When politics trump merit: The undoing of Florida's academic integrity
Gov. Ron DeSantis's tenure in Florida is destined to be remembered for a seismic shift in the landscape of higher education marked by an erosion of academic independence and intellectual diversity.
Under his leadership, politics trumped merit, and loyalty replaced qualifications. The state's colleges and universities are no longer centers of independent thought — they've become landing pads for Republican allies, rewarded through sham 'searches' and backroom deals.
The list of appointees reveals a troubling consistency. In Sarasota, New College was handed to former House Speaker Richard Corcoran. At Florida Atlantic University, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner was tapped to lead. Fred Hawkins, another former legislator with no academic credentials, was installed as president of South Florida State College in Avon Park. Former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez now leads Florida International University. And soon, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz — a former Republican legislator from Hialeah, a loyalist with no higher education leadership experience — will take the helm as interim president at the University of West Florida.
Florida A&M University trustees selected telecommunications lobbyist Marva Johnson to be the new president; she has no experience working in higher education but has long-standing ties to DeSantis.
Which leads me to Gainesville. Home of the University of Florida, our state's flagship university and my alma mater.
After a prior Republican political appointee with no academic gravitas flamed out spectacularly as UF's president, the school (and the state) had a chance to chart a new course. Santa Ono, Ph.D., a nationally respected university leader and former president of the University of Michigan, was unanimously approved by UF's Board of Trustees. His hiring should have been a slam dunk, and a return to academic excellence.
But this is the so-called 'Free State of Florida,' where freedom is reserved for those who pass an ideological litmus test. Ono didn't. And now UF will pay the price.
In what was described as a 'stunning move,' the Florida Board of Governors—stacked with political appointees—rejected Ono's confirmation. It was the first time in state history that the board overruled a university's chosen president. But this rejection of a qualified candidate was not 'stunning' to those paying attention to the politics of Tallahassee.
More: Santa Ono barred from UF presidency amid mounting pressure from GOP officials
Credentials, experience, and vision weren't enough to shield him from partisan inquisition. In a deeply embarrassing 10–6 vote, the Board of Governors rejected a leader who could have elevated UF's already elite national standing, and it delivered a blow not just to one university, but to Florida's academic reputation as a whole.
The damage is done. This decision will haunt UF for years to come. Qualified candidates won't apply, and top-tier leaders won't want to work in a system where political purity matters more than academic leadership. Florida's current and future students will pay the price for a governor and a governing board more interested in a political gamesmanship than excellence.
This wasn't just a rejection of Ono. It was a rejection of everything a great university should stand for.
Michael Napoleone is an attorney and the mayor of Wellington. He wrote this for the USA Today Network-Florida.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis overseeing undoing of Florida's academic integrity | Opinion
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