A group of nearly 100 protesters passed the time as they camped out on the second floor of Tigert for an hour and a half, waiting to deliver a list of demands to President Ben Sasse on his first day as UF’s 13th president.
Sen. Ben Sasse delivered his farewell address on the Senate floor Wednesday after eight years representing Nebraska. He will resign his seat this week to assume his role as UF president in February.
Tenure, presidential salary and handling outside activities are some of the most notable differences between Sasse’s, Fuchs’ and former President Bernie Machen’s contracts, which were obtained by The Alligator. However, most sections of the contracts remain the same.
Sasse’s contract will see him officially take office Feb 6, 2023 — subject to a term extension after 5 years. His base salary will be $1 million a year, and if he remains an active UF employee in good standing by July 2024, that salary will increase by 4% annually.
Sasse added sports programs, made a controversial hire and invested in Midland athletics. While outside eyes recognized his effort, reactions were divisive among those at Midland regarding their support of his decisions.
In the coming months, Sasse is expected to be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors, resign from his seat in the Senate and become officially installed as UF’s 13th president. Sasse was unanimously confirmed by the Board of Trustees Nov. 1, including a controversial vote by Student Body President Lauren Lemasters that has led to an impeachment resolution filed against her in the Student Senate.
Lemasters, the student body president, voted in favor of U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse for UF president, eliciting backlash from other Student Government leaders who disapproved of her decision and have called for her impeachment.
Nearly two-thirds of more than 700 UF presidential candidates were white or men, according to presidential demographics data obtained by The Alligator.
The Change Caucus of the UF Student Senate submitted a resolution to impeach Student Body President Lauren Lemasters under the charge of malfeasance Thursday morning following Lemasters’ Tuesday vote in favor of U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse to become university president.
Badell respects and considers Lemasters a close friend, he said in the statement released Wednesday evening on Instagram. But he couldn’t support her in her vote for Sasse, which he felt contradicted the wants of the student body, he said.
Around 50 protesters gathered outside Emerson Alumni Hall Tuesday morning to express their disapproval of Sasse’s selection as the sole finalist for the position of UF’s 13th president.
The interview, which began at 10 a.m., took place in Emerson Alumni Hall’s President’s Ballroom. The meeting was open to public comment and livestreamed for those unable to attend.
Live dispatch updates:
On behalf of the United Faculty of Florida, Florida Legal Services demanded in a letter Friday that UF revoke its ban on demonstrations inside university buildings.
A clear bag policy will be in place during the Tuesday Board of Trustees meeting in Emerson Alumni Hall, where the board will vote to approve UF presidential nominee Sen. Ben Sasse.
Looking back at Sasse’s presidency, some at Midland felt the bottom line was profit — not faculty well-being. Midland faculty recall periods of buyouts and a shake-up of leadership as Sasse cleared out long-time professors. His later run for office also didn’t come as a surprise to some.
In an email Oct. 24, Fuchs announced UF would crack down on student protestors for presidential finalist Ben Sasse's upcoming visit. Students may be punished by the university under the Student Conduct Code if they protest inside Emerson Alumni Hall during Sasse's second visit Nov. 1.
Ideally, Fuchs said the search process should be completely confidential: The president would be selected behind the scenes and announced to the public without their input, mimicking the selection process at top-ranked public and private universities.
The Faculty Senate’s vote of no confidence comes just over a week after the Student Senate’s Oct. 18 resolution condemning the presidential search process and Student Body President Lauren Lemasters.
Student Body President Lauren Lemasters told student organizers her vote on UF presidential finalist Sen. Ben Sasse is still to be decided Thursday morning during her office hours.
Solutions by The State News
