GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On the last day of college classes after her freshman fall semester, Maggie Paxton began drinking with friends in the dorms at the University of Florida – students call it “pre-gaming” – before hitting Gainesville’s popular Midtown bars across a busy street from campus. She was 18. …
Read More »University of Florida students, faculty offer opinions on UF President Ben Sasse as he takes office
Tensions ran high on the University of Florida campus on Monday as the state’s flagship higher education institution welcomed President Ben Sasse on his first day in office. The former U.S. senator this week officially became the top-5 university’s 13th president, taking the reins from predecessor Kent Fuchs after being …
Read More »University of Florida Provost Joe Glover intends to step down after record 15-year tenure
The University of Florida’s Provost and Senior Vice President, Joe Glover, announced on Friday his intention to step down after a 15-year career at UF, one of the longest stints as a provost in the university’s history. During his 15 years as provost, he oversaw many academic programs that came …
Read More »The Point, Jan. 19, 2023: UF reports less than 1% of budget spent on diversity initiatives
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville’s equity director gives update on the city’s efforts. “Folston described demand for immediate community-wide equity, but said it’s a long game and the first step is addressing the issue …
Read More »UF to spend $300,000 on new pool for incoming university president
The University of Florida is making sure its newly hired president, former Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, can dive into the job: It is spending $300,000 to build a new swimming pool behind the stately mansion where Sasse will live with his family, the school confirmed. Construction on the expensive …
Read More »UF professors say high-profile lawsuit now ‘moot’
TALLAHASSEE — Saying the case is “moot,” University of Florida professors are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged a controversial conflict-of-interest policy that gave school administrators discretion over allowing faculty members to serve as expert witnesses in litigation. The university adopted a revised policy in October …
Read More »National Pan-Hellenic Council Garden at UF faces third vandalism instance
Amid the pandemic and a host of Martin Luther King Jr. commemorations nearly two years ago, a small group of students, alumni, faculty and administrators attended a ceremony to celebrate the legacy of Black fraternities and sororities at the University of Florida. The focus of the event, on Jan. 14, …
Read More »Frustrations run high despite low attendance at protest against Sasse selection vote
The protesters assembled to voice their disapproval of the UF Board of Trustees’ final interview with its only candidate for president, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska.
Read More »UF selects Sasse as its next president; conservative U.S. senator pledges ‘political celibacy’
The University of Florida on Tuesday formally selected Ben Sasse as its next president, setting aside concerns that the appointment of a conservative Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska would further politicize the state’s flagship higher education institution. The university’s board of trustees – largely appointed by Republican governors – voted …
Read More »UF Faculty Senate approves vote of no confidence in presidential selection process
The University of Florida Faculty Senate passed a resolution Thursday indicating it has no confidence in a selection process that designated Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, as the sole nominee to be UF’s 13th president. After two-and-a-half hours of debate, the Senate voted 72-16 to approve the resolution drafted last week stating the faculty was dissatisfied with a lack of openness in the selection process. Many faculty members were also displeased with Sasse’s lack of support for abortion and LGBTQ rights.
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