University of Michigan President Santa Ono announced Sunday that he has been selected as the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida.
In a message to the UM community Sunday, Ono wrote that he expects to assume the new role later this summer once the appointment is approved by the university’s board of governors.
“I have informed the Chair of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, Kathy White, of my decision,” he wrote. “This decision was not made lightly, given the deep bond Wendy and I have formed with this extraordinary community.”
The University of Florida wrote in an announcement Sunday that its presidential search committee unanimously and enthusiastically recommended Ono to be considered by its board of trustees as the sole finalist to become the university’s 14th president.
“On behalf of the Presidential Search Committee, I am proud to announce Dr. Santa Ono as the sole finalist to be the University of Florida’s next president,” Rahul Patel, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, wrote in a statement.
“Throughout an extensive and thorough process, we sought a leader who could match UF’s extraordinary momentum, understand its role as the flagship university of one of the most dynamic states in the country, and inspire our community to reach even greater heights. Dr. Ono’s proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice. We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future.”
Ono called serving as UM’s president during the past three academic years a distinct honor.
“Every day, I have been inspired beyond words by the vibrancy, brilliance, and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” Ono wrote. “I will miss the extraordinary intellectual vitality that fills our classrooms and laboratories, the sublime sounds of our musical and theatrical performances, and the roar of fans cheering on the Wolverines — or singing ‘Mr. Brightside’ together in joyful unity.”
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Ono has served as the 15th president of the University of Michigan since October 2022.
When reached by phone Sunday evening, UM Trustee Carl Meyers he could not provide a comment about Ono’s announcement because he said he had just learned of the news 45 minutes prior.
“I don’t have all the facts,” he said.
Ono said earlier this year that the University of Michigan, like all colleges and universities, is facing enormous challenges as it works to navigate executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
Amid protests on campus, Ono and other university leaders recently closed the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and shifted he resources to other student programs, “such as financial aid, mental health resources, pre-professional counseling and other efforts that strengthen community, promote a sense of belonging and expand accessibility.”
Four Democratic regents pushed back against Ono last month and urged him to enlist the university in the resistance to Trump’s threats to strip colleges of research dollars unless they end their DEI efforts, scrub curricula of far-left ideology and aggressively combat antisemitism.
“Now is the time to stand up and be counted,” Regent Mark Bernstein said in April. “It’s not the time to stand in the shadows. We need to do a better job of speaking with clarity and purpose about our work around diversity.”
A report in 2024 by the New York Times on UM’s DEI initiatives estimated them to cost $250 million.
“We are eliminating bureaucratic overspending and making Michigan more accessible,” wrote Regent Sarah Hubbard, a Republican, on social media in March. “I will continue to push for even greater financial support for talented students with financial need.”
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Ono joined UM from the University of British Columbia after the school wrestled with turmoil, such as the regents’ January 2022 firing of then-President Mark Schlissel after an investigation found inappropriate conduct with an employee, which Schlissel denied. The university also grappled with sexual assault scandals, including one involving the late-physician Robert Anderson, who was accused of sexually assaulting former students, mostly men, which led to a settlement in September 2022 with more than 1,000 people of $490 million.
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Regents ratified a new contract for Ono in October, extending his presidency at the time another eight years to 2032 after serving as president for two years. The new contract also boosted his base salary to $1.3 million, which is 33% more than the $975,000 annual salary he got when starting in 2022.
The only other public university president to rival Ono’s contract at that time was the one for former University of Florida President Ben Sasse.
Come back to detroitnews.com for more on this developing story.
