Latest news with #BoardOfGovernors
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: Bosses of Florida's university system disgrace the University of Florida
Florida's university system has endured multiple injuries to its integrity over the past few years. But the Board of Governors outdid itself Tuesday in rejecting the distinguished scholar Santa Ono as the lone finalist for president of the University of Florida. We can only think of one incident that comes close: Seven decades ago, acting Gov. Charley Johns blackballed a UF presidential candidate for having desegregated the University of Louisville. After his return to the Legislature, in 1957, Johns and other racist lawmakers declared the Supreme Court's school desegregation decisions null and void, which Gov. LeRoy Collins called an 'evil thing.' That Legislature spawned the notorious Johns Committee, named for its instigator, that tried to smear the fight for civil rights as a communist plot. Failing that, it spent years rampaging through universities to purge them of homosexuals. Racism. Homophobia. They never change no matter how much it may seem. Now, in thin disguise, they explain the Board of Governors' reprehensible treatment of another worthy candidate and its humiliation of the UF trustees who chose Ono. The trustees' error, it would seem, was to want an educator, not a politician. UF trustee chair calls Ono rejection 'deeply disappointing' Ono's past support of DEI programs as University of Michigan president were a dominant issue in the campaign to block him. DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. That simply means welcoming everyone to a university or workplace and encouraging their success. What's wrong with that? It doesn't discriminate against white men to promote fair treatment for Blacks, women, LGBTQ people, Asians and Hispanics. In 2010, as Board member Eric Silagy said in Ono's defense, the Board adopted a resolution requiring DEI throughout the university system. But to a sizable share of white U.S. voters, and to the politicians who cater to their fears and prejudices, 'DEI' is as powerful a dog whistle as 'race-mixing' was to those who elected Johns. It didn't save Ono that he tried to walk back his past support for DEI programs at Michigan and his having signed a letter, with hundreds of other college presidents, objecting to the Trump administration's war against higher education. The letter was right, but retracting his signature was wrong. Ono's futile capitulation will dog him as he seeks another presidency. He left Michigan in the misguided notion that Florida would approve the UF trustees' unanimous recommendation. It's a familiar lesson: Kowtowing to bullies only encourages them. In its 22-year history, the Board has never rejected any president. But until recently, Florida never had such an array of right-wing opportunists as it does now. It was the political equivalent of a lynching by Donald Trump Jr., Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds, Greg Steube and Jimmy Patronis, among others. Trump Jr. called Ono — whose Michigan students protested him as too harsh on pro-Palestinian protesters — a 'woke psycho.' Patronis demanded that Florida should 'Leave the Ann Arbor thinking in Ann Arbor,' as though Michigan, which voted for Trump in 2024, were some hotbed of socialism. Donalds, who wants to be governor, gave voters a clue why he shouldn't be with his actions. In other news reflective of this group's intellectual dynamism, Steube has filed legislation to defund Washington's Metro unless it renames its system 'The Trump Train' and adopts the acronym 'WMAGA.' The consequences for higher education in Florida will be dire. UF will almost certainly become the seventh post-secondary institution in the state to have a politician or a politician's friend as its president. What academician worth the job would want to apply now? UF is also in danger of losing its prized national ranking, seventh among public schools in the 2024 U.S. News listing and fourth in Forbes 'Top Public Colleges.' Florida's faculty and students deserve better than the 'intellectual reign of terror' described in a 2023 report of the American Association of University Professors that Tallahassee has waged against higher education since DeSantis won re-election in 2022. The Board's debate, ending in a 10-6 vote against Ono, brought out that one of his Board antagonists, former House Speaker Paul Renner, had talked to UF Trustee Mori Hosseini about applying for the presidency himself. Renner claimed he had only one such conversation, at someone else's suggestion. He didn't say whose, but an educated guess would be DeSantis, who had put up another politician, Randy Fine, for the presidency of Florida Atlantic University, which he didn't get. Renner said he wouldn't pursue the presidential vacancy while he's on the board. He shouldn't have it ever. Politicians already occupy the presidencies of Florida Atlantic, West Florida, Florida International and New College. A well-connected lobbyist was chosen at Florida A&M. The University of South Florida is looking for a new president. Ex-legislator Fred Hawkins heads South Florida State College without the posted qualifications. DeSantis' abandonment of Ono was cowardly. His advice to the Board of Governors to 'vote your conscience' pointedly left both Ono and Hosseini twisting in the wind. Hosseini, who has been one of DeSantis' strongest benefactors — he even gifted an expensive golf simulator to the Governor's Mansion — should feel betrayed. He has been shown, as countless others have been, that to a political opportunist, no friend is indispensable and nothing is safe. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Executive Editor Roger Simmons, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant, Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney and editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman. Send letters to insight@
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
University of Ottawa appoints first female president in its 177 year history
