Senate on Higher Ed searches differs from Salzman’s version

A Florida Senate bill currently advancing through committees would preserve existing protections that shield most applicants for state college and university presidencies from public disclosure requirements.

Difference: Unlike Rep. Michelle Salzman’s competing House measure that seeks to repeal these protections in the name of transparency, the Senate proposal (SB 1726) would maintain the 2022 law that keeps presidential applicant information confidential until the finalist stage.

The Senate bill would, however, require that at least three finalists be publicly named.

Similarities: Both chambers’ bills include provisions to limit terms for education board members and eliminate the Board of Governors’ confirmation role in university presidential selections.

Why this matters: Multiple major institutions, including Florida International University, the University of Florida, and Florida A&M University, currently operate under interim leadership.

While House leadership has criticized the current process as resembling a “spoils system,” Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed opposition to the proposed changes, suggesting he might veto legislation that limits his influence over university governance.

Senate Would Keep Shield for Higher Ed Searches

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida

Setting up a potential clash with the House, a Florida Senate bill would keep a law that prevents the release of information about most applicants to become state college and university presidents.

The Senate Rules Committee on Monday approved the proposal (SB 1726), which includes a series of changes related to leadership of the higher-education system and is now positioned to go to the full Senate.

In many ways, the bill is similar to a measure (HB 1321) that the House passed last week. As examples, it would place term limits on members of the state university system’s Board of Governors, the State Board of Education and college and university boards of trustees and also end the Board of Governors’ role in confirming presidential selections made by university boards of trustees

But the Senate version does not include repealing a 2022 law that provided exemptions to public-records and public-meetings laws for presidential searches. Under that law, only information about finalists for presidencies is made public.

The Senate bill, which is sponsored by Education Postsecondary Chairwoman Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, and was approved in a 19-2 vote by the Rules Committee, would require that lists of finalists include at least three candidates.

Supporters of the 2022 law argued that it was needed to help attract top candidates who might be hesitant to apply for Florida president jobs if their current employers could find out.

But when the House passed its version of the bill last week, sponsor Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, said the proposed changes were about increasing transparency.

“We have a fantastic education system,” Salzman said. “This is not about what we have. This is about showing the voters what we’re doing. This is about transparency in government.”

The bills have come after heavy turnover in recent years in the presidencies of colleges and universities and amid efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies to revamp the higher-education system. The turnover has included former lawmakers becoming presidents.

Among the selections, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner became president of Florida Atlantic University; former House Speaker Richard Corcoran became president of New College of Florida; former Rep. Mel Ponder became president of Northwest Florida State College; former Rep. Tommy Gregory became president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota; and former Rep. Fred Hawkins became president of South Florida State College.

In February, former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, also a former lawmaker, became interim president of Florida International University. In addition to Florida International, the University of Florida and Florida A&M University are operating with interim presidents, and University of South Florida President Rhea Law has announced she is stepping down.

Last month, House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, went before the Board of Governors to support the House bill and compared the college and university presidential search process to a “spoils system.”

But DeSantis has blasted the proposed changes and raised the specter of a veto. He said recently he needs authority to make sure universities “don’t run off the rails.”

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

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Senate on Higher Ed searches differs from Salzman’s version

Senate Would Keep Shield for Higher Ed Searches

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