The search for the University of Florida’s next president continues amid twists and turns in an increasingly heated political climate.
The Florida Board of Governors blocked Santa J. Ono’s appointment as UF’s next president June 3. This marked the first time the largely governor-appointed board rejected a Florida university’s presidential candidate since its creation in 2003.
The 10-6 vote came after a wave of conservative backlash targeting Ono and his past support of diversity initiatives. Board members interrogated Ono over his past statements, letters he signed and actions he took nearly 15 years ago.
To some, Ono represented an academic with the experience and qualifications to run a top public university, having served as president of three universities. But to many conservative Florida leaders, he represented the values they’re trying to keep out of state schools.
He resigned as president of the University of Michigan after being announced as the sole finalist in UF’s presidential search May 4.
Ono quickly pledged loyalty to Florida values, denouncing his past actions and stating he believes in Florida’s vision for higher education.
“This alignment signals seriousness of purpose, and it tells me that Florida is building something truly exceptional,” he wrote in an Inside Higher Ed article May 8. “I’m excited to be part of that.”
Despite his declaration of change, Ono couldn’t escape his past.
Mori Hosseini, the chair of the Board of Trustees and a major donor to Gov. Ron DeSantis, advocated for Ono since the announcement.
Hosseini pushed for UF to achieve a higher national ranking since it dropped to No. 7 after being a top-five public university. He said he’s dedicated to the goal and believed Ono would “see to it that the University of Florida continues its ascent toward becoming America’s premier public university.”
Hosseini wrote in an email to the university June 6 stating the Board of Trustees stands by the integrity of the search and Ono’s selection.
The Board of Governors rejection was “deeply disappointing,” Hosseini wrote.
The decision won’t diminish UF’s momentum, with or without Hosseini, he added.
One thing remains clear: Florida universities are now highly politicized.
A win for some
Prior to the vote, conservative leaders blasted Ono, claiming he wasn’t a good fit for Florida’s values.
Christopher Rufo, a New College of Florida board member appointed by DeSantis, said Ono’s selection was a scandal.
“The University of Florida Board of Trustees made a colossal mistake in nominating Santa Ono,” he wrote on X. “There needs to be a new process that brings in conservative leaders, Hamilton Center scholars, and a better search firm to ensure that this debacle does not happen again.”
Rep. Byron Donalds praised Rufo for his work in exposing Ono’s “far-left record” on X. Donalds criticized Ono for his “wokeness,” and he said the Board of Governors made the right decision in rejecting Ono.
Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R-17) called for Ono’s rejection in a letter to the Board of Governors, and he celebrated on X after Ono was not confirmed.
“The Board of Governors heard us loud and clear: Santa Ono was the wrong choice for UF,” he wrote in the post.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-1) joined the opposition, and even Donald Trump Jr. spoke out to criticize Ono.
Meanwhile, DeSantis was silent before and after the vote despite initially voicing his support for Ono’s candidacy.
DeSantis didn’t address Ono’s rejection when speaking at the 2025 Education Commissioner’s Summit the day after the vote.
A loss to others
While the decision was a win for conservative state officials trying to prevent “woke” figures from leading Florida’s top universities, the rejection took UF students and faculty by surprise.
Rylee Gill, a 19-year-old UF business management sophomore, said even though Ono wasn’t her favorite candidate for president, it could have been a lot worse.
But now that Ono isn’t an option, Gill said she’s concerned about who the next candidate might be.
“ Now that [the board] vetoed someone who not only had qualifications but also was essentially what they were claiming was representing the brand they wanted, I think we're going to get more likely another Ben Sasse or worse,” she said.
Gill is skeptical the next candidate will have the qualifications to lead UF. Academics may be hesitant to take up the role when they “have to walk on eggshells to do research because it may be considered DEI,” she said.
She said she believes the search is going to take a long time to meet the needs of both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors.
“ Hopefully that means Fuchs will be able to stay for a longer period, which I'm OK with,” Gill said.
Stephanie Fong, a 21-year-old UF computer science senior, said she was disappointed but not surprised by Ono’s rejection.
“ It's definitely frustrating that [the board is] keeping politics so in tune with higher education,” Fong said.
She thought Ono’s former presidency at U-M made him more qualified than Ben Sasse, UF’s previous president, who was the former senator of Nebraska and had minimal university leadership experience. It’s dangerous the board is making decisions in a way that indicates they’re only looking for a candidate who shares their ideologies, she said.
Fong said she hopes the next UF president isn’t a career politician but instead someone qualified to lead the university for the sake of the students.
“ I'm just hoping that [the board will] try and keep politics out of it as much as possible,” she said.
Michael Haller, a UF professor and chief of pediatric endocrinology, wrote an open letter to the Board of Governors on X to express his dismay at Ono’s rejection.
“Because of your insistence on performative politics, you chose to question him repeatedly on hot-button political issues and then refused to accept his thoughtful answers,” Haller wrote.
He said the committee failed to ask about strategic plans for UF, indicating a lack of interest in UF’s academic standing among the governors.
Haller said Ono was the most qualified candidate that could be hoped for and pointed out Ono had agreed to unusual stipulations in his contract to support DeSantis’ agenda.
Now, he doubts any qualified apolitical leader will seek out the role of UF president.
“There is no sugar coating this,” he wrote. “Your votes have irreparably harmed the University of Florida and the great state of Florida.”
Jason Jaquith, a 22-year-old UF materials science and engineering fifth-year, said they weren’t thrilled with Ono as a candidate because of some stances he took at U-M, such as backsliding on inclusivity issues.
They found it concerning the Board of Governors declared Ono not conservative enough, given his strong shift toward DeSantis’ values, they said.
It’s scary how influential DeSantis and his politics are to the flagship university of the state, they said.
“ I think that the state government for a while now has been really overstepping its reach with higher education in Florida,” Jaquith said.
They said they hope the next presidential candidate is experienced and strives for more inclusivity, promoting research, amplifying students' voices and creating a safe space for students.
“ I would like to see some separation from the world of politics,” they said.
The search continues
With interim President Kent Fuchs’ contract set to end July 31, there is a lot of work to be done.
The Presidential Search Advisory Committee is back at the drawing board. The nature of the search is yet to be determined.
During the Board of Governors meeting, Hosseini said the search committee began investigating some Floridian candidates.
He said Paul Renner, a member of the Board of Governors who voted against Ono, previously expressed interest in being a UF presidential candidate.
Renner said he expressed interest before he became a board member but clarified he would not consider the position now.
Now, Ono is out of work from Michigan and Florida, and UF is still in need of a new president.
There is no clear plan from the Presidential Search Advisory Committee on how it will continue, and Hosseini’s statements did not outline any methods. Ono’s candidacy came after a five-month-long search, so there is no telling how long the next search will take.
Nonetheless, Hosseini wrote, it’s the Board of Trustees’ responsibility to “move forward with strength, purpose and an unshakable belief in UF’s future.”
Contact Maria Avlonitis at mavlonitis@alligator.org. Follow her on X @MariaAvlonitis.
