The Florida Commission voted Tuesday to reject Santa Ono as the next president of the University of Florida, who succumbed to the opposition to the conservative support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Chris Rufo, an opposing activist, led the conservative backlash, while several elected officials in Florida claimed Ono failed to protect Jewish students while serving as president of the University of Michigan.
Amid these concerns, the board voted 10 to 6 to reject UF jobs.
This process includes Paul Renner’s non-voting. Throughout the meeting, Renner roasted Ono’s past support for DEI, prompting board members to step back, accusing him of “asking” Ono and questioning the fairness of his inquiry.
The vote came after the UF board approved Ono’s employment last week, after which public interviews focused mainly on DEI. Ono distanced himself from Dei in that interview, believing that the moves started with good intentions but eventually became divided. He said they drew resources from the successful efforts of students and killed the conversation, which he said prompted his decision to close Michigan’s DEI office this spring. (Ono served as the Michigan president in May and worked in UF.)
“I’m here to make sure Dei never returns to the University of Florida,” Ono said Tuesday.
In the past, Ono condemned systemic racism and defended Dei’s necessity. But Tuesday – as he did in a public interview with the UF board last week, he highlighted his ideological evolution and ultimately failed to convince the board.
Controversial meetings
In the open comment section of the meeting, both Ono’s supporters and critics defended.
Michael Okun, director of the Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Norman Fixel, objected to Ono’s claim that he failed to protect Jewish students. Okun of the Jewish people believes that Ono is an ally of the Jewish community, “Otherwise the advice would otherwise be incorrect and seriously harmful.”
But Joshua Rubin, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, refuted the claim, saying Ono failed to stop a culture in Michigan where anti-Semitism flourished. Rubin believes that Ono failed to solve UM’s problem and is “a co-conspirator in the culture.”
Other spokespersons include Kent Fuchs, the former UF president who called for re-electing college after retirement when he suddenly retired last year. Fuchs, currently serving as interim president, supports Ono’s hiring and tells the board candidate “unparalleled across the country in his qualifications, experience and his experience and his track record.”
UF Board Chairman Mori Hosseini also expressed enthusiastic requests for the plead for hiring Ono.
“Most of all, Dr. Ono is recognized worldwide as one of the most respected leaders in higher education, and we are fortunate to have him. Outside Dr. Ono, there are few (if any) people in Florida with ideological consistency (if any) and experience in running research mandates like you,” Hosseini said in a comment on the board committee.
He added: “The UF president is not a place where anyone can learn at work.”
But the board bombarded a series of sharp problems.
It has something to do with how he runs the University of Florida. Students and faculty on the board asked how he would support and include his respective groups in the decision-making process, but most of the questions focused on the DEI.
Former Republican Congressman Jose Oliva told ono that his ideological shift was “incredible”. He also asked Ono, who has an ophthalmic background, which science his “decades of enthusiastic support and advocacy” for the DEI program is based.
Ono believes he is “not an expert in that field” and has not created any DEI programs. He said that this effort had been made when he arrived at UM and his previous institutions such as the University of British Columbia.
Oliva replied: “Your words don’t support you just sailing.”
Some trustees have also put a liability on transgender care at the University of Michigan Health, questioning whether the hospital has “cut off” transition patients, especially children’s breasts or genitals.
Like many other questions, Ono objected. In this case, he said he didn’t want to spell it wrong.
“I’m not an expert,” Ono said.
Hosseini sat next to Ono and sometimes participated in the conversation – including Renner, who was one of the most intense investigators in Ono today, asked about UF’s work and asked about UF’s work – a bristion on the board of directors’ board of directors’ sharp questions about candidates.
Hosini said to the board, “You all decided it was the day when you were going to turn someone out.”
Ono makes up for up to $3 million a year as UF president. It now seems that Hosseini, the rest of the board will have to restart the search process.
Ono’s opponent celebrates
Conservative critics won with the news that Ono refused to spread.
“It’s a huge victory for the conservatives and a courage on the board,” Rufo said.
Florida elected officials also imposed trade-offs.
Republican Senator Rick Scott posted in X. (Scott had previously called for an investigation into searches that spawned Ono.): “This is @uf.
But conservatives are not the only ones celebrating.
Several scholars at Bluesky also seem to be happy with the news, some of whom show that they think Ono did the approximate thing on Dei, just to turn to objection.
Neil Lewis Jr, a communications professor at Cornell University.
External experts also pointed out how Ono votes reflect the impact of national-level politics on decision-making.
James Finkelstein, emeritus professor of public policy at George Mason University, studied presidential contracts and recruitment procedures Internal Advanced ED By email, the results illustrate the growing complexity and politicization of selecting university leaders.
“This episode reminds people how state politics reshapes the presidential search process. The lesson is clear: there is no guarantee before a contract is signed.”
