UF Board of Trustees Leaders Praise Ono for Anti DEI Stance in Public Statement
University of Florida Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini and Vice-Chair Rahul Patel issued a statement Thursday praising incoming college President Dr. Santa Ono for his stance against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The statement, also sent to UF faculty via email says, “We found Dr. Ono to be firmly focused on merit, scholarship, research and student success. He brings a decisive break from the progressive orthodoxy that has gripped too many elite campuses - one that UF has resisted and risen above. He recognized the toll that ideological excess was taking - on campus culture, academic standards and institutional trust - and made a clear and courageous choice: enough is enough."
The statement cites Ono’s recent op-ed where he wrote, “Public universities have a responsibility to remain grounded in academic excellence, intellectual diversity and student achievement. That means rejecting ideological capture, upholding the rule of law and creating a culture where rigorous thinking and open dialogue flourish. I share that commitment.”
The statement defends Ono from critics stating, “Recently, a handful of external voices have sought to question Dr. Ono's alignment with Florida's vision for higher education. Dr. Ono is not shifting his views to fit Florida. He has been evolving his perspective over time - before UF ever approached him about this role. Like any other good scientist, Dr. Ono adopted new perspectives as he gained new information. Dr. Ono chose to come to Florida because of his strong belief that our values and vision for higher education aren't only right - they should set the example for what American public universities should aspire to.”
The statement includes a quote from a national policy expert about Ono’s time as president of the University of Michigan. “Ono quietly became one of the most consequential university presidents in the country. Sensing the changing cultural winds, he began steering one of America's most prestigious public universities back toward sanity. He abolished a sprawling, unconstitutional DEl bureaucracy. He defunded and suspended a student organization that had engaged in anti-Semitic intimidation and civil terrorism. He defended free speech in an increasingly censorious academic environment. And he helped shepherd Michigan athletics into the name, image, and likeness reform era, culminating in a national football championship that brought pride and unity to a campus often consumed by political turmoil.”
The statement concludes that “Dr. Ono brings a vision for how to turn this moment into a movement - one rooted in merit, excellence and unshakable Gator values. That future - grounded in scholarship and leadership, not ideology - begins now at the University of Florida.”
The UF Board of Trustees have promised to vote for Ono to be the 14th UF president Tuesday at 10 am. The meeting can be viewed from a link provided in the email.
