Latest news with #BoardOfGovernors
CBS News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Former Michigan President Santa Ono will not return to university faculty, officials say
Former University of Michigan President Santa Ono will not return to a faculty position after he pursued the presidential role at the University of Florida and was rejected. A U of M spokesperson confirmed on Friday that Ono resigned from employment. The university did not provide any further details. Ono confirmed to The Detroit News that he informed the university he was returning, but stopped short of sharing his future plans. Ono was named Michigan's 15th president in 2022. He announced in May 2025 that he was stepping down to go for the same role at the University of Florida. He received initial approval from the university's Board of Trustees, but was rejected by the Florida Board of Governors a week later. Before the Board of Governors' 10-6 vote, several prominent conservatives raised questions about Ono over pro-Palestinian protests, climate change efforts, gender ideology and DEI programs at the University of Michigan and his previous academic positions. One of those conservatives was U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who said that he had "serious concerns" about Ono potentially becoming president. Scott urged the Board of Governors to question the encampment that occurred on U of M's Diag last year and Ono's response to reports of anitsemitism on campus. Before becoming Michigan's president, he served six years as president and vice-chancellor of the University of British Columbia and as president and provost of the University of Cincinnati. He was set to replace Kent Fuchs, who became the school's interim president last summer after ex-U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse stepped down. Sasse left the U.S. Senate, where he had represented Nebraska, to become the university's president in 2023. According to the University of Florida's website, Fuchs remains the university's interim president.
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
DeSantis ally ‘MAGA Marva' named president at Florida HBCU despite campus concerns
Marva Johnson, an ally of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has been confirmed to serve as president of Florida A&M University, despite vigorous opposition from students and prominent alumni. It's the latest in a trend that now sees former Republican lobbyists or lawmakers leading five of the state's 12 public universities. "To the Rattler community, students, faculty, alumni, stakeholders: I am listening, and I hear your dreams, and I hear your concerns,' Johnson, a cable industry executive and lawyer, who has served appointed positions under GOP governors DeSantis and Rick Scott, said during a contentious Wednesday meeting of the state university system's Board of Governors. 'And my door will always be open." At the meeting, where officials confirmed Johnson to lead the state's sole public historically Black university (HBCU), many of those criticisms continued. "Marva Johnson is not ready to lead the nation's number one public HBCU," Florida A&M alumna and former ABC News president Kim Godwin, who served on the university's search committee, told the gathered attendees, which included alums who stood and turned their back as Johnson spoke. "She does not have the best resume. She did not have a good on-campus interview,' Godwin continued. 'She appeared unprepared and short-sighted and did not present well to our stakeholders. She had the opportunity, but failed to win the support of any stakeholder group. These are facts." DeSantis was not involved directly in Johnson's selection in May, but his attorney general praised the executive's candidacy, and his deputy chief reportedly lobbied the search committee to nominate Johnson, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Some feared that Johnson, who served on the Florida State Board of Education for four years, did not have experience in academia, while others worried she would continue Governor DeSantis's attempts to remake public education in the state in a more conservative image. Under DeSantis, the state has enacted policies that serve as de facto book bans on materials that often include stories about Black and LGBT+ people, and has banned funding for diversity programs, while blocking an advanced placement African American history class. Critics of Johnson argued she would be a partisan in this effort, and labelled her with the nickname 'MAGA Marva,' after Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan. "Right this very minute, a group of activist Republicans are trying to put in the highest position of power someone who is solidly and objectively unqualified for it," alum and film producer Will Packer said in a May Instagram video after university officials chose Johnson as their pick to submit to state officials. "She is a career lobbyist with no experience in higher education administration, literally the same amount of higher education admin experience as you or I. Zero, none." During a May forum with alumni and students, Johnson insisted she wasn't a 'Trojan horse,' and pointed to her experience working in state politics as a sign of her bipartisan bona fides. 'No, I'm not a Trojan horse. I was not sent here to dismantle FAMU," she said. "I would love the opportunity to work with you and to grow FAMU.' Johnson has said she hopes to elevate Florida A&M to an R1-class research university. Florida A&M alumni have filed a lawsuit over the presidential selection process.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Three more DeSantis allies to take the helm of public universities in Florida
The state board that oversees Florida's public universities has confirmed three more allies of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to become university presidents. It's a move supporters say will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape, and one that critics see as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for academic leadership in the state. The elevation of two Republican former lawmakers and a lobbyist comes after the state Board of Governors rejected the nomination of a longtime academic to lead the University of Florida, amid conservative backlash against his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs that board members viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology. With the appointments approved Wednesday, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that will help bolster DeSantis' legacy in higher education that could long outlast his time in office. