The Governor’s Committee in Florida voted on Tuesday against the appointment of Santa Ono, the former President of the University of Michigan, as the next president of the University of Florida. Ono is often viewed as a key figure behind Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, which some see as problematic in the current landscape of American higher education.
“This is a significant win for conservatives—a brave decision by the board,” noted Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist and scholar of critical race theory, in a post on X.
The board’s vote reflected a strong sentiment, with six members supporting Ono compared to over ten who opposed him. According to senior writer David Jesse from Record of Higher Education, the Florida Higher Education System’s governance has firmly declined to consider Ono for the position.
Ono has faced scrutiny before; the University of Florida’s Board of Directors unanimously rejected his candidacy back in May, labeling him as a leading creator of the DEI agenda in higher education.
Before his role at the University of Michigan, Ono served as president at the University of British Columbia, where he was instrumental in expanding DEI programs. In 2021, he initiated the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, which aimed to set a global benchmark for inclusive practices.
This former president from Vancouver has been bold in his ideas, claiming in 2020 that the U.S. must “dismantle the oppression and white hegemony” ingrained in various systems. He has expressed that merely implementing DEI initiatives isn’t sufficient; when talking about systemic racism, he emphasized the need for continued effort.
Moreover, Ono has advocated for a complete divestment from oil and gas industries, stating in his first speech of 2023 that educational institutions should prioritize addressing climate change.
During his time at the University of Michigan, the campus had a notable history of anti-Israel activism, which coincided with police investigations into alleged assaults on Jewish students that were suspected hate crimes. The politicization surrounding that period likely contributed to the negative view of Ono during instances of anti-Semitism in Ann Arbor, as discussed in the Wall Street Journal.
