The University of West Florida Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, May 27, to address several significant changes in university leadership following President Martha D. Saunders’ resignation. This blog post examines the key agenda items and what they mean for UWF’s future. See 2025.05.27—Special-Board-Meeting-Agenda.
President Saunders’ Resignation and Contract Terms
On May 12, 2025, UWF President Dr. Martha Saunders submitted her resignation to the Board Chair, leaving the effective date open. According to her employment agreement, she must provide 90 days’ written notice, though the Board can waive this requirement.
President Saunders’ contract includes several important provisions that will come into play with her departure:
- Under section 11.3 of her employment agreement, Dr. Saunders will be offered the opportunity to return to a tenured Professor position in UWF’s Department of Communication.
- If she accepts this faculty position, her salary as Professor will be $242,205.92, guaranteed for five years of satisfactory performance.
- Her workload would be distributed as teaching (25%), research (25%), and service (50%).
- She would be eligible for a professional development leave immediately after her presidency ends, lasting one calendar year at 100% of her presidential salary.
- The university would contribute $25,000 to fund her scholarly work.
The Board’s first task at the May 27 meeting will be to accept her resignation and set an effective date.
Appointment of an Interim President
The second major agenda item involves appointing an Interim President. According to Florida Board of Governors regulation 1.001, the selection requires confirmation by the Board of Governors, but the trustees can delegate full authority to serve during the period prior to confirmation.
The Board will:
- Appoint an Interim President
- Select the effective date
- Delegate authority to the Chair to negotiate an employment contract
The chosen candidate will need to appear before the Board of Governors for confirmation at a meeting “held as soon as practicable to ensure a timely transition.” This appointment is crucial for maintaining stable leadership while a search for a permanent president is conducted.
Presidential Search Process
The third action item addresses the preliminary steps for finding UWF’s next president. The Board will consider delegating authority to the Chair to:
- Retain an executive search firm, which must be selected through a competitive process
- Obtain an executive compensation analysis
According to BOG Regulation 1.002, the presidential search committee will include up to 15 members, including:
- The Board Chair will appoint members in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Governors
- At least three members must be from the UWF Board of Trustees
- Two members must be Board of Governors designees
- Members from faculty, student body, foundation board, and potentially alumni and community representatives
The search committee will be responsible for establishing position criteria, marketing the position, vetting candidates, and recommending qualified applicants to the Board of Trustees.
Looking Ahead: PPEM Ad Hoc Committee
The agenda also includes an information item regarding the Presidential Performance Evaluation & Metrics Ad Hoc Committee, which will meet on May 27 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the 2024-2025 Presidential Evaluation. While this would typically be part of the annual review process, it may now serve as part of the transition planning.
The special Board meeting on May 27 represents just the beginning of a carefully structured transition process governed by Florida Board of Governors regulations and UWF’s own policies. The university community will be watching closely as these changes unfold.
For those interested in participating, the meeting will be held via Zoom Webinar with passcode 435887.