Aniela Cabrera | Staff Writer
After weeks of confusion and much speculation, FIU will go through with a standard search for its seventh president.
An email sent out on February 28th by FIU BoT chair member Rogelio Tovar contained the a of committee members, consisting of “15 members including representatives of the BOT, Foundation Board of Directors, faculty, students, alumni, and the community.”
Jose Oliva, a member of the FL BoG, will act as a committee member and help throughout the process. In the past, he worked in the legislature where one of his focuses was education reform.
These appointments follow the guidelines outlined in the 1.001 University Board of Trustees Powers and Duties implemented by the BoG.
Examples like New College and UF leave members of the community wondering if political candidates will be brought to FIU, and what issues they may potentially cause.
Former president Kenneth Jessell was appointed as FIU’s president with a 3 year contract ending in late 2025. Instead, he was replaced with Interim President Jeanette Nuñez after Ron DeSantis contacted Tovar regarding her appointment.
Faculty and students felt confused and upset over the quick and unexpected turnaround that put the former Lieutenant Governor of Florida in her current FIU position.
The committee will be meeting on Monday, March 17, where they will be streaming the meeting. It is unclear at the time how much information will be given, and if the opportunity to watch the meetings will remain for future dates.
In 2022, Florida Lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 520 (SB 520) Section 1004.098 minimizing the public’s access to presidential searches.
Last week, SB 1726 and HB 1321 were introduced to combat SB250 in order to allow transparency for the public.
If passed, state institutions will have to adhere to Sunshine Laws and allow public knowledge of similar searches.
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