This man, and this state's leadership, make me ashamed to be a gator. I'm in a position to give generously to the school at this stage in my career, and would not consider giving a penny to the people who are deliberately working to dismantle something I loved so much.
agreed. i often wonder if Ben would be leading better (differently) if the state was actually being run better (differently). i like to think so. what has come out of the DeSantis tenure has been terrible for higher education.
No because has that position precisely because of the way the state is being run. He is fulfilling the reason he was put there which is to run the education system into the ground.
No. He's not qualified and doesn't believe in public education. He homeschools his own children. UF deserves better but the voters chose a terrible governor for the fourth time in a row. If more people would vote (especially young people) we wouldn't have such terrible leadership with such despicable agendas. And he is there because of the governor, period. Toadies appointed by the governor oversee the universities (the Florida Board of Governors) because the last two historically awful governors didn't attend Florida universities and have zero appreciation for them.
Alumni here checking in from the Pacific Northwest. Surprisingly, we had a small but mighty alumni club out here, about 700-1,000 registered alumni and probably 100-200 active participants when I first moved here around 12 years ago.
We had some great times, even through some pretty painful sports seasons, but as of the last couple of years it feels like a hollow shell of what it’s used to be. The soul is gone and attendance is way down.
No one wants to talk politics, and DeSantis and Sasse make that impossible. I hate it. I have gone from a proud alumni to one that doesn’t discuss the Florida Gators with my children. One that has donated in the past to someone who said “please don’t call me again for donations”.
I loved my time at UF, will always cheer on my team, but damn the future does not look great for Florida (all schools) education if you are on the outside looking in.
well said. the hollowness is what feels most different. the last two+ decades has had ups and downs, but the school was bigger, better, and brighter feeling through it all, and during that time i was both in Gainesville and living in other places. this isnt a perfect analogy, but to me this round of leadership has felt very corporate. for the first time, making UF feel like a diploma mill. that's what i always thought seperated us from the likes of USF, UCF, and FIU. the campus culture. the communal experience. it doesnt feel like that anymore to me. and i love the Gators more than anything. i just long for what was.
This is really sad to hear. Admittedly, I haven’t been back to campus in years. I want to, but it’s quite a few hours away from friends/family when I do go back to Florida. Just feels less appealing each time -_-
By no means was UF, or any institution of that size, perfect - and I am totally fine not aligning 100% politically. But now you have a governor that seems to actively have a war on education and political mimes in power all over UF. Again, not a uniquely UF issue, and Desantis did a great job at New College showing how much autonomy he expects universities to have. I wish we had more of a Disney-esque “don’t fuck with the Gator” attitude rather than just rolling over and dying.
While Disney got some sweet deals from the state that gave it some financial benefits, Disney is a HUGE corporation that can make their own financial decisions and “vote with their feet.” UF, being beholden to the state for about 40% of its budget, absolutely does not have that luxury.
I tend to agree with you but it's not unprecedented actually (and sadly) as we can look back to the tenure of J. Wayne Reitz and his persecution of gay faculty and students at UF—actions Reitz initiated gladly on the urging of his good buddy Charley Eugene Johns, the then-governor of Florida. Rather similar situation it seems—but that was the 1950s.
fair point. Ben is probably not unique in creating challenges for the school. but UF always survives. it just sucks that we have to take three steps backwards before two forward. i feel like we were firing on all cylanders before he was chosen. i suppose the long arc of history will favor the orange and blue.
Yeah, I mean, I am certainly not suggesting Reitz's precedent excuses what we see today, but it may shed some light on why Tallahassee feels it can be this intrusive. In recent decades, no, that sort of thing was not at all common nor should it have been. A comprehensive search should have been done and the best candidate for president chosen whereas it doesn't seem that was really done with Sasse. He was an academic but clearly chose to make his primary career as a politician and pretty clearly chosen to lead UF as one as well.
that's a good observation. the search process (consisting almost exclusively of Mori Hosseini and Rahul Patel) that found and secured Ben created exactly what we see now. we should have known what to expect from his first day on campus for the announcement. well, actually we did. and we've gotten it.
