University of Florida Board Backs Stuart Bell for President, Targeting Top-3 Public Ranking
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
University of Florida Board Backs Stuart Bell for President, Targeting Top-3 Public Ranking
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
Summary
University of Florida’s board voted unanimously on Wednesday to back Stuart R. Bell as the school’s next president, moving to end a turbulent 2-year stretch after Ben Sasse’s abrupt resignation.
Bell still needs approval from the state university system’s board, a step usually treated as a formality but one that blocked a UF presidential candidate last year.
Bell led the University of Alabama for 10 years and built a traditional academic résumé through senior roles at Kansas, LSU and Alabama, signaling UF’s turn back toward a conventional university leader despite conservative criticism.
UF currently ranks seventh among public universities, and Bell told trustees he would pursue the board’s long-running goal of reaching the top 3 in U.S. News.