We have had two University of West Florida Board of Trustees meetings. No one was fired, and no moves were made to overhaul the university. Were our concerns that the New College playbook would be implemented unfounded?
No.
WHY NO MAJOR CHANGES YET?
1. The performance metrics show that UWF is the top Division II university in Florida and better than several Division I schools with much larger budgets. UWF has added to its reputation recently:
- The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching designated the University of West Florida a Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production institution, the first time the university has received this reputable classification.
- The University of West Florida School of Nursing topped the state and national averages for 2024, as 97.67% of its graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on their first attempt.
- The University of West Florida ranked among the best in the nation in the 2025 U.S. News and World Report Best Online College rankings. UWF ranked 39th among more than 350 institutions for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and 25th for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans in the rankings released on Jan. 21. This marks an improvement from 2024 when UWF’s online bachelor’s programs ranked 45th overall and 30th for veterans, and this is UWF’s highest ranking to date in the veterans category.
- University of West Florida (UWF) cybersecurity student Lousindy Mitton made history as the university’s first recipient of the Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship.
2. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who stacked the board with the help of the Board of Governors, discovered how much support President Martha Saunders and UWF have in the community. Several staunch Republican donors did not want Saunders to lose her job or make any significant changes at the school.
3. Board chair Scott Yenor’s views about women and non-Christians were criticized by the Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus and national media. Yenor’s opinions are out of step with Pensacola’s, and he didn’t receive the warm reception DeSantis may have expected in Northwest Florida.
4. DeSantis’ pick may have a tough time receiving Florida Senate approval. They don’t need to do anything that would strengthen opposition.
