- The UF Board of Trustees approved revised qualifications for the presidential search and set an annual salary of up to $3 million for the next president.
- The UF presidential search advisory committee, formed in December 2025, used stakeholder feedback to update candidate criteria and promote a strong applicant pool.
- UF has had no permanent president since Ben Sasse resigned in July 2024, and Donald Landry was appointed interim president in August 2025 after the rejection of finalist Santa Ono.
The Florida Board of Governors received a brief update on university presidential searches at a meeting on Thursday, including the University of Florida.
At its Feb. 23 meeting, the UF Board of Trustees approved a set of revised presidential qualifications and criteria recommended by the 15-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee. The search advisory committee was established in December 2025 to lead the search for the university’s 14th president.
The modifications to the qualifications and criteria were based on feedback the search advisory committee had received from three listening sessions held in January and February, as well as an online stakeholder survey.
Also, during the Feb. 23 meeting, the board approved the search advisory committee’s recommended presidential prospectus and advertisement based on those qualifications and criteria and other “updated information regarding UF’s accomplishments and stature,” according to the meeting agenda. The Board of Trustees also voted to pay UF’s next president an annual salary of up to $3 million.
During Thursday’s meeting, Board of Governors Member Edward Haddock, who also serves on the search advisory committee, said the current focus is on “developing a good pool of candidates that the search committee can review and use to identify prospects.”
“I think we’re making good progress there,” he said. “We’ll get that wrapped up in due time.”
UF has not had a permanent president in place since Ben Sasse took over the role in 2023. After 17 months in the position, Sasse, UF’s 13th president, resigned in July 2024, citing his wife’s health issues and a need to spend more time with family.
A months-long search brought UF leaders to Santa Ono, who, at the time, was serving as the president of the University of Michigan. However, Ono, after being selected as the sole finalist for UF’s president position and receiving unanimous support from the Board of Trustees, was rejected by the Board of Governors by way of a 10-6 vote in June 2025.
In August 2025, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Donald Landry, then-Columbia University professor, as UF’s next interim president. He succeeded Kent Fuchs, who had been serving in an interim capacity following Sasse’s resignation. Fuchs served as UF’s 12th president from 2015 to 2023.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.