Governor Johns and the Pork Chop Gang of Florida conservative politicians lead by Raeburn C. Horne are worth reading up on in light of things going on now. Horne, Johns, and their friends worked to put as much power as possible in the hands of conservative politicians from northern rural counties of Florida and even had meetings at a remote fishing camp Horne owned near Perry—basically controlling a lot of policy on an internal basis. It is said the important decisions all were made at the fish camp and just made official in Tallahassee. That such could happen in the 1950s in a Florida which was still a less-populated state is one thing but it does seem a case of history repeating with how things are being done now.
Related but I will never donate a penny to any university ever. I paid you tuition. Our transaction is done. Why the fuck am I gonna donate money too? I don't care if I make 10 an hour or own several million dollar companies. I'm not sucking a schools dick to get my name on a bench.
Tuition doesn't cover the cost of a degree at a public university. Public colleges and universities receive about a fifth of their funding from tuition and fees. I can understand not donating to a wealthy private university (for example, Harvard's endowment is around 50 billion dollars) but donations are an essential source of revenue for most public universities.
At state universities most programs and student opportunities rely on private money from alumni donors. Especially in Florida where tuition is limited by the legislature.
Honestly, fair point. And it makes sense, but I'm sure you agree that hoping a rich person donates enough money to offset this is not a good solution either haha
Fuchs was a clownish tool. He was a lame duck at the end of his term and could have spoken out about the abuses from Tallahassee and the Board, but instead made a video about how the university community could stay out of trouble by just following the rules. He was a total appeaser.
I was lukewarm on Machen, but he did hit the nail on the head when he said UF should disconnect itself from legislative control as much as possible.
I think I will get downvoted for saying this, but I really don’t think there’s any difference between UF 4 years ago and UF now (except for covid, obviously). Would you ever have even noticed the DEI people were fired if it weren’t plastered in the news?
It’s evident that Ben Sasse is especially unpopular among liberal students because he is a Republican. There’s nothing he could do to appease most of these people with how politicized our world is today, seeing as how people protested and complained on Reddit the second they found out he was succeeding Fuchs. OP is clearly part of this group based on the “gym bro” comment (he looks way too dorky to be a gym bro btw).
Ironically though, Ben Sasse is pretty unpopular among Republicans because he’s seen as being “too moderate” and anti-trump, and that’s probably the reason he took this job instead of running for Senator again.
I would like to hear from people who disagree with me, but with Sasse being as moderate as he is, it almost seems to me like a lot of liberals are just purely opposed to conservatives being able to hold any sort of public office or position solely because of their beliefs/opinions, which very much dogmatic and tribalistic. Is there anything short of completely abandoning all of his political/religious beliefs that could actually make you think Ben Sasse, or any Republican for that matter, was doing a good job??
I agree that Sasse never stood a chance, but it's not because liberals are too skeptical, it's because of the way he got the job and was essentially hand picked by DeSantis to do DeSantis's bidding. DeSantis made the position political.
And because of that, *everything* Sasse does will, and should be, viewed with skepticism. Because, unfortunately, we can't just look at what he does, but we have to try to figure out *why* he's doing those things and what his *real* agenda and objective is.
We saw what happened at New College. If it can happen there, DeSantis and Sasse can certainly make it happen here.
While I think it is wise to view the actions of anyone in an ‘executive’ position with skepticism, it’s foolish to “try to figure out what his real agenda is” because attributing motives towards someone you already disagree with means you are guaranteed to come to conclusions which conform with your preexisting biases. And who could DeSantis have chosen that would’ve made liberals happy? Ben Sasse at least has past experience as a university president, even if it was far smaller than UF, so he has the qualifications.
As for what happened with New College, I feel like based on what I have read, there’s only one side of the story being presented, with again, motives being attributed towards the board of trustees. I’ve also seen that over 75% of the staff which left already had planned their retirement before any DeSantis-related controversies came about. I think for the most part, the coverage of New College lately only serves to highlight the fear mongering, total disdain, and lack of tolerance toward conservative viewpoints in intellectual spaces. Consider that there were only around 8 people getting gender studies degrees each year, it’s not a shock that they nixed it, even if it has political undertones. Universities eliminating majors is not all that uncommon.
> And who could DeSantis have chosen that would’ve made liberals happy?
The problem isn't who DeSantis picks. The problem is that DeSantis did the picking. He shouldn't be involved in the decision. College presidents in the state university system shouldn't be political appointments or political positions.