The University of Ottawa campus is shown on April 22, 2020. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS) Marie-Eve Sylvestre will be the first woman to lead the University of Ottawa since its inception in 1848. The university announced the appointment of Sylvestre as president and vice-chancellor Wednesday morning, succeeding Jacques Frémont. Sylvestre joined the University of Ottawa as a professor in 2005 and has been the dean of the Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section since 2019. 'It's a great honour and privilege to lead the institution that has been my home for 20 years,' Sylvestre said in a statement. 'Walking on our main campus every day, I'm struck by how far we've come as a community. Together, we have transformed this university into one of the top five research-intensive universities in Canada, one that attracts students and researchers from 150 countries to the very heart of our nation's capital.' Sylvestre earned a bachelor's in law from the Université de Montréal and a master's and SJD from Harvard University. 'Professor Sylvestre began her career at the University of Ottawa in 2005 and brings a deep commitment to the institution, a distinguished record as a researcher in law, and valuable experience on international committees,' Jennifer Adams, chair of the uOttawa Board of Governors, said. 'Her dedication to forging new partnerships, developing innovative programs for students, and, above all, her collaborative and relationship-driven leadership style will serve the University well as we continue to grow as a hub of innovation, research, and lifelong learning,' Sylvestre was chosen by the uOttawa presidential selection committee, following an internal and external search for a new president, according to uOttawa. Sylvestre will officially take over as president of the University of Ottawa on July 1, 2025. Frémont has served as the 30th president and vice-chancellor of uOttawa since July 1, 2016. According to the University of Ottawa, the president is the chief executive officer of the university, supervising and directing the university's academic mission and its general administration. The president is also the university's vice-chancellor.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
University of Florida President Pick Santa Ono Rejected After DEI Backlash
Florida state university leaders voted to reject Santo Ono as president of the University of Florida, following Republican backlash over the former University of Michigan president's previous support for diversity programs. The State University System's board of governors took the action Tuesday — voting 10 to 6 — after Ono was questioned for several hours about his position on DEI and other issues at a contentious meeting in Orlando. He was the sole finalist for the position that would have paid him as much as $3 million annually. The Board of Trustees of the University of Florida, the state's flagship, selected him for the job in May.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
University of Florida presidential pick rejected after criticism of past DEI support
Florida's university leaders on Tuesday blocked Santa Ono from becoming the University of Florida's president after a weeks-long campaign against him by conservative commentators who opposed his past support of diversity initiatives. The 17-member Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state's public universities, rejected Ono's candidacy a week after the University of Florida's board of trustees voted unanimously to make him the school's next president. Ono, a longtime university administrator, was the only finalist in the selection process.
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Fed to Cut Staff by 10% Over Several Years
The Federal Reserve will reduce its work force by 10 percent over the next several years to ensure the institution is 'right-sized and able' to carry out its duties to foster a healthy economy. Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the central bank, announced the plan on Friday in an internal note to staff members reviewed by The New York Times. Certain employees will be eligible to participate in a voluntary deferred resignation program that is aimed at giving those close to retirement the option of an earlier exit. That offer will only apply to people at the Washington-based Board of Governors. Cuts are expected to be made across the entire Federal Reserve System, including the 12 regional banks. Roughly 2,400 people will be affected. 'I have directed the leadership of the Federal Reserve, here at the Board and across the System, to find incremental ways to consolidate functions where appropriate, modernize some business practices, and ensure that we are right-sized and able to meet our statutory mission,' Mr. Powell said in the memo. The Fed earlier this year imposed a hiring freeze on permanent workers as part of its efforts to align with the Trump administration's decree that no federal position vacant at the time could be filled nor could new positions be created. It also took steps to distance itself from diversity issues as well as those related to climate change — initiatives that President Trump has opposed. The Fed is a politically independent institution, meaning it is not legally obligated to carry out orders by the executive branch. That buffer from the White House is being legally challenged by the Department of Justice, which has sought more sway over independent agencies. The announcement made on Friday mirrors an effort by the Fed during the Clinton administration to cull its work force, which Mr. Powell cited in his note. At that time, there were 'government-wide efforts to improve efficiency,' as was the case 'now,' Mr. Powell said. Mr. Trump is pursuing a similar goal, although much more aggressively than past administrations have. The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, led by the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has taken to gutting the federal work force, including shuttering agencies wholesale. Tens of thousands of government employees have since left their jobs. The Fed's decision is not tied to the ongoing initiative by DOGE, although some staff at the central bank were contacted earlier this year by Mr. Musk's group, according to people familiar with the matter. 'The Federal Reserve is a careful and responsible steward of public resources,' Mr. Powell said in his note on Friday.
