Posted on 05/28/2025 4:10:40 AM PDT by MtnClimber
The University of Florida must not make a mistake in hiring the president who will replace Ben Sasse. To do so could destroy one of the crown jewels of American higher education, a model of excellence and the plain common sense so sorely lacking on campus. The haste with which the Gator trustees will vote upon their sole finalist, Santa Ono, and the Board of Governors will make final their decision is ill-advised. There are cases in which the presentation of a sole finalist to the board ends successfully, but it is a risky procedure. When controversy over a candidate’s record emerges, especially the type of controversy that swirls around Dr. Ono, prudent and unhurried review is what is owed to the citizens of Florida.
Relying on the guidance of a search firm is to lean upon a broken reed. There are too many examples of bad search firm guidance from even well-known and high-profile firms to allow any level of complacency. Indeed, the organization I lead, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), has for decades counseled trustees to take individual responsibility to be informed and engaged throughout the process of selecting a new president: it is arguably the most important decision they will make in their fiduciary role. The search firm that helped select Dr. Ono as a finalist will emerge unscathed if it turns out to be a bad choice: trustees, who bear ultimate responsibility for the school they govern, will not escape, nor should they escape blame. Doing it right is their solemn responsibility.
(Excerpt) Read more at realcleareducation.com ...
Its a done deal and its also not what they are portraying this as. Firstly Ono himself has moved away from DEI recently. Secondly even if he wanted to implement DEI at UF he would not be able to. DEI is explicitly illegal in Florida. In addition to that Governor DeSantis was able to appoint the board of Governors. If Ono tried to push DEI on the sly, the board of Governors would be able to override him and remove him if necessary. This is much ado about nothing.
14 of 17. They were also confirmed by the Republican controlled state Senate.
Thx.
I knew at least several had to have been.
Probably not much the Gov will do to intercept what his appointees have decided/will decide to do.
Thank you for your correction. While I hate to give mis-information, I am in some ways happy to show my ignorance in this area.
My “native tribe” is rural Oregon, which has as its champion Oregon State.
If it were up to me, Oregon State would still be in the Pac-8 and the Pac-8 would still be playing an eight game schedule. I have an appropriate interest in re-alignment, but more from a theoretical level.
I’m an Ivy grad—one of the few good things to say about the Ivy League is that the idea of a student-athlete is still cultivated, although if you are really top-notch academically and athletically, I imagine that Stanford would be tempting.
FWIW—Cornell just took the men’s lacrosse championship.
It was not clear from the article I read how Ono was nominated, or why just one candidate was nominated.
Just curious if you follow current events and the guy was rejected by the State Board of Regents which is above the School’s Board of Governors.
Here’s who makes up the State Board of Governors.
The Florida Governor appoints the members of the Florida Board of Governors, with fourteen of the seventeen members being confirmed by the Florida Senate. The remaining three members are the Commissioner of Education, the Chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, and the Chair of the Florida Student Association.
Hopefully this isn’t a waste of your time.
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