Santa Ono was approved by the University of Florida Board of Trustees as UF’s current president-elect on May 27. The next step in the process is his approval by the Florida Board of Governors.
The upcoming Board of Governors meeting is set to take place at the University of Central Florida’s downtown Orlando campus June 3.
What is the Board of Governors, and what does it do?
The 17-member Board of Governors oversees the State University System of Florida and plays the final role in confirming public university presidents. Fourteen board members were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, including chairman Brian Lamb and vice chair Alan Levine. Many of the appointed members have longstanding ties to Florida politics or businesses.
The remaining three members come from within the university system: the education commissioner, the chair of the advisory council of faculty senates and the chair of the Florida Student Association.
UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini will describe the search process, Ono’s proposed contract and introduce him to the board during the meeting.
Once Hosseini concludes his introduction, the board will ask Ono about topics, such as his plans to improve the state’s education goals or his past leadership, before voting on whether to confirm him as president.
Potential challenges
Though the process is fairly straightforward, Ono may face scrutiny when he goes before the board.
In recent years, presidential appointments at Florida’s public universities, including that of Ben Sasse in 2022, have become major topics of discussion in broader higher education debates. DeSantis reshaped Florida’s higher education system, pushing legislation targeting topics like diversity, equity and inclusion, and environmental protection.
Some view Ono’s presidential confirmation as a referendum on whether UF will continue to align with this agenda, and opinions are divided.
Ono has served as the president of multiple universities, leaving the University of Michigan for UF. While some of his previous administrative actions, such as closing U-M’s DEI offices, have earned conservative approval, others have garnered him criticism from other branches of the Republican Party.
Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R-17) sent a letter to the Board of Governors urging it to reject Ono and asking the board to “identify a candidate that continues to advance Florida as the leader in intellectual liberty and academic excellence.”
In the letter, Steube said Ono is unqualified to serve as UF’s president because he championed “prejudicial” DEI initiatives during his term at U-M, reversing them only under legal pressure. Since the presidential search was closed and confidential, Steube said he remains “unconvinced” that Ono is the best candidate for the job.
Criticism has also come from even higher up.
Donald Trump Jr. posted on X, calling on the Board of Governors to reject Ono and describing the candidate as a “woke psycho.”
Christopher Rufo, an American conservative activist and New College trustee, stood out as a particularly critical voice against Ono.
“[Ono] is not the leader of conviction necessary to continue Florida’s academic reforms,” Rufo said.
Rufo, who has played a role in reshaping education policy in Florida, claimed the Board of Governors is privately displeased with Ono.
Cassandra Edwards, the director of communications for the Board of Governors, wrote in an email that board members won’t comment until after the confirmation vote.
Juan Vivas, a 24-year-old UF international studies and political science alumnus, said these criticisms are all based on what Ono has done in the past and don’t consider what he could do to better UF in the future.
“I would say they’re baseless claims, because they’re attacking his persona but not what can actually be done,” Vivas said. “I hope the [Board of Governors members] are actually people who care about academics. They should focus on what would be best for UF students.”
Despite conservative concerns about Ono’s commitment to reshaping Florida’s education system in DeSantis’ vision, any potential UF president will have to enforce state laws, including those that defund DEI, regardless of their personal beliefs.
What’s next?
If confirmed by the Board of Governors, Ono will begin preparations for the 2025-2026 year. According to Ono’s prospective contract, he is set to take office as soon as June 3 with an annual base salary of $1.5 million. His contract would last through May 30, 2030.
If not approved, the UF Board of Trustees will have to restart its presidential search process. The search could reopen publicly or be conducted under Florida’s presidential search exemption law, which allows for confidential candidate reviews.
Contact Swasthi Maharaj at smaharaj@thealligator.org. Follow her on X @s_maharaj1611.