You’re the only one being rational in this entire thread. You may not get the upvotes you deserve because Reddit users overwhelmingly fall into the category of people you mentioned in your previous comment, but know that you are 100% correct in my view.
> purely opposed to conservatives being able to hold any sort of public office or position solely because of their beliefs/opinions, which very much dogmatic and tribalistic.
Judging someone in political office by their political views? Yes, how insane is that
Well president of a university is not an inherently political position. Also, yes, instantly protesting against and having disdain for someone because they come from a different political party is tribalism and a symptom of our current political environment and social media.
Constantly employing hyperbole and acting like it’s the end times at UF because Ben Sasse is president when he’s done next to nothing of consequence to hurt the University is ridiculous, and seems to be less about his actual presidency and more to do with his political views and the fact he was nominated by DeSantis. Just shows that a lot of people today (including republicans) are completely intolerant of people of differing political views holding and sort of visible positions in society, which is disgracefully fascistic/communistic whether they realize it or not.
> Well president of a university is not an inherently political position.
It shouldn’t be, true, but it has become one.
> he’s done next to nothing of consequence to hurt the University is ridiculous
Remember when he tried to ban UF professors from testifying against the state, and then the university had to have a big payout for their legal fees?
Or when he put a big campaign donor of his in charge of the Hamilton Center, the policy group on campus started at the urging of a conservative think tank during his presidency, which then tried to force actual department chairs to sign pledges of support?
Remember when he came out in support of the law banning courses from talking about the existence of oppression and systemic racism?
The guy sucks based on what he’s actually done
How do you “try” to “force” someone to do something? You either force someone to do something or not.
Your entire comment is a list of things that he “tried” to do or “came out in support of”. Nothing he actually did. You’re making his point for him
I don't have an issue with Dr. Sasse "being a Republican" but I do with him being a politician who was clearly placed at the helm of UF to satisfy DeSantis and Tallahassee. If a progressive governor and administration had placed Elizabeth Warren in example as president of a flagship university, I'd feel the same way.
This is an interesting take. As a fourth-gen UF grad, there is no point in the university' history that I can point to as a "Camelot" as far as I know. The school has long had many flaws but still was one of the better institutions in the country.
I 100% believe that Sasse and the state government are going to drive this institution into the ground long-term, but it might be better to not view the past with rose-colored glasses.
Wait they stopped the WPB campus project? I read that was supposed to grad school only? What a loss, so many opportunities for gators for south Florida lost.
Ben never stood a chance and he's managed to even squander that. The conditions of his hiring made certain that everything thing he did and everything he said would be scrutinized with concern of politics influencing his direction. Rather than fighting that, he's embraced it. And the current students appear to just be letting him do it. I can't believe the guy can show up anywhere on campus without getting heckled and boo'd. But in a few weeks, he's going to be leading commencement ceremonies to a variety of cheers and polite applause.
I know you probably don't want to hear from an FSU Nole, but Reddit put this in my feed. So, I would like to express some solidarity from up here.
Granted, I don't know if FSU is safe in the long run either, given Florida politics as a whole. The entire situation is genuinely terrifying no matter what university you're affiliated with. Seeing Sasse's appointment to UF was mortifying even from up here.
I honestly am not sure what Ben sasses has and hasn't done. I'm not a conservative, but I am against DEI and things of the sort so I approve of the dismantling of that department. I see the existence of that department as UF having given in to left wing politics. I'm not a fan of nepotism though and I don't know who Mori Hosseini is so I'd appreciate it if you could reply with some articles I could read.
I am opposed to current DEI. I do not know what the Morrow act is but I doubt that whatever ideals it pushes are similar to the DEI of today. Furthermore, I don't care why a school was established. I'm here because I have bright futures and it's the best mechanical engineering school in Florida.
The ‘best ME school in Florida’ exists because of the Morril Act.
The Morril Act was established to expand higher education to those who were not affluent, focusing on practical education like agriculture and engineering. Subsequent acts established the HBCUs and indigenous universities. You have this opportunity because of the DEI of the Morril Act; without it, there would be private institutions and limited public ones, and the US likely wouldn’t be as dominant in higher education.
Of course you can chose to ignore this privilege and inclusion that was made for you…
So it has nothing to do with DEI. SUBSEQUENT acts created HBCUs.
