Stuart Bell, the lone finalist to be the next president of University of Florida, aimed to avoid the fate of the previous solo finalist by pledging allegiance to the conservative higher education policies storming Florida campuses.
During an afternoon of faculty, staff, and student forums Wednesday, Bell, former president of the University of Alabama, addressed concerns raised by critics and alumni on social media who questioned his position on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Bell made clear early in the afternoon that he endorses “reshaping higher education, refocusing on student achievement, academic excellence, and the alignment of the values of the people in the state of Florida.”
“I’ve been following those reforms certainly closely. I understand the policies that have been adopted by the governor, that have been adopted by the Board of Governors, and by the UF Board of Trustees, and I certainly agree with those and support those,” Bell said.
Within hours of the UF Board of Trustees announcing Bell was its pick to run the university, critics took to social media to call into question the academician’s 40-year career and position on DEI.
During Bell’s time in Alabama, the university in 2017 opened the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He shuttered it in 2024 to comply with an Alabama law that banned state or municipality support for DEI.
After the Alabama law took effect, Bell replaced that division with a Division of Opportunities, Connections, and Success (OCS), designated to help individuals work with others from various backgrounds. He led the university for 10 years before retiring last year.
Bell said Wednesday that Alabama lawmakers were content with the steps he took to comply with the law.
“As I’ve said repeatedly, my own views have always been rooted in that simple principle of every individual should have opportunity, every individual should be treated with dignity and respect, and every individual should be focused on merit, achievement, character, and the potential that has always been for them,” Bell said of organizations that changed their focus away from DEI.
UF has been without a permanent president after Ben Sasse unexpectedly stepped down in July 2024.
Following Sasse’s departure, former UF president Kent Fuchs agreed to return in an interim position as the university launched a presidential search to replace Sasse.
That search recommended University of Michigan President Santa Ono for the post in May 2025.
Ono was unanimously approved by UF trustees. But members of the Board of Governors grilled Ono a week later, pressing him about his positions on DEI. The BOG ultimately voted 6-10 against Ono.
Aware of the kerfuffle over Ono and the criticism lodged against him on social media, Bell immediately moved to distance himself from controversy.
“Well, and let me just start off and be crystal clear. I’m certainly not coming to Florida to bring DEI or any form of woke back. Period,” Bell said.
Florida has passed laws in recent years banning “identity politics,” among other things, in general education courses and prohibiting state spending on DEI.
Bell furthered his pledge to Florida’s policies.
“What also stood out to me is the alignment from governor and Legislature to the board of governors to our amazing UF Board of Trustees, and that is the level of focus and investment that we’ve seen here at the University of Florida. It really does signal purpose, it signals focus, and I want you all to understand that if you look across the U.S., it is rare, it is rare to find that type of focus and that type of investment,” Bell said.
Pre-screened questions
Bell answered pre-screened questions asked of him by leaders from the respective audience (student, faculty, staff).
Bell said he’s stood for, and will continue to stand for, student success “regardless of their background.”
“And I believe that that happens through culture, a culture of merit,” Bell said. “Through a culture of excellence, through hard work, through accountability, through high expectations that we have for those students.”
Universities, businesses, and government entities, including in Florida, pledged commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion and created spaces and administrative positions to prove the pledges. In some places, those efforts have disappeared; in other places, those efforts were rebranded.
“What has not changed is my commitment to that opportunity. What has changed is what some institutions named that, and there were changes that occurred,” Bell said. “If you look at my record, you will find that Alabama remained focused on academic excellence, student success, research growth, and recruiting outstanding students and faculty.”
UF Board of Trustees Vice Chair Rahul Patel hosted the trio of forums. At each event, Patel listed the credentials the board saw in Bell, including, academic success (he increased graduation and retention rates) and athletic accomplishments (he was the president of the Southeastern Conference, or SEC.)
Patel said Bell has “a remarkable, demonstrated ability to connect students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration.”
Jewish students
Support for Jewish students was among the top concerns during the last presidential search. Following campus protests in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, universities across the state amended their protest policies. Ono had been questioned about his support for Jewish students.
Encampments at a university led by Bell would be not be tolerated, he said.
“We didn’t have any action that would disrupt our mission of having our classes and education on our campus, we were just rock solid in that message, and support and care for our Jewish students. I mean, I told our group, ‘If I see encampments and tents going up, we’re going to have a tent sale the next day,’ ” Bell said.
Bell mentioned that he received an award dedicated to “beacons of hope for the Jewish people” from the White Rose Society. It was awarded following the attack.
Artificial intelligence
This spring, university commencement videos from across the country made social media rounds in which speakers spoke about the positive uses of AI while students booed, perhaps fearing the technology will eliminate their job.
But Gainesville and the university are home to the fastest university-owned supercomputer. As such, UF has a heavy focus on artificial intelligence, looking to weave its use across academic disciplines.
“AI applications are amazing,” Bell said, commenting on cross-disciplinary use of the technology.
Bell said technology creates jobs.
“I think we just have an incredibly innovative opportunity that’s right before us, and I think AI is going to be one of those,” Bell said.
Scoping out potential
When UF announced Bell as a finalist last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced his support, while Sen. Rick Scott criticized UF’s selection process and system promoting secretive searches.
In the last handful of years, the state’s universities have selected political allies of DeSantis to lead them.
Bell’s participation in the SEC overlapped with Fuchs’. Bell referred to Fuchs as a “great friend.”
Leonardo Villalón, director of the Center for Latin American Studies, said that, as a faculty member, he’s found the lack of a permanent president “pretty disruptive.”
“I’m looking at the moment, given the rockiness, I think we want some stability. I think we want a calm and firm hand at the tiller, as it were, to lead the university,” Villalón said.
He continued: “Obviously, higher education is in transformation, the state of Florida is in flux, the national level politics is in flux, and universities are navigating difficult times. That’s just a statement of fact, that’s not a political, editorial comment. And I think he brings a wealth of experience.”
Villalón said his general impression of Bell was positive.
“I think the very general statements he made today show that he’s cautious and savvy, and that’s okay, that’s probably good,” Villalón said.
UF trustees will vote on Bell next week although that isn’t the definitive vote. To be the next UF president, Bell must receive final approval from the Board of Governors.
–Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
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