University of Florida faculty Thursday approved a no-confidence vote on the process that selected U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse to serve as the university’s next president.
The vote by the UF Faculty Senate was aimed at the process, though multiple members acknowledged it would be perceived as a rebuke of Sasse, the Republican senator whose selection last month as the sole finalist to lead the university jolted Nebraska’s political universe and spurred outrage among some in Florida.
During his
first visit to campus, Sasse faced a large student protest mainly focused on his stance on same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ+ issues. The protests prompted current University of Florida President Kent Fuchs to announce that he was enforcing a 20-year-old regulation banning protests inside campus buildings.
Thursday’s resolution focused criticism on the selection process that university officials followed, claiming it “undermined the trust and confidence” of the Faculty Senate. The resolution also appeared to question Sasse’s qualifications for the role.
“The next President should come already equipped to lead an institution of this caliber rather than aiming to learn on the job,” the resolution read.
Before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, Sasse led Midland University in Fremont, a school with roughly 1,600 students. UF’s student population stands at nearly 60,000 students.
The author of the resolution said Thursday that a no-confidence vote may or may not influence the outcome of Sasse’s candidacy. However, the main intent was to set a precedent for future presidential selection processes.
The final resolution was passed overwhelmingly after multiple minor amendments were made, but several faculty members expressed concern over its messaging.
One faculty member said the resolution was “a complaint without a clear solution,” and another said it would lead to a “disastrous relationship” between Sasse and the faculty.
Sasse faces a vote by the university’s Board of Trustees and then must be confirmed by the state’s Board of Governors before he is officially named president.
University of Florida faculty Thursday approved a no-confidence vote on the process that selected U.S Sen. Ben Sasse to serve as the university's next president.
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