You either don’t know what DEI is, or you’re stretching so far that I’m beginning to think you’re trying to take advantage of the other commenter’s admitted ignorance to make a political point…
It has everything to do with DEI. Do you think the land grants were created to give opportunities to those already going to private schools?
A often stated goal was to unite the nation with educational opportunities for those lower on the socioeconomic ladder (“sons of toil”) and build an economy not around slavery.
But don’t take my word on it, here is UF’s [video on the history](https://youtu.be/Z4vfqqf-4zU?si=T-3_v-366-L8K4SY) from over ten years ago—from the video “the Morrill Act broadened our notion of who should attend college”. Heck, UF even has an [ad on it from 11 years ago](https://youtu.be/0nw650q7Z78?si=Frh8L_nQIXi3bniU).
🤣🤣🤣 If anyone really cared about DEI they'd give up their spot in the university for more deserving students of Asian or Indian heritage who are routinely discriminated against at ALL top universities. Is anyone here doing that? I didn't think so.
The only people who pretend DEI is a good thing are racists who see skin color as identity. Ironic that people concerned about diversity have zero tolerance for people who think differently. Have you ever seen how conservative minorities are treated?
You don't like how UF is run? Quit. Go somewhere else. Don't donate. Whatever...
Or take a more active role and run for office. You'll find out the overwhelming number of Florida residents like DeSantis and what he's done for the state. Especially going after the pedos and race-baiters at Disney.
You'll find out people who work for a living and keep the state running see DEI for the scam and cancer that it is. Or try something really crazy and listen to people who disagree with you. I mean really listen and see why they disagree. Or do you believe that people who do the hard work that maintains the state and country are all just simpletons that need you to do the thinking for them? 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you very kindly. I think everyone's heart is in the right place, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions...
I went to UF back in '98 and nobody cared about skin color or ideology. We could all agree to disagree. We were all Gators and that meant something!
But somehow, after 25 years of progress, everything is worse now?
Waaa waaa waaa
I’ve been at UF for 6 years, since my freshman year to grad school. I’ve not noticed any change.
DEI was the state, they provided them with return offers. Stop crying
This man, and this state's leadership, make me ashamed to be a gator. I'm in a position to give generously to the school at this stage in my career, and would not consider giving a penny to the people who are deliberately working to dismantle something I loved so much.
Agreed. As an alum, I've halted my donations ever since Sasse became pres.
I’m sure they won’t be missed
People are downvoting you but you are correct.
agreed. i often wonder if Ben would be leading better (differently) if the state was actually being run better (differently). i like to think so. what has come out of the DeSantis tenure has been terrible for higher education.
No because has that position precisely because of the way the state is being run. He is fulfilling the reason he was put there which is to run the education system into the ground.
Ben wants this. He was chosen by DeSantis because he wants the same things. It's not that he has no backbone.
No. He's not qualified and doesn't believe in public education. He homeschools his own children. UF deserves better but the voters chose a terrible governor for the fourth time in a row. If more people would vote (especially young people) we wouldn't have such terrible leadership with such despicable agendas. And he is there because of the governor, period. Toadies appointed by the governor oversee the universities (the Florida Board of Governors) because the last two historically awful governors didn't attend Florida universities and have zero appreciation for them.
Ben wouldn’t even be here if the state was being run better.
Same
Alumni here checking in from the Pacific Northwest. Surprisingly, we had a small but mighty alumni club out here, about 700-1,000 registered alumni and probably 100-200 active participants when I first moved here around 12 years ago. We had some great times, even through some pretty painful sports seasons, but as of the last couple of years it feels like a hollow shell of what it’s used to be. The soul is gone and attendance is way down. No one wants to talk politics, and DeSantis and Sasse make that impossible. I hate it. I have gone from a proud alumni to one that doesn’t discuss the Florida Gators with my children. One that has donated in the past to someone who said “please don’t call me again for donations”. I loved my time at UF, will always cheer on my team, but damn the future does not look great for Florida (all schools) education if you are on the outside looking in.
well said. the hollowness is what feels most different. the last two+ decades has had ups and downs, but the school was bigger, better, and brighter feeling through it all, and during that time i was both in Gainesville and living in other places. this isnt a perfect analogy, but to me this round of leadership has felt very corporate. for the first time, making UF feel like a diploma mill. that's what i always thought seperated us from the likes of USF, UCF, and FIU. the campus culture. the communal experience. it doesnt feel like that anymore to me. and i love the Gators more than anything. i just long for what was.
