‘Loyalty pledges’: New UF president’s $15M contract ties pay to DeSantis agenda

The University of Florida’s tentative $3 million-a-year offer for President-elect Santa J. Ono includes an unusual clause that may ease some of his right-wing critics’ biggest concerns: His job performance — and potentially his pay — will be tied to how well he upholds educational reforms championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Ono, a three-time university president most recently at the University of Michigan, is poised to lead the state’s flagship public university under a five-year deal worth up to nearly $15.4 million plus benefits. If the Florida Board of Governors ratifies Ono’s appointment Tuesday, it’s possible he’ll be breaking his own record for highest-paid public university president.

But it’s not just the money raising eyebrows — it’s the terms.

Appended to the final page of Ono’s draft contract is an exhibit containing “key metrics” that the UF’s Board of Trustees — heavily populated with DeSantis appointees — will use to evaluate his salary raises and performance bonuses. Beyond traditional benchmarks like student success and research output, Ono will be judged on his cooperation with the governor’s Office of Government Efficiency (known as “Florida DOGE”) and how effectively he combats attempts to spend funds on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

New UF president’s $15M contract ties pay to DeSantis agenda

Expect this to become the new trend. University Presidents Will be asked to follow a governor's agenda