UF presidential search is getting underway (U Michigan prez is the sole candidate) update- merged

Academic freedom in the state's education system is being obliterated. You now must be a far right wing idealogue to be selected as a public university president in Florida. It will not be long before professors and teachers are fired because they refuse to push right wing nonsense; for instance, that the January 6 attempted coup was actually a peaceful and lawful protest, or from an academic standpoint, they will be fired for not pushing the alternative (biblically based) "fact" that the universe was formed approximately 6,500 years ago, that evolution is not a scientifically supported reality, that slaves received benefits from slavery, or for refusing to cooperate with other far right wing initiatives.

Florida's Republican leadership is destroying the opportunity for our citizens to receive a fact based, politically neutral, excellent education in this state. Republicans are doing this all over the country. They do not want the truth to be taught in this country. That's why they are going after elite universities.

National GOP leaders didn't need to go after the one elite university in this state. Our state GOP leaders are doing the job very well all by themselves.

 

Except that this is the fist time the BOG has ever denied a state university’s selection of their president. So this isn’t how the system worked until now.

 

Santa Ono was an exceptionally well qualified candidate for the position of President of UF and would have raised the status of the University. The rejection of his nomination is a prime example of the politics of the Republic of DeSantistan formerly the State of Florida.

 

I agreed with everything in your post.

At the risk of nitpicking, Kamala Harris did a somewhat infamous video explaining equity, and the conclusion was “we all end up at the same place”. That kind of sounds like equity of outcomes.

I’m sure she would argue that if everybody started at the same place, equity of opportunity, on average you’d end up at the same place. The danger is that makes the measuring stick for equity of opportunity equity of outcome.

 

I don't recall the video or the context of the comment. In the aggregate, race is neither an advantage or disadvantage in an equitable society. We obviously don't live in an equitable society, but it's a goal to strive toward imo. I don't know any serious person who believes that we must all individually have equal outcomes. Outcomes depend on a lot of different factors. Equity is simply about removing race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc. as barriers to success (to the extent it is possible). Plenty of other factors will still determine success.

I also don't know any serious person who claims that no DEI initiatives or programming have been wrongheaded. But that's the reality of doing anything. Some well-meaning people will make mistakes. Others who aren't so well meaning will exploit an opportunity to get ahead or make a few bucks. You don't stop running a play in football because a player screws up or intentionally dogs it. You deal with the player, rather than tossing out the play. You don't stop investing because Bernie Madoff ripped folks off or some guy lost all his money betting on the wrong stock.

The real question is if diversity, equity, and inclusion are virtues worth promoting. I believe they are. Some folks may disagree. But if there's consensus on that, the question then becomes how we implement these ideas. That will require trial and error, which will mean successes and failures. Such is the nature of striving for progress.

 

And this MUST READ explains it all:

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/06/09/truckling-up-to-maga-ended-in-humiliation-for-santa-ono/

 

Remember when we all made fun of free shoes U for getting political appointees as presidents… nostalgia.

 

Speaking of academic freedom, this recently posted study is quite interesting. It concludes that Florida's eroding of academic freedom resulted in high-performing researchers leaving the state:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5256572

 

So Santa isn't coming to town after all.

Maybe the BOG thought they were voting on Yoko?