Posted on 05/27/2025 1:15:34 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The University of Florida may reverse its nation-leading shift away from identity politics by hiring a DEI-pushing president.
Update: University of Florida trustees today voted unanimously in favor of Santa Ono for president. His candidacy now proceeds to the state Board of Governors.
Trustees of Florida’s flagship public university vote today on whether to reverse their institution’s nascent success by selecting an identity-politics booster to replace former University of Florida President Ben Sasse.
Sasse’s UF presidency was key to the Florida legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts at reforming higher education away from leftist indoctrination and towards an academics-focused core curriculum. States including Utah, Texas, and Oklahoma have used Florida’s education reforms as a model for their own.
Yet UF trustees will vote Tuesday on a candidate to replace Sasse likely to undo all he and state lawmakers have accomplished to increase the university’s profile, improve its stewardship of public resources, lead the nation in education reform, and remove identity politics corruption. Although the university search committee promised it would “recommend a small number of highly qualified candidates to the UF Board of Trustees,” it ultimately only recommended one finalist, Santa Ono, whose professional record teems with identity politics activism.
On Saturday, journalist Chris Rufo posted a supercut of Ono’s public pledges of allegiance to race and sex discrimination throughout his career.
The Canadian-born Ono was president of the University of Cincinnati from 2012 to 2016, president of the University of British Columbia from 2016 to 2022, and then president of the University of Michigan from 2022 to May 2025.
Endorsing Race Discrimination at the University of Michigan
In his inaugural address to UM just two years ago, Ono listed a “Diversity Equity Inclusion...
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
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I think we need to start a new national party and call it the “Actual Conservatives”.
May his term be short and end under a cloud.
I think we need to start a new national party and call it the “Actual Conservatives”.
+1
My first thoughts: (1) The Search committee failed. Heads should roll. (2) Was the Search committee’s failure a deliberate ploy to force the Board to accept an unacceptable candidate? (3) Is there some thought that this guy was merely promoting what he felt it was his job to promote?
I congratulate Rufo for his work, but weren’t there any press opportunities after this selection was made, or in consideration?
“””The Canadian-born Ono was president of the University of Cincinnati from 2012 to 2016, president of the University of British Columbia from 2016 to 2022, and then president of the University of Michigan from 2022 to May 2025. “””
Looks to me like he can’t hold a steady job.
*squinting* I do believe I see a middle finger.
To my eye, it looks like the UF Board of Trustees has the final vote on who becomes UF President.
Who are the Trustees, and how are the Trustees appointed?
A 100% ratifying vote for Yoko Ono is very depressing.
My long dead friend would have prvented this. Raised poor, he went to University of Florida on a scholarship,, got an engineering degree on a scholarship and used it to found a huge company. One of the largest annual contributors to UF.
He had zero tolerance for bullschtein.
The search committeee is made up of faculty, a couple of hand picked students, a couple of alumni, and maybe one or two others. Faculty dominate.
Yes, the committee deliberately only pushed one name forward.
Board of Trustees have final say.
Actually, he has said he’s changed his position on DEI. Regardless, he won’t be able to push DEI at UF. DEI is now illegal in Florida and the state board of regents won’t hesitate to remove him if he tries. So any talk about how he even could change that is overblown.
Mind boggling!
The GOP continues its penchant for self-destruction...
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