Latest news with #BoardofGovernors
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
State board rejects University of Florida pick amid conservative backlash
The Florida Board of Governors rejected Santa Ono to serve as the president of the University of Florida on Tuesday amid backlash from conservatives over Ono's past stances on diversity, equity and inclusion on (DEI) college campuses. The board, which oversees the state's university system, voted 10-6 to block the former University of Michigan president from serving as the University of Florida president weeks after the university's board of trustees voted unanimously in favor of Ono. The move from the state's Board of Governors marks the first time in its 22-year history that it has rejected a university's presidential selection. The board's rejection means that the university will have to start its presidential selection process over. Ono faced pushback from conservatives, as well as members of Florida's congressional delegation, over his past stances on DEI, which has become a target of the Trump administration. Last week, the president's son Donald Trump Jr. called on 'every single member' of the Board of Governors to vote against Ono. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who appointed most of the state's Board of Governors, avoided jumping directly into the fray over Ono's nomination. 'We have expectations about what we want in higher education. We don't want it to be a fountain of activism and leftist indoctrination and if you go in that direction, then you will not have support to continue,' DeSantis said at a press conference last week. 'People have pointed out a lot of statements that he has made that are not exactly what we're looking for in a state where woke goes to die and I cringe at some of these statements.' The chair of the university's board of trustees, Mori Hosseini, a DeSantis ally, backed Ono as the pick to lead the university. Ono wrote in a recent op-ed that his views on the issue have evolved. 'Like many, I supported what I believed to be the original intent of DEI — ensuring equal opportunity and fairness for every student,' he wrote in Inside Higher Ed earlier this month. 'That's something on which most everyone agrees. But over time, I saw how DEI became something else — more about ideology, division and bureaucracy, not student success.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
5 hours ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Candidate for University of Florida president is rejected over his diversity stance
At Michigan, Ono had presided over a campus that was rife with acrimonious debates over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the role of diversity in higher education. Those issues have been hotly debated in Florida, where Republican leaders have successfully enacted conservative priorities across K-12 schools and in college. Ono had tried to distance himself from the politics of Michigan as he sought to transition to the Sunshine State. Last month, he wrote an opinion essay disavowing diversity programs, for instance. Advertisement Paul Renner, a member of the Board of Governors who voted against Ono's confirmation, said in an interview Tuesday that Ono had led a university that embraced diversity, equity and inclusion programming. Renner said he did not find Ono's attempt to distance himself from those efforts sincere. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The public record completely contradicted what the nominee was telling us,' said Renner, a former speaker of the Florida House. Republicans celebrated the unexpected move. Ono had already given notice that he would be leaving his job in Michigan. A Michigan spokesperson did not immediately return a message. But a member of the school's Board of Regents, Jordan Acker, suggested that Ono could not get his old job back. 'Santa Ono tendered his resignation and we accepted it,' Acker said in a brief interview. Advertisement Rebekah Modrak, a recent chair of Michigan's Faculty Senate, called the assertion that Ono was soft on pro-Palestinian activism 'absolutely untrue.' She criticized his decision to close the university's DEI office, which had been known as a national leader in such programming. 'He's a man who witnessed racial bias but closed the office of diversity, equity and inclusion,' Modrak said in an email, adding, 'There's a strong sense of justice in the fact that Santa Ono is now out of a job.' In Florida, the opposition to Ono was flipped. In recent weeks he had been criticized by some conservatives in the state over his past stances on diversity programming. 'There's too much smoke with Santa Ono,' Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., wrote on social media Monday. 'We need a leader, not a DEI acolyte. Leave the Ann Arbor thinking in Ann Arbor.' Ono had supporters in Florida. The chair of the university's board of trustees, Mori Hosseini, who has aimed to move the university in Gainesville, Florida, up in rankings, had supported Ono. 