Comment Sen. Ben Sasse was unanimously selected Tuesday to be the next president of the University of Florida by the university’s board of trustees, despite facing tough questions from some students and faculty about his higher education credentials and political views. The decision, which is subject to approval by the Florida State University System’s board of trustees, came after nearly four hours of questions and answers about everything from artificial intelligence to the Gator mascot to Chinese politics. Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, was named as the sole finalist for the UF post last month. If he accepts the position, he is expected to resign from the Senate in December. If Sasse ultimately accepts the position, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) will appoint a successor under state law. Sasse will take up his duties in early 2023, the university said. Trustees also agreed to negotiate a compensation package with Sasse of up to $1.6 million. UF Trustees expressed support for Sasse’s vision to capitalize on technological disruption to become Florida’s premier university more nimble and relevant, promising big change even as he assured faculty members that he supported academic freedom and the tenure system. “I am grateful for the unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees and their support of our shared vision to make the University of Florida a world-changing institution and a leader in higher education,” said Sasse. Sasse will succeed Kent Fuchs, who announced earlier this year that he would step down as chairman once a new leader is appointed. On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside the meeting — denied entry — some wearing Sasse masks and chanting, according to the Florida Independent Alligator campus newspaper. In recent months, some faculty members have complained about too much political influence at the public university, charging that Republicans in Tallahassee, including Gov. Ron DeSandis, have threatened academic freedom. Last week, the university’s faculty senate passed a no-confidence motion criticizing a flawed selection process, and the UF chapter of the United School of Florida passed a resolution expressing deep concern over Sasse’s selection as a finalist. Some professors also said they would have liked to have seen more academic credentials, such as academic writing or experience advising graduate students. University of Florida faculty has “no confidence” in Sasse selection On Tuesday, Sasse pledged to leave partisan politics behind if he is chosen as the university’s president. Sen. Ben Sasse’s candidacy for U-Florida president sparks protests Amanda Phalin, president of the faculty senate and a trustee, pressed Sasse during the board interview on several issues raised by the faculty, including concerns from LGBTQ members about whether he would be inclusive and continue efforts that Fuchs had done on campus, such as increasing all-sex bathrooms and providing certain benefits for domestic partners. Sasse said he didn’t know all the details of what Fuchs had done, but that he expected the trajectory to be the same. Phalin asked if anyone from the governor’s office had walked him through the search process, and Sasse said he had zero conversations about it and hadn’t spoken to DeSantis in years, not since he was a member of Congress. Sasse earned a BA from Harvard University and a PhD in history from Yale University. He served as president of Midland University, a private Lutheran institution in Nebraska with about 1,700 students, before being elected to the Senate in 2014. An administrator asked Sasse to compare university operations to those at Midland, asking what had prepared him to lead an institution as large and complex as UF. Sasse responded that in decades of professional experience, including time as a board member and as an executive, he believed in building a great team of people. Prior to serving in the Senate, Sasse worked with several Christian organizations and federal agencies, including the US Department of Health and Human Services. Another board member asked about partnerships between tech companies and universities. Sasse acknowledged that change is often unsettling and scary. But he said UF “should be screaming, ‘We’re open for business!’ “ While promoting the need for innovation and responding to technology that is disrupting the economy and culture, Sasse also spoke of his appreciation for the liberal arts, saying, “I’m a historian—I’m a lover of books and literature.” In a statement, Mori Hosseini, chairman of the board, said “Dr. Sasse is poised to lead UF through a dynamic period in our history and has the right combination of experience and innovative thinking to propel UF to the next level of national and global leadership.” Sasse told board members who interviewed him that he is a romantic when it comes to the importance of education and the university’s mission. “The search for knowledge and truth is a lifelong endeavor,” he said. Paul Kane contributed to this report.
