Danette Heredia & Christopher Madrid | Staff Writers
After an hour of discussion and in a nearly unanimous vote, the Board of Trustees passed a motion for the appointment of Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez as interim FIU president on Feb. 17.
Nuñez is expected to stay as lieutenant governor under Governor Ron DeSantis and become FIU interim president following Jessell’s resignation, although his contract originally was set to end in November. She makes $135 thousand per year as Lt. Gov, and can make upwards of $1 million per year as FIU President.
Jessell is expected to remain at FIU as Senior Vice President and Chief Adminstration Officer, a newly-created position. Additionally, he will stay on as a professor.
“The governor’s office contacted me and has suggested we consider Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez as the leader of FIU. Subsequent to that I have had several conversations with her,” FIU Board of Trustees Chair Rogelio Tovar said.
Many students and faculty made public comments during the meeting before discussion.
“I’m here to express our deep concern over what we see is another effort by the governor’s office to interfere in higher education,” said Chair of Faculty Noel C. Berango.
Additionally, he wrote a letter to the Miami Herald editor expressing his disdain for Nuñez assuming the FIU presidency.
Comments Nuñez made against Amendment 4 during last voting season were repeatedly brought up during the forum, with many students unimpressed.
“Jeanette Nuñez is a textbook example of when bi-partisan politics influence education,” said FIU Upper Division Senator Kassandra Toussaint.
Students and faculty described Nuñez’s rush to appointment as politically charged on behalf of the Republican party, possibly as an attempt to garner more Republican support within the education system.
“I’m asking you to deny Jeanette Nuñez,” said President of College Democrats Alejandro Paez, saying she would bring “a myriad of political controversy” and “alienate future students. This is not a decision you should make in less than 24 hours.”
The lieutenant governor, Paez said, “should be more public about her plans.”
YDSA Co-Chair and graduate student Lael Licht made known that YDSA is fighting for reproductive healthcare, and opposing “right wing ideologies at the head of our campus.”
After the time for public comments ended, Chair Tovar made remarks on President Kenneth Jessell’s legacy.
“I cannot believe it’s been three years since Kenneth Jessell stood up to serve as president,” said Tovar. “I am proud we were able to recruit him. He turned me down several times. He said publicly he was not interested in this position long term. Dr. Jessell was clearly the right leader for FIU. He has served FIU with distinction.”
Jessell exclaimed his pride of being a panther for 16 years, how he served FIU, and how he feels for the future of the university.
“On July 27, 2009, I became a Panther, and during commencement I talked about what it means to be a panther. Putting FIU first, stretching the limits of what is possible, and most importantly serving our students so their dreams come true. I say it because I mean it. We are Panthers. I have complete confidence in our lieutenant governor, I support her. Our great supporters and donors and our community. We are forward thinking, innovative, and unstoppable,” said Jessell.
The other trustees added their thoughts to the discussion.
“(Tovar) once said, there are three roles of a president: fundraising, fundraising, fundraising… I think the new president will bring new opportunities for fundraising,” said Trustee Marc D. Sarnoff.
In an university-wide e-mail by Chair Tovar, he said “our next leader will be charged with accelerating our efforts around external funding, which include increasing our endowment to at least $500 million, tripling our fundraising, and securing additional operational support,” and “trailblazing research to approximately $600 million in expenditures per year.”
Only Faculty Senate Chair Noel Barengo opposed the motion, which passed.
Trustee Dean C. Colson said, “but more pressing to FIU is making us go through the time and expense of a full search when we transition from interim to a permanent president. That seems like a lot of time and money to spend when the probable results of the search are already known. Hopefully the BOT can suggest a more streamlined process for the whole system, but with us being the first to take advantage of it.”
However, in the e-mail, Tovar stated, “the Board agreed to retain an executive search firm to assist with a forthcoming presidential search and selection.”
“We’ll take it in stride and move forward and just continue that exponential growth. I’m excited for the opportunity, a great step for FIU. Again all I can really hope for is that she really follows the leadership of government,” said SGA President Francesca Casanova in an interview after the meeting referring to Nunez.
“Someone who students can trust and protect their interests” should be the FIU president, said Kamila Gonzalez, engineering and computing senator. “Nuñez is being appointed for inherently political reasons, she played a hand in limiting academic freedoms in the past,” she said.
“I ask you to consider what the integrity of this university is worth to you,” concluded Gonzalez in her statement to the Board.
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