- Joe Glover stated the UF presidential search is expected to conclude by the end of April, though he has no further details.
- The UF Board of Trustees approved presidential qualifications and a salary of up to $3 million during their Feb. 23 meeting.
- Dean searches for UF's College of Arts and College of Engineering are progressing with finalists and campus visits planned before May 15.
Joe Glover, the University of Florida’s interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, provided updates on UF’s president search, as well as searches for permanent deans at several colleges, at a faculty senate meeting on Thursday.
While taking questions after giving his Provost Report, Glover admitted that he knows nothing about the presidential search, adding that he wasn’t being “coy” or “trying to conceal anything.”
The one thing Glover said he does know, however, is “there is an expectation” that the search will wrap up “towards the end of April.”
“That’s the only thing that I have heard,” he said. “But beyond that, I know nothing.”
The UF Board of Trustees announced the search for the university’s third president in four years in December 2025, establishing a 15-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee to lead the search for UF’s 14th president.
Following the search announcement, UF launched an online stakeholder survey and listening sessions for the public to share suggested additions, modifications or refinements to the proposed presidential qualifications and criteria listed on the Presidential Search website (https://www.presidentsearch.ufl.edu/). The three listening sessions were held in January and February.
At a virtual meeting on Feb. 23, the Board of Trustees approved a set of revised presidential qualifications and criteria recommended by the search advisory committee. These qualifications and criteria were created through feedback from the listening sessions and survey.
Also, during the Feb. 23 meeting, the board approved the search advisory committee’s recommended presidential prospectus and advertisement based on the 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.
The most recent update on UF’s presidential search before Thursday came during the Florida Board of Governors’ March 26 meeting. Member Edward Haddock, who also serves on the search advisory committee, said at the time that the current focus was 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 at the March 26 meeting. “We’ll get that wrapped up in due time.”
Donald Landry is currently serving as UF’s interim president – a position he has held since September 2025. Before his appointment, Landry served as a professor at Columbia University.
Landry’s contract with UF is set to last through Aug. 31. UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini has stated previously that Landry planned to apply for the permanent president position.
According to his contract, if Landry is not selected as UF’s permanent president when his contract ends on Aug. 31, he could earn up to $2 million in severance through Aug. 31, 2027. Landry currently receives an annual base salary of $2 million and a $500,000 bonus if he meets performance goals.
Dean search updates
Also, during Thursday’s meeting, Glover provided an update on dean searches for the College of Arts (COTA) and Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Glover said the COTA has narrowed its dean search to three finalists. He noted that he believes the College of Engineering has selected eight semifinalists for its dean position.
He said the eight semifinalists will be interviewed via Zoom.
“From that, they will choose a group of finalists who will be making campus visits,” Glover said. “Those campus visits will all occur before May 15.”
In addition to the COTA and College of Engineering, a search is also underway to find a permanent dean for the College of Medicine. Jennifer Hunt, who has served as the college’s interim dean since January 2024, is stepping down on July 31 to serve as the new dean of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, according to an April 2 UF administrative memo.
Landry is leading the search for a permanent dean of the College of Medicine. At Thursday’s meeting, Glover noted that he wasn’t sure where Landry stood in the search.
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.