University of Florida bypasses BOG delay, names Bell interim president

The University of Florida’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously June 22 to appoint Dr. Stuart Bell as interim president, effectively sidestepping a delay in his leadership after Board of Governors Chair Alan Levine indefinitely postponed Bell’s confirmation vote over governance concerns.

Bell, the former president of the University of Alabama, will begin July 1 under a contact running through June 30, 2027, at an annual salary of $2 million. If the BOG approves Bell as the university’s permanent leader, that contract — which could pay him up to $3 million annually — would supersede the interim agreement.

In a letter to State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues last week, Levine said he would not allow Bell’s confirmation to be placed on the BOG’s June 24-25 agenda until governance issues at UF are resolved. The board oversees Florida’s State University System.

Levine said a review of Bell’s nomination revealed that current interim President Donald Landry’s contract had granted UF board chair Mori Hosseini authority over financial, contractual and other matters in a manner Levine called “problematic” and “inconsistent with best practices in governance.”

Levine accused Hosseini of exceeding the authority granted to him under a BOG regulation that limits the powers of individual trustees and requires boards to act collectively. The BOG also gives the UF Board of Trustees the authority to appoint an interim president.

Pushback on the delay

In an X post, UF board vice chair Rahul Patel called the postponement “unfair to Dr. Bell and harmful to the University of Florida and the students, faculty, alumni, and supporters we are entrusted to serve.” He accused Levine of acting unilaterally and said his board would vote on naming Bell interim president.

“The University of Florida cannot afford to remain in limbo while these (governance) matters are addressed,” Patel wrote.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office also disputed Levine’s rationale.

In a letter sent June 19 to BOG member Nicholas Sinatra, general counsel Greg Slemp wrote on Uthmeier’s behalf that the university’s board is “not out of compliance,” and that Levine is “incorrect to withhold consideration of the Trustees’ nomination on that basis.”

Uthmeier’s office said Florida law “provides broad discretion for a university board of trustees to require university presidents to perform various duties, including obtaining approval of the board chair for the hiring and compensation of university personnel or for any other lawful purpose.”

During the meeting, General Counsel Ryan Fuller presented two opinions from Gray Robinson, an independent outside law firm the board hired to review Levine’s allegations. The opinions concluded that UF’s governance standards fully comply with state law and, moreover, represent good governance practices, and that the BOG violated its own rules by unilaterally directing its inspector general to open an investigation into Hosseini, who denies anonymous allegations made against him regarding real estate and financial transactions.

Still, Hosseini proposed that UF partner with an independent governance expert, subject to BOG approval, to review governance documents across all SUS institutions and establish best practices.

“We want best practices. We want to have the right governance,” Hosseini said. “So, we will work with the Board of Governors.”

Bell’s background and priorities

Bell’s candidacy for UF’s 14th president comes after the BOG last year rejected former University of Michigan President Santa Ono, who had been unanimously approved by the UF Board of Trustees but voted down over his past support for DEI and other concerns.

Bell has sought to distance himself from similar concerns. During a visit to UF, he addressed questions over his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs while leading UA. “I am not coming to Florida to bring DEI or any type of ‘woke’ back,’ ” he said.

According to his contract, the UF board’s priorities for Bell this fall include:

Vice Chair Patel praised Bell for “staying the course” throughout the scrutiny and uncertainty of the process.

“Given everything that’s gone on it would have been really easy for Dr. Bell to say, ‘You know what…I’ve got other opportunities. I don’t need to put myself or my family through this.’ But…he’s continued to show up. He’s been really focused not on the noise but the future of the university,” Patel said. “It shows that his interest in becoming the president of the University of Florida is genuine.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: University of Florida bypasses BOG delay, names Bell interim president

Reporting by Chelsea Long, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

By Chelsea Long, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network