and their advisor that spells out what the student must accomplish that semester. This can be as straightforward as passing three classes, as ambiguous as "mutual satisfaction for good work" or as unconventional as "learn how to drive." The student-advisor relationship is sacrosanct and almost anything goes. But, as with all other forms of freedom at New College, this can be a two-edged sword.
New College transcripts are also non-conventional. They have no GPA; they do not include any mention of classes that were Unsat'ed; they do not include the written evaluations; and they make no mention of any academic discipline. Is this unfair? Possibly. But the guiding philosophy is that students can only learn from their mistakes, and they must thus be encouraged to make those mistakes without permanent harm. An unsatisfactory evaluation or a semester on probation or even suspension are often the best possible teachers, and these would not be available if the faculty had to concern itself with worrying about the student's permanent record.
Many remain skeptical, but the facts prove that New College works. Sure, it is not for everybody, but there are plenty of conventional schools for the people who are not born Novocollegians. But there are those few for whom New College was intended. New College is one of the last bastions of intense intellectualism and individual freedoms. And it works. We are sixth in the country in terms of percentage of graduates who earn doctorates (first in the social sciences; first among women).
For three years running, Money Magazine has rated New College as the Best Buy in college education amongst public schools. And last year, New College beat out all the private schools as well to be the best buy overall. Of course, there are many for whom New College simply does not work, and for them New College is a terrible buy. But for those who are interested in learning how to learn, New College simply cannot be beat.
At New College? Hah! Sports at New College are limited to pick-up basketball games, the loosely affiliated softball teams, and the occasional game of ultimate frisbee. And of course the perpetual games of hacky-sack that can be found almost everywhere. Sure, there are tennis courts, a weight room, a new basketball court, a racquetball court, and an olympic swimming pool (where students have stopped going naked for several years now). But organized sports, as with any form of organization, are an anathema to New College students.
New College has no fraternities. In a sense, New College is simply one big fraternity. In the original sense of the word. We are a very tightly-knit group and we are very wary of outsiders.