After almost 20 years of service, the University of Florida shut down its Office of Sustainability Monday.
UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldán Hernández wrote in an email statement university leadership decided to “sunset the Office of Sustainability and its functions” effective Aug. 4.
The decision to shut down the office is part of a university-wide effort to identify new efficiencies, eliminate duplicative efforts and cut costs, she wrote.
“This decision is in alignment with UF’s fiduciary responsibility to be a trustworthy steward of taxpayer dollars,” Roldán wrote.
Three employees were terminated as a result of the office’s closure, two of whom declined an interview. One did not respond in time for publication.
The statement read UF has made great strides in adopting efficiency principles, environmental stewardship and economic viability through the Office of Sustainability, and those principles are now embedded into UF’s business practices.
The office’s mission was to make UF a sustainability model by promoting ecological restoration, economic development and environmental justice, according to its site. It offered internship positions, and the site said collaboration is one of its top priorities.
It partnered with Healthy Gators, overseen by Gator Well, to host the annual Champions for Change award ceremony. The program recognized individuals and groups in the UF community who made significant contributions toward sustainability or health and wellness, according to the site.
At a June 5 UF Board of Trustees meeting, chair Mori Hosseini said he asked Chief Financial Officer Nick Kozlov to have all UF departments and deans “look at a 5% net decline.”
Kozlov said the UF foundation saw a decline in investment income through the third quarter of fiscal year 25 compared to the previous year. The net income was still positive, but Hosseini said, “ We still want to have more efficiency.”
UF can’t depend on the state for all funding, he said, and like a corporation, UF should be “going through efficiency every year.”
Through collaboration with university leadership, Kozlov said they found UF could save $20 million by implementing the 5% reduction in expenditures through reducing administrative budgets.
Roldán confirmed in an Aug. 5 email the Office of Sustainability was eliminated due to the 5% reduction in administrative expenses UF leadership initiated July 1.
The administrative expense reductions saved UF $20 million, she wrote. As a result, approximately 75 positions were eliminated due to vacancies or attrition.
The Health Science Center Police Service Technician program will also close, she wrote. The closure impacts 15 positions, eight of which are currently filled.
The PST program will continue through the end of the calendar year, she wrote. The Office of Sustainability was shut down immediately Monday, and its original website was absorbed into the UF Facility and Services site.
Contact Maria Avlonitis at mavlonitis@alligator.org. Follow her on X @MariaAvlonitis.
