Manatee and Sarasota colleges collaborate and receive support from area foundations

SARASOTA -- With new backing from area community foundations, local university officials expect to boost and formalize joint projects, increase collaboration and expand existing cross-enrollment plans, an effort expected to help attract more students and bolster the area economy.

The hope, officials said in announcing the plan Tuesday, is that the collaboration changes the model of higher education in the 21st century by creating what officials referred to as a "multiversity," instead of a single university. The informal, two-year-old Consortium of College on the Creative Coast -- also called C4 -- includes New College of Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. It also includes Florida State University's programs at the Ringling Museum and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.

"Each of the institutions have been thought of separately," said Ringling College president Larry Thompson. "It's time to change that paradigm."

The universities are different enough that they don't typically compete for the same type of students, so collaboration is a win-win for all, officials said. Between them, the colleges enroll about 20,000 students. One of the biggest initiatives is allowing student to cross enroll at the other schools, taking courses that may not be offered at their home school. They've already piloted that program for the last year or so, but hope to expand the offerings for students.

Although New College hosts the most foreign language options for students, there are some that are missing, said President Donal O'Shea. For example, Eckerd College, a liberal arts college with a strong marine science program and partnership with Mote Marine, offers Arabic, something New College does not but may be an appealing option to their students.

There will likely be some more rules and regulations for the cross-enrolling piece, said USF Sarasota-Manatee president Sandra Stone, like only opening the cross-enrollment to outside students once the home college students have all had their chance, or limiting some programs -- pieces that are still being worked out. The individual colleges will likely eat the cost of the credits, which vary from school to school.

The model is based on similar ones used across the county, like the Five College consortium in Massachusetts and The Claremont Colleges in California, where again, local universities and colleges pool resources and allow students to take classes and earn credits at the other institutions. Each institution retains its own identity and programs but the consortium can often make the schools a more attractive option for students leaving high school and looking for opportunities.

Besides cross-enrolling, other opportunities here will likely include grant funding and research done between professors and faculty members at the colleges. Officials will look at possibly creating a new, joint program or major between the schools, pulling from existing program and course offerings. Adding a new program or major can be a cumbersome and expensive task for one college, but the collaboration could make it easier.

Now with three local foundations signing on to the joint effort, Laurey Stryker, former president of USF Sarasota-Manatee, has been tapped to spearhead the effort and navigate the logistics as the "initiative manager." She'll work with the college heads, deans, faculty and registrars to take the initiatives from the drawing board to reality.

"The devil is in the details," Stryker said on Tuesday.

Coming with a wealth of experience on community collaboration, Stryker said one of the most important factors is when people have the willingness to collaborate. "We've got the talent, we've got the product and now we've got the willingness," she said.

It was a case of the stars aligning, SCF president Carol Probstfeld said, having the right people in the right place at the right time to get the initiative up and going.

"We really share this goal, we're committed to it, we'll find a way," Probstfeld said.

In the next few months, Stryker said they'll work mainly on logistics like cross-enrolling and branding to help get the initiative up and off the ground.

Leaders from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation said Tuesday that signing on to the initiative -- and investing a total of $75,000 -- was a "no-brainer."

"It's an important day in our community," said Teri Hansen, the president and CEO of the Barancik Foundation. "This is a no-brainer, an absolute no-brainer."

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter@MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Manatee and Sarasota colleges collaborate and receive support from area foundations ."