Bringing university president searches out of dark gets unanimous committee OK

Yahoo

19-03-2025

Aerial view of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. (Photo courtesy Dylan Taylor/University of Florida)
A measure to lessen gubernatorial influence over university presidential searches received unanimous support in its first committee stop Wednesday.
HB 1321 and SB 1726, introduced by Republicans Rep. Michelle Salzman and Sen. Alexis Calatayud, would return the selection process for university and college presidents to more public scrutiny. The bill would strip the State University System's Board of Governors and State Board of Education of their power to approve university and college presidents.
The privilege would be solely up to university and college trustees and search committees, which are in-part made up of gubernatorial appointees.
'When we have presidential searches and when we're doing these things, we don't need to be hiding people behind the shade because we're worried about if they win or lose,' Salzman said during a House Education Administration Subcommittee meeting, the first for the bills in either chamber.
'I think that when we create the best university system in the nation, we are creating the world leaders for tomorrow,' Salzman said. 'And by doing so, when we have the leaders of those future world leaders, they should be the best of the best and shouldn't be scared of defeat, they should be willing to stand on the front lines and fight for the students they are willing to represent.'
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As the Phoenix reported last week, the governor has long held sway on presidential searches, although under Gov. Ron DeSantis his political allies have increasingly landed in those positions, including former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez at Florida International University and former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse at University of Florida.
In 2022, lawmakers made presidential searches secret. Some Democrats and university faculty at the time opposed the law, concerned it would limit student and faculty input, Politico reported. Proponents argue the law has empowered more people to apply, with Chancellor Ray Rodrigues saying Sasse would not have applied had the search been public.
In 2024, lawmakers approved increasing BOG presence on search committees and requiring the chair of the BOG to approve a 'shortlist' of candidates.
Some have argued the spirit of the 'shortlist' law has been violated, such as when the University of Florida named a single finalist, former U.S. Sen. and President Ben Sasse, as its shortlist.
Since 2023, five of Florida's 12 public universities have hired new presidents — UF, New College of Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Polytechnic University, and Florida Atlantic University. Four — FIU, UF, the University of South Florida, and Florida A&M University — are in the process of finding new presidents.
The governor reached out to FIU to advocate for Nuñez. Earlier, DeSantis reportedly positioned now-state Sen. Randy Fine for FAU's post (although that fell through), and his office guided Sasse to Gainesville, Politico reported.
Adam Hasner, former House GOP majority leader, and former House Speaker Richard Corcoran have been named presidents at state institutions since the law changed, too.
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Among other changes, the identical bills would prohibit BOG members from sitting on presidential search committees. BOG members would have to live in Florida and make financial disclosures.
Democrats told the Phoenix they found the bill 'refreshing' and 'in tension with the governor.'
Samique March-Dallas, a finance professor at FAMU, spoke in support of the legislation during the House meeting, saying public searches boost trust.
'A president chosen through a secretive process begins their tenure with a trust deficit,' March-Dallas said. 'By contrast, leaders who emerge from transparent processes arrive with built in faculty support and legitimacy.'
March-Dallas applauded the prospect of increasing accountability.
'Accountability ensures that search committees represent our different perspectives and that final decisions reflect our collective wisdom rather than narrow interests,' she said.
'As faculty members, we are the academic heart of our institutions. We dedicate our careers to rigorous inquiry, evidence-based conclusions and honest pursuit of knowledge,' March-Dallas said. 'These same principles must guide how we select the leadership that will shape our universities' futures.'
Salzman said March Dallas's comments are 'exactly the point of the bill.'
'The education system is the second largest component of the state's budget, … therefore the taxpayers should be able to see what's going on,' Salzman said.
Rep. Marie Woodson, a Democrat, asked if it was 'an all-American bill?'
'Yes ma'am,' Salzman responded.
The proposal would impose term limits on State Board of Education members (two four-year terms), college trustees (eight consecutive years), university trustees (10 consecutive years), and BOG members (one seven-year term).
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