Despite getting close to locking in the next leader of Florida’s top university, the school has hit a stumbling block.
Read more Talking Central Florida: Pulse anniversary, electric-powered air travel
The chairperson of the board that oversees Florida’s university system wants to push back a vote to confirm the University of Florida’s president-elect, citing what he called possible governance issues under UF’s board chairperson.
Alan Levine, chairperson of the Board of Governors, wrote in a letter to State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues on Wednesday that he believes a vote on Stuart Bell’s confirmation, and other university matters, should be postponed.
But he said the postponement shouldn’t be taken as a message about UF’s choice: “To be clear,” he wrote, “this action should not be construed by anyone to be a statement about Dr. Bell or his candidacy.”
While reviewing Bell’s nomination ahead of the vote planned for June 24-25, Levine said he observed that the contract for interim president Donald Landry granted UF board chairperson Mori Hosseini “sweeping authority” to approve the hiring and compensation of university personnel. That wouldn’t comply with a Board of Governors rule stating that a chairperson can’t make personnel decisions that are within a president’s purview, Levine wrote.
“There is no provision in our regulations which permits boards to delegate authority to a single board member, including the chair, for financial decision-making, personnel decision-making, contract or procurement decision-making or any other material decisions which are ultimately fiduciary duties of the board of trustees,” Levine wrote.
Levine did not immediately respond to a phone call and text from the Tampa Bay Times. A UF spokesperson declined to comment. Rodrigues did not immediately respond to an email from the Times.
Levine wrote that he had asked Board of Governors staff to review governance at each public university to ensure each school is in compliance.
The review found that most public Florida universities are compliant and have a clear understanding of the regulation, Levine wrote.
He said the review also found that “significant delegations of authority” were granted to Hosseini, which Levine called problematic and inconsistent with best practices. He said he would like to share the results of the preliminary review at next week’s Board of Governors meeting.
Hosseini has agreed to remove such language from future contracts, Levine wrote.
“The fact the offending language will likely be removed from the president’s contract is rendered meaningless if the university’s governance standards, which are a policy of the board of trustees, remain out of compliance,” Levine wrote.
He wrote that he will not approve placing any agenda item for a university while that university’s board is out of compliance with the regulation.
“I realize this may create some controversy, but that is not the intent,” Levine wrote. “Dr. Bell deserves the opportunity to have his nomination considered on the merits, based upon his established track record and his presentation before the BOG.”
Read more Asking Eric: He made me laugh and also cringe. The cringing won out.