Prior to the vote, the incoming president, center, faced several questions from board members about his stance on DEI.
University of Florida
The Florida Board of Governors voted Wednesday to make former University of Alabama President Stuart Bell the next president of the University of Florida, giving the flagship research university a permanent president after two years without one.
During a special meeting, all but one governor backed Bell following a winding question-and-answer period, during which the board members pressed Bell on his DEI track record, plans to fill leadership vacancies at the university and position on free speech. Winning the board’s approval was the last hurdle Bell had to clear to become president after the University of Florida Board of Trustees in June voted unanimously to hire him. The governors’ support was not guaranteed; the board rejected the University of Florida’s last pick, Santa Ono, a year ago.
“I’m ready to get to work,” Bell said in a statement following the vote. “The University of Florida is an extraordinary institution with exceptional talent, remarkable momentum and limitless opportunity. I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters as we continue building one of the world’s great public universities.”
