The University of Florida Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Dr. Stuart Bell as interim president Monday, but not without criticizing Alan Levine, chairman of the State University System Board of Governors, for delaying the confirmation process.
Without mentioning Levine by name, trustees said his push to postpone Bell’s confirmation caused “collateral damage,” that was “frustrating,” and “disappointing.”
UF’s Board of Trustees chairman Mori Hosseini also directly responded to critics, who have alleged Hosseini has engaged in improper business and development deals, and said he could “not be bought.”
Bell, who’s first official day will be July 1, said it was a “tremendous privilege” to be named interim president.
“UF is one of the nation's leading public universities, and I look forward to working alongside faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters to build on that strong foundation and continue advancing the university's mission,” he said in a statement.
Last week, Rahul Patel, vice chair of the board of trustees, said the board would meet Monday to confirm Bell as interim president, stating, "The University of Florida cannot afford to remain in limbo while these matters are addressed."
Those matters include "governance issues," Levine said, who was concerned about the “sweeping authority” granted to Hosseini by the UF board, and would not put any item on the agenda from a university that is “out of compliance.”
UF's board has already unanimously approved Bell on a permanent basis, but the BOG must still meet and confirm their pick.
In a letter to State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, Levine had said the BOG would not confirm Bell as the 14th UF president or follow through on any university issue until the "governance issues" were resolved.
In response to Levine’s allegations, UF trustees said they hired the GrayRobinson law firm to review the board’s governance standards, who found them “proper.”
The review also criticized Levine’s letter, saying it evolved “out of a disturbing, concerted and excessively hostile social media campaign against the University of Florida’s presidential search finalist. Chair Hosseini supports the finalist, and considering their source and timing, the allegations may be viewed as an attempt to stop the search process from moving forward.”
Shortly after the meeting adjourned, Levine issued a statement, saying he would schedule a meeting “as soon as legally possible,” to consider Bell for president, as the governance issues were now “resolved.”
“I look forward to positive results from our mutual work,” he said.
The Attorney General's office also issued an opinion late Friday, one day after news of Levine's letter published, stating the BOG has no legal basis to delay the confirmation vote for Bell as president of the University of Florida.
In the letter, addressed to BOG member Nicholas Sinatra and written on behalf of Attorney General James Uthmeier, general counsel Greg Slemp stated the university's board is "not out of compliance," and Levine is "incorrect to withhold consideration of the Trustees' nomination on that basis."
In his letter to Rodrigues, Levine alleged Hosseini has been granted “financial, contractual and other delegations that I feel are problematic, inconsistent with best practices in governance,” and run afoul of state regulations.
“One board member may not substitute his or her judgment for that of the other duly appointed board members,” Levine wrote.
Uthmeier’s office rejected Levine's claims and said Florida law "provides broad discretion for a university board of trustees to require university presidents to perform various duties, including obtaining approval of the board chair for the hiring and compensation of university personnel or for any other lawful purpose."
According to Bell’s contract, “If Dr. Bell's service as Interim President concludes on June 30, 2027, and he is not selected as UF’s permanent president, UF shall pay him twenty weeks of severance in the amount of the Annual Base Salary."
With an annual salary of $2 million, that would be about $770,000 if he doesn’t get the job.
The BOG previously voted down UF's choice for president, Santa Ono, in 2025, after concerns over Ono’s avowed reversal on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which he embraced at University of Michigan when he was president.
Bell has been criticized for the same thing by online activists, who say he backed DEI initiatives during his decade-long tenure as president of the University of Alabama.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Uthmeier, though have backed Bell on social media.
At the board meeting, Rahul said the past few weeks have created uncertainty in the presidential search process, but Bell has “remained patient,” and “incredibly professional.”
“Given everything that has gone on, it would have been really easy for Dr. Bell to say ‘You know what? This isn’t worth it. I’ve had a great career, I’ve got other opportunities, I don’t need to put myself or my family through this,’” Patel said. “But he didn’t. He’s continued to show up.”