As Gov. Ron DeSantis seeks to transform New College, Florida, into a bastion of conservatism, the school has hired Richard, a longtime political ally of the governor and president, to handle promotional videos and other public relations efforts.・Hired Corcoran.
A spokesperson for the small liberal arts school said Tuesday that the school is headed by TMF Communications, led by Taryn Fenske, a former spokesperson for both DeSantis' public service agency and an affiliated super PAC that supported his presidential campaign. The Tallahassee-based company announced it was paying $15,000 per person. One month since July last year.
Mr. Fenske's involvement in promoting public schools focuses on what Mr. Corcoran and Mr. DeSantis characterize as “woke indoctrination” on college campuses, and how Mr. Corcoran is reinventing liberal arts institutions. This is an example of how the United States is assembling an alliance. Prior to the acquisition, Sarasota University had a reputation as one of the most progressive public universities in Florida.
Her work also includes video production. One, titled “The Future of Higher Education,” features comments from comedian Bill Maher, who at one point says, “Higher education is indoctrinated.” Another video, titled “Apply Today,” touts the school as having “professors who actually teach” and “contracts that demand accountability.”
Nathan March, a New College of Florida spokesman, said the school has seen a “significant increase in demand from local, national and international news outlets” following DeSantis' push for school reform. said it hired Mr. Fenski to help with “internal and external communications and marketing.”
“TMF supports external communications in both a proactive and reactive capacity across a variety of media formats and has been a great resource for New College throughout this period of greatest media attention,” said March. said.
Fenske said in a statement that he wanted to showcase how the school “has become a beacon of higher education for the nation,” and praised Corcoran's leadership at the university, calling it “a vision that even skeptics cannot ignore.” “I orchestrated change.”
Since Corcoran took the helm, DeSantis has touted efforts to “replace far-left faculty with new professors aligned with the university's mission” and eliminate the university's diversity office. In his campaign speeches during his presidential campaign, Mr. DeSantis frequently talked about his efforts at schools to promote himself as a figure fighting against “woke ideology” in the education world.
To facilitate change at the school, Corcoran turned to Fenski.
The two have worked together in the past. Mr. Fenske served as press secretary for the Florida Department of Education when Mr. Corcoran, the former Republican speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, led the department as state education commissioner. Mr. Fenske also served as communications director for Mr. DeSantis' office.
Most recently, Mr. Fenkse's company was paid $90,000 for communications services for Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting Mr. DeSantis' presidential campaign, according to federal campaign filings. She also served as a spokesperson for Fight Right, another pro-DeSantis super PAC. Before she joined the DeSantis administration, she worked as the Florida communications director for the Republican National Committee.
Fenske's hiring decision is the latest in the public university's spotlight on how the new administration is spending public funds.
The new administration has signed a campus cafe contract with a vendor connected to Corcoran, and Corcoran himself has been criticized for making a salary of up to $1.3 million a year with benefits, more than twice that of the previous university president. There is. Given his salary, Corcoran is one of the highest paid public university leaders in Florida.
Asked about Fenske's contract, March said it's not new for schools to hire outside vendors to assist with marketing and public relations efforts, especially during times of transition. He noted that under then-President Patricia Ocker, the university hired at least one telecommunications company with ties to Tallahassee in 2022, Bascom Communications.
“Bascom Communications continues to advise New College,” March said. “Last year, Bascom retainers increased as roles expanded, such as when all internal communications and marketing positions became vacant in March 2023, but then their scope decreased and stabilized. It decreased over time.”
He added, “Record enrollment, intercollegiate athletics, hiring of new faculty and professors, campus beautification, and the goal of growth for New College require consistent communication and marketing. ” he added.
“New College has historically been far less likely to be asked about the topic of individual vendor contracts,” he said.
