This week, UF published the contract for Interim President Donald W. Landry. It includes a $2 million base salary and outlines diversity, equity and inclusion restrictions, administrative efficiency and artificial intelligence initiatives.
The Florida Board of Governors is set to confirm Landry at a Thursday meeting. The vote will determine whether Landry may continue his role as interim president, which he began Sept. 1, as Florida’s flagship university continues its search for a permanent leader.
Alongside his base salary, Landry is expected to earn up to $500,000 in performance incentives. If not chosen as permanent president in 2026, Landry can also earn up to a $2 million bonus in severance.
His predecessor, Kent Fuchs, earned about $1 million in his 13 months as interim president. Santa Ono, the former University of Michigan president who was briefly considered for the position, was comparatively offered a $1.5 million base salary with the potential to earn $3 million through bonuses and additional duties.
The contract highlights several priorities Landry emphasized during the Board of Trustees meeting, including eliminating DEI efforts, bolstering student safety and raising school rankings.
According to the contract, Landry is expected to uphold state laws prohibiting the use of public funds for DEI initiatives. The move reflects the state’s broader effort to eliminate DEI at public universities and reallocate the funds toward faculty recruitment efforts.
Landry must also work with the state and federal Department of Government Efficiency to “eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.” This provision aligns with ongoing state efforts to reform higher education spending, emphasizing accountability and efficiency within public institutions.
Other focuses include UF student safety, particularly that of the Jewish community, and the university’s ongoing initiatives in AI.
Landry is also required to fill interim and vacant positions with people who “are firmly aligned with and support the principles guiding Florida’s approach to higher education.” That includes picking a permanent provost, interim dean posts, cabinet positions, directors and other academic leaders.
Landry is the second presidential pick in recent months to go before the Board of Governors. In June, the Board rejected the UF Board of Trustees’ top pick,Ono, in an unprecedented 10-6 vote.
Despite unanimous consent from the UF Board of Trustees, Ono faced intense criticism from the political figures, like Sen. Rick Scott, Rep. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube, and other political activists over his support for DEI programs and his handling of campus protests at Michigan.
After extending interim president Kent Fuchs’ contract until Sept. 1, trustees confirmed Landry as interim president until a search for a permanent president could begin in 2026.
Landry is a physician-scientist and chair emeritus from Columbia University’s Department of Medicine. The Board of Trustees confirmed him unanimously Aug. 25, with his term beginning this month.
Landry’s selection has garnered mixed, but generally positive, responses from political figures and faculty.
Gov. Ron DeSantis applauded Landry’s appointment on social media, emphasizing his “stellar record” in medicine and administration. Conservative activist Christopher Rufo, known for his campaign against DEI initiatives, took to X to describe Landry as a “principled leader who will reverse ideological capture and restore truth-seeking.”
Board of Governors Vice-Chair Alan Levine wrote in a text message to The Alligator, “I look forward to having the opportunity to offer my formal support at our next BOG meeting,” later publicly making his support clear.
Faculty leaders have been more measured. The United Faculty of Florida union’s UF chapter president, Meera Sitharam, described Landry’s selection as “highly encouraging,” noting the trustees could have chosen a far more overtly political candidate.
Old colleagues of Landry’s also said they were optimistic due to his academic record, rather than political background.
The Board of Governors will vote to approve or reject Landry at a meeting this Thursday, held at the New College of Florida in Sarasota. If they reject him, the presidential search committee will restart its process, potentially leaving the school temporarily without a president or interim president.
Contact Swasthi Maharaj at smaharaj@thealligator.org. Follow her on X @s_maharaj1611.
Swasthi is the Fall 2025 university administration reporter. She's previously worked as general assignment reporter with The Alligator, and you can also find her work in Rowdy Magazine or The Florida Finibus. When she's not staring at her laptop screen or a textbook, she's probably taking a long walk or at a yoga class.
