Six weeks after the University of Florida presidential search committee announced Stuart Bell was its choice to lead the university, it's official. Bell will be UF's 14th president.
Bell was the university search committee's unanimous choice as sole finalist. Later, the board of trustees unanimously approved him as president-elect. The Florida Board of Governors had the final say, and Wednesday, the board voiced its approval. Fifteen of the board's 17 members voted yes, and one voted no. Another did not record a vote.
The approval came after heated debate between the board of governors and UF Board of Trustees. Bell's confirmation to become UF's 14th president was originally scheduled for June 24, but the hearing was abruptly delayed after a letter from BOG Chairman Alan Levine surfaced.
In the letter addressed to to State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, Levine wrote he was concerned about the “sweeping authority” granted to UF’s Board of Trustees chairman Mori Hosseini and therefore would not put any item on the agenda from a university that is “out of compliance.”
Levine alleged Hosseini has been granted “financial, contractual and other delegations that I feel are problematic, inconsistent with best practices in governance,” and run afoul of state regulations.
“One board member may not substitute his or her judgment for that of the other duly appointed board members,” Levine wrote.
The university responded to the measure on X, where Board of Trustees Vice Chair Rahul Patel called the process "unfair." Additionally, Patel wrote that Bell is being dragged into a dispute “unrelated to his candidacy.”
"Equally concerning is that a decision of this magnitude has been made unilaterally rather than by the full Board of Governors," Patel said. "Delaying consideration of the unanimously approved president designate of Florida’s flagship university is a consequential action that should be decided by the Board of Governors as a body, not by a single individual acting alone."
Later, the UF Board of Trustees named Bell as interim president, announcing he would take office July 1.
During Wednesday's meeting, Board of Governors Member Carson Good said it all worked out in the end.
"Whether we think it should've happened in the order that it did or not, I believe that the order God maybe made it happen was best for everybody. We got the other stuff kind of out of the way, and you had the opportunity to do it this way," he said.
During his confirmation, Bell answered familiar questions, similar to those he fielded during UF forums and board of trustees votes: diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, COVID-19 response and protection of Jewish students on campus were top priorities.
Bell will immediately assume the role of president.
He held the title of Interim President for roughly two hours.
