New College of Florida has paid approximately $800,000 to two outside public relations consultants through no-bid contracts since 2023, according to public records. The spending at the public liberal arts college comes as the institution maintains a 13-member in-house marketing and communications team and faces faculty criticism over budget cuts to academic programs.
No-Bid PR Contracts Totaling Nearly $800,000
Public records show that New College of Florida distributed the nearly $800,000 across two separate firms starting in 2023. More than $400,000 went to TMF Communications, a firm run by Taryn Fenske, according to college invoices. Fenske previously served as a spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis, for New College President Richard Corcoran during his tenure as Florida’s education commissioner, and led DeSantis’ presidential super PAC.
Fenske secured her no-bid contract in July 2023. College invoices indicate she has been paid upwards of $15,000 per month, plus travel expenses, to enhance the school’s brand, develop proactive messaging, and produce promotional videos. Fenske communicates with the college via an encrypted email and referred questions regarding her contract to New College, according to public records.
A second firm, Evandr.co, received nearly $400,000. Run by California PR consultant Katy Saeger—who promotes her crisis communication services as discreet and behind-the-scenes—the firm signed a no-bid contract in November 2023 valued at just over $12,000 per month, plus nearly $30,000 in back pay. In January, Evandr.co’s monthly fees were reduced to $5,000, though New College spokesman Jamie Miller declined to explain the reduction. Saeger did not respond to requests for comment.
Financial Inefficiency and Faculty Criticism
The outsourced communications spending occurs alongside heightened state investment and questions regarding institutional efficiency. Governor Ron DeSantis has defended more than $60 million in state funding aimed at reshaping the small liberal arts college, which enrolls about 1,000 students, away from what he terms “woke indoctrination.” At a recent education roundtable hosted at New College, DeSantis acknowledged that the state’s financial infusion represents a one-shot deal rather than permanent spending.
At the same time, a state audit published last year found that New College is the most financially inefficient institution within Florida’s public university system. The audit reported that earning a degree at New College costs nearly three times as much as it does at the University of Florida, the state’s largest university. Furthermore, spending per student at New College reached $83,207 during the 2024 fiscal year, marking the highest rate among all public universities in Florida and nearly double the spending at UF.
Sarah Hernandez, a New College professor and vocal critic of the state’s takeover of the institution, expressed surprise at the PR expenditures. Hernandez stated that faculty members have recently been instructed to implement budget cuts, making the ongoing outlays for outside consultants difficult to reconcile with academic priorities. According to Hernandez, academic programs are told to operate on restricted budgets while the college spends significant sums on communications.
College Defense and Operational Context
Defending the outsourced agreements, New College in-house PR chief Jamie Miller issued a statement asserting that the school collaborates with outside vendors across multiple operational areas, including communications and marketing, much like many colleges and universities across Florida. Miller also stated that the college has been very pleased with the performance of both consultants.
However, Miller did not respond to inquiries regarding specific tasks performed by the consultants or why their services remain necessary given that the institution employs its own 13-member in-house executive communications and marketing team.
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