Dive Brief:
- The University of Florida’s presidential search committee on Monday recommended Stuart Bell, the former president of the University of Alabama, as the sole finalist to lead the state’s flagship.
- In an announcement, officials pointed to the University of Alabama’s increased enrollment, improved student outcomes, rise in national rankings and attainment of the coveted R1 research status during Bell’s decade-long tenure.
- The University of Florida has been without a permanent leader since Ben Sasse stepped down abruptly in July 2024 due to his wife’s health issues. The university system’s board rejected Santa Ono, former president of University of Michigan, in June 2025 over his previous support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Dive Insight:
The head of University of Florida’s presidential search committee said the decision to recommend Bell was unanimous.
“With his experience at the helm of a flagship university, fundraising abilities, and deep relationships across higher education, within the Southeastern Conference, and beyond, we are confident Dr. Bell will transition seamlessly into this new role and build on UF’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading public universities,” Rahul Patel, the committee’s chair, said in a statement Monday.
Bell has also garnered the support of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who praised his selection in an X post Monday.
“Dr. Bell did much to elevate the University of Alabama when he was the president in Tuscaloosa and I have no doubt that he will help UF reach new heights during his tenure in Gainesville,” DeSantis said.
Yet some conservative scholars and policy advocates have criticized the panel’s recommendation of Bell due to his oversight of past DEI efforts — the same type of criticisms that derailed Ono’s bid for University of Florida’s presidency.
In a social media post on Monday, John Sailer, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, an influential right-wing think tank, described Bell’s record at University of Alabama as “dismal.”
“If UF is looking for managed decline, Bell is an excellent choice,” Sailer said.
Among other initiatives, Sailer pointed to Bell convening an advisory committee on diversity, equity and inclusion in 2019. The committee put forward a report in 2020 with recommendations focused on increasing the enrollment and graduation of underrepresented students, diversifying the university’s employee ranks and creating an inclusive campus culture.
In 2024, Alabama lawmakers passed a law banning public colleges from spending money on DEI initiatives. However, Sailer highlighted reporting from right-wing outlet 1819 News about the University of Alabama System’s decision to rebrand those offices with the same leadership across its three campuses.
Similarly, Nicole Neily, the founder and president of conservative advocacy and legal group Defending Education, said in a Monday social media post that the University of Florida’s board was “making a big mistake.” The group has filed lawsuits and civil rights complaints against colleges and K-12 schools over their diversity efforts.
“Stuart Bell is nothing more than a ‘marquee name’ to them,” Neily said. “To the rest of us, he’s a DEI activist.”
The pick has also caught the attention of at least one Trump administration official.
In response to the news of Bell’s recommendation on Monday, Harmeet Dhillon, a Justice Department official who has prioritized investigations into colleges’ admissions and diversity efforts, posted only a short message on social media: “Uh oh.”
University of Florida’s board’s next meeting is June 11. If his selection is greenlit at that meeting, the matter would move to the State University System of Florida’s board for final approval.
