Santa Ono blocked from UF presidency amid DEI backlash | FOX 51 Gainesville
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Santa Ono blocked from UF presidency amid DEI backlash

Published  June 3, 2025 11:40pm EDT
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando
Santa Ono blocked from UF presidency amid DEI backlash

Santa Ono blocked from UF presidency amid DEI backlash

Santa Ono, former University of Michigan president and a prominent academic leader, was blocked from becoming the next president of the University of Florida after a 10-6 vote by the state university system’s Board of Governors.

The Brief

    • Florida Board of Governors rejects Ono 10-6, defying unanimous UF trustee vote.
    • Political pressure over DEI stances derails once-clear path to top post.
    • The surprise vote intensifies scrutiny of ideological litmus tests in state universities.

ORLANDO, Fla. - After a coordinated campaign by conservatives attacking his "evolution" on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, a divided state university system Board of Governors on Tuesday blocked Santa Ono from becoming the University of Florida’s next president.

What we know:

Santa Ono, former University of Michigan president and a prominent academic leader, was blocked from becoming the next president of the University of Florida after a 10-6 vote by the state university system’s Board of Governors. 

This came despite unanimous support from UF’s Board of Trustees and a strong push by influential GOP donor and trustees chairman Mori Hosseini. 

Critics pointed to Ono’s past support of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and questioned the sincerity of his recent ideological reversal.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear who the new front-runner for the UF presidency will be, or how much influence political actors and outside critics like Christopher Rufo will continue to wield in the selection process. It is also uncertain how this decision might affect ongoing debates around academic freedom and politicization in Florida’s higher education system.

The backstory:

Ono had a long public record of support for DEI programs and climate-related divestment policies during his tenures at the University of British Columbia and the University of Michigan. Florida’s Republican-led government has recently outlawed DEI in public higher education, creating a high-stakes litmus test for any prospective university leader. 

Ono claimed his views had "evolved" and praised Florida’s approach, but some board members viewed his change as politically expedient rather than principled.

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The Source: This story was written based on reporting by The News Service of Florida.

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