LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Santa Ono won’t be the next president of the University of Florida after the state’s Board of Governors rejected his appointment on June 3, citing concerns over his previous support for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives during his tenure at the University of Michigan.  

Ono, who led U-M from 2022 until earlier this year, was voted down 10-6 by Florida’s board—an uncommon move that overruled the unanimous support he had received from the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees in May, according to The Associated Press. The board’s decision means the school’s presidential search will restart from scratch.

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The vote came after weeks of conservative backlash in Florida over Ono’s track record on DEI, gender identity issues, climate initiatives, and campus activism. Several Republican lawmakers and commentators—including Sen. Rick Scott, Rep. Greg Steube, and Donald Trump Jr.—called Ono unfit to lead Florida’s flagship public university.

Congressman Greg Steube called the outcome a win on X: “Great news for my alma mater and the state of Florida! The Board of Governors heard us loud and clear: Santa Ono was the wrong choice for UF.” 

Ono defended his views in a recent column for Inside Higher Ed, writing that while he initially supported DEI as a tool for fairness, it “became something else — more about ideology, division and bureaucracy, not student success.” He said he ultimately limited DEI offices at U-M and supported Florida’s new approach to higher ed.

That shift wasn’t enough to sway Florida’s board, where members questioned his sincerity. One board member called the process an “interrogation,” while others openly doubted Ono’s ideological realignment.

Back in Michigan, Ono left the university quietly in March. U-M’s new interim president, Dr. Rob Sellers, is the former vice provost for equity and inclusion.

Ono had previously served as president of the University of British Columbia and the University of Cincinnati. His nomination was meant to replace Ben Sasse, a former U.S. Senator who stepped down from the Florida job last year after controversy over spending and staffing.

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As of now, Ono remains without a public academic post. The University of Florida has not set a new timeline for its search.