Florida Board Of Governors Rejects University President Who Ran DEI Giant

The Florida Board of Governors rejected former University of Michigan (UM) president Dr. Santa Ono on Tuesday as the University of Florida’s (UF’s) next president during a meeting in Orlando.

Questioned by a 17-member board, which serves as the state’s governing body for its 12 public universities, the motion to move Ono forward as UF’s president was halted in a 6-10 vote after a nearly three hour session, according to MLive. The former UM president was reportedly grilled by the board on his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, along with a slew of other issues, the Gainesville Sun reported.

Leading UM from 2023 to 2025, Ono oversaw the largest and most expansive DEI establishment in the U.S., totaling over $250 million since 2016. In March, the school announced the end of its DEI program, which included closing its DEI offices, saying it would “evolve” its approach.

On May 4, Ono was announced as a finalist for UF’s president position, along with Republican Florida U.S. Reps. Greg Steube, Byron Donalds, and Jimmy Patronis. However, following the UF’s Presidential Search Committee’s announcement, the group received backlash from Republicans in the state.