Senator Ben Sasse wins final vote to lead University of Florida

Republican senator Ben Sasse won final approval to become president of the University of Florida, collecting the near-unanimous endorsement of the state’s higher education board, while both faculty and students in Gainesville moved to punish their leaders who backed him.

All but the student member – Nimna Gabadage, the student body president at Florida State University – of Florida’s 17-member board of governors of the state university system voted to approve Dr Sasse, meaning he will become UF’s 13th president in February.

Yet in a further marker of the dissent awaiting Dr Sasse, both the student and faculty members of UF’s own board of trustees await repercussions over their votes one week earlier in favour of the senator from Nebraska: Amanda Phalin, a lecturer in business management, is facing a no-confidence vote from the UF faculty senate, and Lauren Lemasters, the UF student body president, is facing impeachment.

Dr Sasse joined the Board of Governors meeting in Tampa by video link as the state awaited an expected hit from Hurricane Nicole. He responded to a question about the student and faculty opposition by seemingly questioning its depth, saying: “We live in a time where the subset of folk that are angriest get the most attention.”

Opposition to Dr Sasse centred on some of his political positions, including his stated opposition to gay marriage, and a selection process in which the UF community only learned of his candidacy after university leaders named him their sole finalist.

The chairman of UF’s governing board of trustees, Mori Hosseini, said that happened because sitting presidents at several other large US research universities were interested in the position but unwilling to be named publicly without an assurance they would get the job.

The university did, however, release a summary of the overall field of 739 prospects that its search committee reviewed, showing that a majority – 422 – were white males. The list also included 218 white women, 32 black men, 23 black women, 20 Hispanic men, 10 Asian men, eight Hispanic women, and six Asian women.

UF also provided salary data showing Dr Sasse would be paid a $1 million (£900,000) base salary, with the potential for another $300,000 in performance-related benefits, plus $150,000 in retirement investments, use of the university-owned president’s house, and a retention bonus of $1 million after five years. US senators are paid $174,000 a year.

Mr Gabadage, a Sri Lankan American majoring in finance and political science at FSU, asked Dr Sasse to explain his plans for creating an inclusive community at the divided Gainesville campus. Dr Sasse said he believed everyone has “immeasurable and universal dignity” and promised to meet with the LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee at UF, which consists of faculty, staff and student representatives.

Dr Sasse will replace Kent Fuchs, who asked to leave the presidency after instances of political interference involving Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, who won re-election this week and is regarded as a strong contender for the 2024 US presidential race. Dr Fuchs plans to remain on the UF faculty and Dr Sasse said he would consult him as an adviser.

paul.basken@timeshighereducation.com