The University of Florida Board of Trustees unanimously approved a list of qualifications and a compensation range for UF’s future president during a meeting Tuesday morning.
The approved criteria, which emphasized academic accomplishment and political neutrality, were developed by UF’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee using feedback from faculty, students, donors, administration and other university stakeholders.
The list of qualifications called for a candidate with proven academic and leadership experience, who would maintain transparency and collaboration with the Board of Trustees.
Some of the approved criteria were at odds with the qualifications of UF’s former president, Ben Sasse, who was widely criticized during and after his term for his previous political and academic career. Sasse was primarily known for his time as a Republican senator in Nebraska, while his only stint in university administration involved leading a small, private institution.
A successful candidate would, “take great care not to use the University of Florida or the position as a platform to advocate for personal political viewpoints,” the proposed list said.
The qualifications also recommended a candidate who would serve as an “effective steward” of UF’s finances, after a state audit found overall unnecessary spending under Sasse’s leadership.
UF’s future president won’t need to meet every criteria, but “a successful applicant will meet many of these attributes,” the document said.
The board also approved a compensation range for the new president, which was developed by the search committee to be competitive and consistent with national market trends. The salary range was not specified in the proposed document or in the Board of Trustees meeting.
The board also approved a marketing draft to attract potential presidential candidates, which said applications and nominations will be accepted until the position is filled. After the vote, interim President Kent Fuchs praised the Board of Trustees’ efforts.
“I have never in my 40 years of higher ed seen a time when there are both so many incredible opportunities but also challenges,” he said.