'He is the right person to accelerate UF's upward trajectory,' Hosseini said in a message to the Florida community last week. He could not be immediately reached for comment. Ono would have replaced Ben Sasse, a former Nebraska senator who abruptly resigned last summer. Ono was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Vancouver, British Columbia, and grew up in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Before leading the University of Michigan, he served as president of the University of British Columbia and the University of Cincinnati. Ono could not be immediately reached for comment. The University of Florida declined to comment. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Florida leaders hail vote to block Ono from UF: ‘The right decision'
The board that governs Florida's higher education system delivered a stunning rebuke to the state's flagship college on Tuesday, blocking Santa Ono from becoming the next president of the University of Florida. Citing concerns over Ono's past statements on diversity, equity, antisemitism and other cultural issues, the board cast aside the former University of Michigan president by a 10-6 vote, with one member absent. Some state leaders and education figures who had called for the Board of Governors to block Ono applauded the vote on social media. 'This is the right decision for @UF,' Sen. Rick Scott posted on X, a day after raising significant concerns about Ono's candidacy. 'UF's students, faculty, and staff deserve a president who will stand for Florida values and against antisemitism.' Christopher Rufo, a prominent conservative voice on education and a trustee at New College of Florida, saluted the board's 'act of courage,' and pledged 'NO AMNESTY FOR THE ARCHITECTS OF THE DEI REVOLUTION.' 'There needs to be a real shakeup at the University of Florida board of trustees, which voted unanimously in favor of a man who promoted gender pronouns, land acknowledgements, two-spirit insanity, DEI 2.0, critical race theory, and child sex-change procedures,' Rufo wrote. U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis called the often contentious Board of Governors meeting 'incredibly difficult,' but said it was necessary. 'Today's vote was tough, but I'm happy to see the system work,' he posted. 'I trust @UF will bring back the best and brightest to lead the University of Florida.' Former U.S. Rep. Byron Daniels, who is running to become Florida's next governor, was another politician who spoke out against Ono. 'I give credit to the Florida Board of Governors for standing up for Florida's conservative values,' he wrote. 'Woke has NO place in our university system. It's time to restart the presidential search at @UF and find a more qualified candidate to lead our flagship university forward.' And state Rep. Brad Yeager, R-New Port Richey, said the Board of Governors 'fixed a big mistake and stopped wokeness from leading one of our top Universities!' On the other end of the spectrum, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a UF alumnus, said the university will have its work cut out for it in attracting top candidates following Tuesday's decision. 'Today's vote begs the question: what top tier academic leader will subject themselves to the far-right fanatics running Tallahassee?' she said in a statement. 'UF is vying to be the nation's top public research university. Installing right-wing, unqualified partisans at the helm will only delay or derail that ascent.' Times staff writers Divya Kumar and Jeffrey S. Solochek contributed to this report.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid bitter conservative backlash, state board rejects University of Florida president pick
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — State university leaders rejected Santa Ono as the University of Florida's prospective president Tuesday in a shocking move sparked by conservative outrage over his support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives while leading the University of Michigan. The unprecedented decision by the university system Board of Governors erases a presidential pick that UF trustees expected to propel the school into greater national prominence. But Ono was met with a lukewarm response from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a powerful voice in higher education, and outright opposition from other Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott and Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube. Florida's flagship university now must restart a presidential search from square one as uncertainty surrounds what's next for Ono, who only weeks ago led one of the country's top universities. 'Yes, my visions have evolved, as you've heard. But over 18 months — since 2022,' Ono told the state board Tuesday. 