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multi-year contract for a salary of at least six figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called "a spoil system for a select few." DeSantis' former lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez. was confirmed as the president of Florida International University in Miami. Meanwhile, telecommunications lobbyist Marva Johnson was tapped to lead Florida A&M University, the state's only public historically Black university. Johnson was previously a DeSantis appointee on the state board of education. Manny Diaz, a former state lawmaker and state education commissioner under DeSantis, was picked to lead the University of West Florida in Pensacola on an interim basis, mirroring the appointment of Nuñez, who was first named interim president before getting the permanent job at FIU. Johnson's appointment, in particular, has alarmed FAMU students and alumni, who begged the board not to confirm her on Wednesday, arguing that she failed to meet the job's minimum requirements and that her requested salary far exceeds her predecessor's. Johnson's appointment has stoked longstanding fears that the HBCU could be merged with Florida State University, the predominantly white institution across the railroad tracks. "I can't decide if her appointment is politically motivated, gross negligence on the part of the board, or just you guys wanting to get rid of FAMU altogether," alumnus Angelo Pettis told the Board of Governors. Board members defended Johnson, her credentials as a telecoms executive and her service on various state boards. Johnson addressed the concerns of FAMU students and supporters, saying she's "ready to lead with boldness" and committed to working alongside them. "I remain deeply committed to ensuring that the legacy of the university is not lost," Johnson said.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Millions made available for Florida universities to pay student-athletes
Pointing to a need to avoid a disadvantage in recruiting athletes, Florida university-system leaders Wednesday made up to $22.5 million available for each state university to share revenues with athletes. The system's Board of Governors approved the funding, which will be available annually at that level as a loan or transfer for the next three years. It is designed to help carry out a new revenue-sharing model with athletes under a national legal settlement in a case known as House v. NCAA. Will help put universities into a position to compete for talent It comes amid massive change in college sports, in part because of athletes now being able to cash in through "name, image and likeness" deals. Traditionally, college athletes could not be paid. Board of Governors member Alan Levine said the money approved Wednesday "takes some of the pressure off the donors" now funding name, image and likeness deals and ensures "we put our universities in as advantageous a position as possible to compete." The settlement, approved June 6 by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California, in part establishes a 10-year model for NCAA Division I schools to expand rosters and directly pay athletes for their names, images and likenesses. "They're already out there trying to sign contracts with these athletes," Levine said. "And if we don't act, there's a really good chance that our institutions will be severely disadvantaged. I don't think anybody wants that." Spending is capped per school Payments, expected to go primarily to students who play football and men's basketball, would be in addition to currently allowed individual name, image and likeness deals, where money is often raised and distributed through what are known as "collectives" and other organizations tied to schools. Under the settlement, schools that opt in to the plan could spend up to a capped amount on direct payments and roster-expanding scholarships. For the 2025-2026 school year, the cap would be set at $20.5 million per school. Peter Collins, chairman of the Florida State University Board of Trustees, said not every Florida school will reach the cap. "I don't know for sure everybody else around the table, but I know we will, because everybody that we play is spending in the cap," Collins said. The cap is based on calculations involving media, ticket and sponsorship revenue at schools in what are known as the "Power 5" conferences --- the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 --- and at Notre Dame. The additional $2 million being offered to schools would cover back-pay of certain athletes who played before name, image and likeness deals became legal in 2021.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Board of Governors confirms Manny Diaz Jr. as interim University of West Florida president
The State University System's Board of Governors confirmed the appointment of Manny Diaz Jr., as interim president of the University of West Florida on Wednesday. Diaz will replace Martha Saunders, who announced her resignation May 12 following months of attacks on the university by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed several controversial picks to the university's Board of Trustees and warned of a bumpy road ahead for the university. Saunders had served as UWF's president since January 2017. All board members but one − Eric Silagy − voted in favor of confirmation. Silagy voiced concerns about Diaz's compensation package, the lack of a performance component in that package as well as a university succession plan. Silagy is the immediate past chairman of the Board of Governors and is president and CEO of Florida Power and Light Co. He also asked UWF Board Chair Rebecca Matthews if she tried to talk Saunders out of retiring or if she encouraged her to stay on as UWF president in an interim capacity. "She's (Saunders) clearly engaged, she loves UWF. She wants to stay engaged. Did you ever look at whether or not keeping her on just as interim, while you went through a search process? She knows the school so well, and she had a contract in place. And it would have been very easy to have her bridge that gap," Silagy said. Matthews said she honored Saunders's resignation letter − knowing that she would be helpful during the transition. Diaz's name quickly floated to the top of the pool of potential replacements. In an 8-2 vote on May 27, the university's Board of Trustees chose Diaz to fill the position left open by Saunders' resignation. On June 12, the university's Board of Trustees approved a $744,000 compensation package for Diaz, which includes a base salary of $643,000, along with provisions for housing and a vehicle and relocation allowances. Under the terms of the contract, Diaz will serve as interim president from July 14, 2025, until July 13, 2026. The Board of Trustees is conducting a search for a permanent president, and the agreement notes Diaz's term could be extended in the event the search fails. It's also possible that Diaz will apply for the job permanently. If so, and if he's picked, the GOP former state lawmaker will follow other former Florida elected officials into state university and college presidencies, such as former House speaker Richard Corcoran now at New College of Florida and former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez at Florida International University. Under Diaz's contract, his duties and powers are to "diligently devote his full professional time, ability, and attention to the day-to-day operations of UWF including, without limitation, all administrative, executive, and academic functions as required by this Agreement, law, rule, and regulation." A former state legislator from Hialeah in Miami-Dade County, Diaz served in the House from 2012 to 2018 and in the Senate from 2018 until 2022, when DeSantis recommended him as education commissioner and the Florida State Board of Education made it official. As education commissioner, Diaz oversees Florida's public education system, including 28 state colleges and nearly 3 million students across K–20 institutions, and manages a $27 billion annual education budget, according to his resume. Diaz will be University of West Florida's seventh president. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Manny Diaz confirmed as University of West Florida president by BOG
