Five days after UF President Ben Sasse’s abrupt resignation, the university said his predecessor Kent Fuchs has agreed to take over in the interim effective Aug. 1.
The UF Board of Trustees will officially vote on Fuchs’ interim presidency at a 5:30 p.m. special meeting Tuesday, according to a university-wide email.
Under Fuchs’ eight-year tenure, UF shot up from No. 14 to No. 5 in the U.S. News & World Report’s public universities rankings, hired 600 new faculty, reached $1 billion in annual research spending and launched a “university wide artificial intelligence initiative,” according to the UF website.
As president, Fuchs was tapped into the student body. His resume includes living in a residence hall during move-in week, taking selfies with students and annual April Fools’ Day pranks.
But a slew of scandals centered around academic freedom and UF’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic blot Fuchs’ legacy as head of the state’s flagship university. When Fuchs said he wouldn’t buck directives from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, he was pegged as a president of Gator Nation who wouldn’t bite.
Fuchs faced backlash in 2021 when UF blocked three political science professors from testifying in a voting rights suit against Florida, prompting concerns over the level of influence DeSantis had over the university. The university later reneged after Fuchs asked for the decision to be reversed at a faculty senate meeting.
Protests erupted in October 2017 when Richard Spencer, a white supremacist, spoke on campus. Fuchs urged students and faculty in an email to not attend, but faced criticism for ultimately allowing Spencer to speak. He told The Alligator it was the most difficult challenge during his tenure.
Fuchs helped UF navigate the pandemic by making classes online and canceling in-person graduation ceremonies but, in line with DeSantis administration policy, didn’t mandate vaccinations or masking. Students also faced issues from UF’s quarantining procedures.
The UF Faculty Senate passed a no confidence resolution for Fuchs’ handling of the pandemic.
When Sasse’s Q&A forum was interrupted by hundreds of student protesters, Fuchs was criticized for sending out a university-wide email saying UF would enforce a two-decade-old regulation that prohibits protests inside university buildings.
Fuchs told The Alligator he had full confidence in Sasse and believed he would be successful.
Contact Timothy at twang@alligator.org. Follow him on X @timothyw_g.
Timothy Wang is a junior journalism student and the Fall 2024 Santa Fe College Reporter. He was the University Administration reporter for Summer 2024. His hobbies include gaming or reading manga.