'And I'm here to ensure that DEI never returns to the University of Florida.' To UF trustees, who unanimously backed him, Ono was the 'visionary leader that the University of Florida needs at this moment.' They billed the immunologist who has served as Michigan's president since October 2022 and previously led the University of Cincinnati and the University of British Columbia as a candidate who can propel the school in national rankings and research standings. The university — and even DeSantis — had touted how Florida was able to lure a sitting president away from a top-ranked university. And yet Republicans like Donalds, Steube and even Donald Trump Jr. urged state leaders to tank Ono's nomination, with the president's son labeling him a'woke psycho.' The Board of Governors grilled Ono over these issues and more, questioning him over past decisions and statements from social media posts nearly a decade ago on topics ranging from race-based admissions to the Israel-Hamas war. The hours of back-and-forth exposed fault lines of Florida's power structure as conservative politicians sparred with high-powered donors and business leaders. 'Your recent reversal on an entire architecture of ideology is nothing short of incredible,' Jose Oliva, a Board of Governors member and former House speaker, told Ono. At one point, a state board member suggested the panel's extensive public interview of Ono 'feels patently unfair,' as former House Speaker Paul Renner went through a list of 'exhibits' detailing his past moves. 'This is not a court of law,' said Charles Lydecker, the Board of Governors member who served on UF's presidential search committee. 'I've been on this board for 5 to 6 years and we have never used this as a forum to interrogate.' During another tense moment Tuesday, it was revealed that at least one sitting Board of Governors member — Renner — was approached about UF's top job. This led to another board member asking Renner if he would recuse himself from voting on Ono, since his rejection could once again create an opening at the Gainesville university. Renner sternly defended his position amid the revelation, stating he has 'no intention' of serving in the role regardless of Tuesday's outcome. 'I was asked by a trustee at the University of Florida to speak to the chair, which I did, and he said he wasn't interested — and that's it,' Renner told the board, saying that the conversation took place before he was appointed by Desantis. Ono, since being named the sole finalist for UF's top job, had been full-throated in his support for DeSantis and his policies that have reshaped higher education in the state. When he was selected by UF trustees, Ono said his past statements supporting DEI programs 'do not reflect what I believe today,' as he attempted to assure critics that he is 'not coming to Gainesville to slow the pace of reform.' Attempting to shore up support for Ono, UF leaders pointed to notable conservatives who have switched parties in the past, including former President Ronald Reagan, who was once a Democrat. 'Americans gave him a chance,' Mori Hosseini, UF's trustees chair and a GOP megadonor, told the Board of Governors. 'Please, give Dr. Ono a chance.' UF went as far as baking assurances into Ono's$15 million contract that the school wouldn't spend a dime on DEI under him and that he would work with DeSantis' DOGE cost-cutting team to 'evaluate and reduce administrative overhead.' But that wasn't enough to quell 'serious concerns' from critics like Christopher Rufo, an education adviser to DeSantis and the Trump administration, who feared UF was hiring a 'DEI acolyte.' Florida's congressional delegation also put consistent pressure on the Board of Governors to oppose Ono leading up to Tuesday's vote, with Scott bashing his response to pro-Palestinian protests at Michigan and an encampment that he said illustrated the university president 'putting Jewish students in danger and failing to uphold even the most basic standards of leadership.' DeSantis, for his part, never publicly endorsed Ono — which would have given him support from the state leader who appoints most Board of Governors members. The GOP governor instead backed the presidential search process at UF and warned any DEI policies would be swiftly countered by the state. 'Here's a novel idea: instead of 'loyalty pledges' and $15 million favors, how about UF chooses a president who represents Florida values and rejects divisive progressive ideology like DEI? Just a thought,' Steube wrote on social media ahead of the state board's final vote. Ono, as a leading academic, would have marked a deviation in Florida's recent pattern of schools picking new presidents with ties to the DeSantis administration and state Legislature. Schools such as Florida International University and Florida A&M University have chosen leaders connected to the state with hopes of scoring more funding and prestige. UF's last president was former GOP Sen. Ben Sasse, who abruptly resigned last July and has since been flagged by state auditors over questionable spending habits.
