Despite recent criticism that has highlighted the professor’s prior commitment to diversity, equity, and participation, the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Santa Ono as the university’s new president on Tuesday.
In a matter of weeks, the Florida Board of Governors, which regulates the State University System of Florida, may decide Ono as the institution’s 14th president, according to the university.
Major conservatives in recent months raising the alarm about Ono’s history, including Florida Republicans U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube and well-known liberal protesters Charlie Kirk and Christopher Rufo, have voiced concerns in UF’s information transfer.
Ono, however, addressed the issue in a speech to the Florida committee on Tuesday, according to the New York Times.
Ono noted that” some people have circulated older remarks or videos from me about La programs at the University of Michigan and [the University of British Columbia],” adding that they are aware of this. In retrospect, I also see those situations different now, also. What matters most is what I have done in the last year and a half rather than what I said two to six years earlier.
As University of Michigan’s leader, Ono oversaw a significant expansion of La efforts. He has previously suggested that America is racist, been accused of stifling the university’s response to violent pro-Palestinian school protests, and has a history of backing efforts to end fossil fuel use.
Ono stated in the Times that his intention is to give the state the best possible data, adding that he also stated to the board that he would not use his private opinions to control Florida policy.
Ono lauds the DEI office’s closing at UMich in March, but it only came two weeks after President Trump’s executive order for institutions to do so in order to avoid investigations and the loss of national money.
Ono will succeed interim president Kent Fuchs, who succeeded after former Republican U.S. senator and former Democratic senator Ben Sasse had to step down due to personal family health issues.
The Board of Governors, which has the authority to approve the choose, is now the subject of Ono’s criticism. Rufo claimed in a letter to the City Journal on Tuesday that Ono’s behavior disapproved of Florida’s long-standing disobedience of DEI and that the board should resume the search.
The University of Florida “deserves better than a senator who has sounded more like Ibram X. Kendi and Greta Thunberg than Ron DeSantis and Ben Sasse,” he wrote.
” Though conservatives do not grow in education, a new research, which should include candidates from universities, company, politics, and management, could be conducted. It is preferable to proceed slowly and come up with a good conservative than to rush things and come up with a mainstream progressive.
Members of the Board of Governors did not respond to a request for comment from The College Fix on Tuesday.
Extra: Under Ono, UMich held 1,100 work relating to DEI.
SU of Florida President and CEO Santa Ono speaks at a University of Florida conference.
Follow The College Fix on Twitter and Like us on Instagram.