Politico
9 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
Amid bitter conservative backlash, state board rejects University of Florida president pick
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — State university leaders rejected Santa Ono as the University of Florida's prospective president Tuesday in a shocking move sparked by conservative outrage over his support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives while leading the University of Michigan. The unprecedented decision by the university system Board of Governors erases a presidential pick that UF trustees expected to propel the school into greater national prominence. But Ono was met with a lukewarm response from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a powerful voice in higher education, and outright opposition from other Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott and Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube. Florida's flagship university now must restart a presidential search from square one as uncertainty surrounds what's next for Ono, who only weeks ago led one of the country's top universities. 'Yes, my visions have evolved, as you've heard. But over 18 months — since 2022,' Ono told the state board Tuesday. 'And I'm here to ensure that DEI never returns to the University of Florida.' To UF trustees, who unanimously backed him, Ono was the 'visionary leader that the University of Florida needs at this moment.' They billed the immunologist who has served as Michigan's president since October 2022 and previously led the University of Cincinnati and the University of British Columbia as a candidate who can propel the school in national rankings and research standings. The university — and even DeSantis — had touted how Florida was able to lure a sitting president away from a top-ranked university. And yet Republicans like Donalds, Steube and even Donald Trump Jr. urged state leaders to tank Ono's nomination, with the president's son labeling him a 'woke psycho.' The Board of Governors grilled Ono over these issues and more, questioning him over past decisions and statements from social media posts nearly a decade ago on topics ranging from race-based admissions to the Israel-Hamas war. The hours of back-and-forth exposed fault lines of Florida's power structure as conservative politicians sparred with high-powered donors and business leaders. 'Your recent reversal on an entire architecture of ideology is nothing short of incredible,' Jose Oliva, a Board of Governors member and former House speaker, told Ono. At one point, a state board member suggested the panel's extensive public interview of Ono 'feels patently unfair,' as former House Speaker Paul Renner went through a list of 'exhibits' detailing his past moves. 'This is not a court of law,' said Charles Lydecker, the Board of Governors member who served on UF's presidential search committee. 'I've been on this board for 5 to 6 years and we have never used this as a forum to interrogate.' During another tense moment Tuesday, it was revealed that at least one sitting Board of Governors member — Renner — was approached about UF's top job. This led to another board member asking Renner if he would recuse himself from voting on Ono, since his rejection could once again create an opening at the Gainesville university. Renner sternly defended his position amid the revelation, stating he has 'no intention' of serving in the role regardless of Tuesday's outcome. 'I was asked by a trustee at the University of Florida to speak to the chair, which I did, and he said he wasn't interested — and that's it,' Renner told the board, saying that the conversation took place before he was appointed by Desantis. Ono, since being named the sole finalist for UF's top job, had been full-throated in his support for DeSantis and his policies that have reshaped higher education in the state. When he was selected by UF trustees, Ono said his past statements supporting DEI programs 'do not reflect what I believe today,' as he attempted to assure critics that he is 'not coming to Gainesville to slow the pace of reform.' Attempting to shore up support for Ono, UF leaders pointed to notable conservatives who have switched parties in the past, including former President Ronald Reagan, who was once a Democrat. 'Americans gave him a chance,' Mori Hosseini, UF's trustees chair and a GOP megadonor, told the Board of Governors. 'Please, give Dr. Ono a chance.' UF went as far as baking assurances into Ono's $15 million contract that the school wouldn't spend a dime on DEI under him and that he would work with DeSantis' DOGE cost-cutting team to 'evaluate and reduce administrative overhead.' But that wasn't enough to quell 'serious concerns' from critics like Christopher Rufo, an education adviser to DeSantis and the Trump administration, who feared UF was hiring a 'DEI acolyte.' Florida's congressional delegation also put consistent pressure on the Board of Governors to oppose Ono leading up to Tuesday's vote, with Scott bashing his response to pro-Palestinian protests at Michigan and an encampment that he said illustrated the university president 'putting Jewish students in danger and failing to uphold even the most basic standards of leadership.' DeSantis, for his part, never publicly endorsed Ono — which would have given him support from the state leader who appoints most Board of Governors members. The GOP governor instead backed the presidential search process at UF and warned any DEI policies would be swiftly countered by the state. 'Here's a novel idea: instead of 'loyalty pledges' and $15 million favors, how about UF chooses a president who represents Florida values and rejects divisive progressive ideology like DEI? Just a thought,' Steube wrote on social media ahead of the state board's final vote. Ono, as a leading academic, would have marked a deviation in Florida's recent pattern of schools picking new presidents with ties to the DeSantis administration and state Legislature. Schools such as Florida International University and Florida A&M University have chosen leaders connected to the state with hopes of scoring more funding and prestige. UF's last president was former GOP Sen. Ben Sasse, who abruptly resigned last July and has since been flagged by state auditors over questionable spending habits.