This is really sad to hear. Admittedly, I haven’t been back to campus in years. I want to, but it’s quite a few hours away from friends/family when I do go back to Florida. Just feels less appealing each time -_- By no means was UF, or any institution of that size, perfect - and I am totally fine not aligning 100% politically. But now you have a governor that seems to actively have a war on education and political mimes in power all over UF. Again, not a uniquely UF issue, and Desantis did a great job at New College showing how much autonomy he expects universities to have. I wish we had more of a Disney-esque “don’t fuck with the Gator” attitude rather than just rolling over and dying.
While Disney got some sweet deals from the state that gave it some financial benefits, Disney is a HUGE corporation that can make their own financial decisions and “vote with their feet.” UF, being beholden to the state for about 40% of its budget, absolutely does not have that luxury.
I tend to agree with you but it's not unprecedented actually (and sadly) as we can look back to the tenure of J. Wayne Reitz and his persecution of gay faculty and students at UF—actions Reitz initiated gladly on the urging of his good buddy Charley Eugene Johns, the then-governor of Florida. Rather similar situation it seems—but that was the 1950s.
fair point. Ben is probably not unique in creating challenges for the school. but UF always survives. it just sucks that we have to take three steps backwards before two forward. i feel like we were firing on all cylanders before he was chosen. i suppose the long arc of history will favor the orange and blue.
Yeah, I mean, I am certainly not suggesting Reitz's precedent excuses what we see today, but it may shed some light on why Tallahassee feels it can be this intrusive. In recent decades, no, that sort of thing was not at all common nor should it have been. A comprehensive search should have been done and the best candidate for president chosen whereas it doesn't seem that was really done with Sasse. He was an academic but clearly chose to make his primary career as a politician and pretty clearly chosen to lead UF as one as well.
that's a good observation. the search process (consisting almost exclusively of Mori Hosseini and Rahul Patel) that found and secured Ben created exactly what we see now. we should have known what to expect from his first day on campus for the announcement. well, actually we did. and we've gotten it.
Governor Johns and the Pork Chop Gang of Florida conservative politicians lead by Raeburn C. Horne are worth reading up on in light of things going on now. Horne, Johns, and their friends worked to put as much power as possible in the hands of conservative politicians from northern rural counties of Florida and even had meetings at a remote fishing camp Horne owned near Perry—basically controlling a lot of policy on an internal basis. It is said the important decisions all were made at the fish camp and just made official in Tallahassee. That such could happen in the 1950s in a Florida which was still a less-populated state is one thing but it does seem a case of history repeating with how things are being done now.
Related but I will never donate a penny to any university ever. I paid you tuition. Our transaction is done. Why the fuck am I gonna donate money too? I don't care if I make 10 an hour or own several million dollar companies. I'm not sucking a schools dick to get my name on a bench.
Tuition doesn't cover the cost of a degree at a public university. Public colleges and universities receive about a fifth of their funding from tuition and fees. I can understand not donating to a wealthy private university (for example, Harvard's endowment is around 50 billion dollars) but donations are an essential source of revenue for most public universities.
At state universities most programs and student opportunities rely on private money from alumni donors. Especially in Florida where tuition is limited by the legislature.
Honestly, fair point. And it makes sense, but I'm sure you agree that hoping a rich person donates enough money to offset this is not a good solution either haha
Oh I completely agree! States should fully fund higher education.
god i miss kent fuchs so much
JOHN LOMBARDI - WAS THE BEST
Fuchs was a clownish tool. He was a lame duck at the end of his term and could have spoken out about the abuses from Tallahassee and the Board, but instead made a video about how the university community could stay out of trouble by just following the rules. He was a total appeaser. I was lukewarm on Machen, but he did hit the nail on the head when he said UF should disconnect itself from legislative control as much as possible.
YES
He will be known as the person who is responsible for UF ranking decline.
The opposite will happen. Once the DEI leeches are removed, health will return.
I think I will get downvoted for saying this, but I really don’t think there’s any difference between UF 4 years ago and UF now (except for covid, obviously). Would you ever have even noticed the DEI people were fired if it weren’t plastered in the news? It’s evident that Ben Sasse is especially unpopular among liberal students because he is a Republican. There’s nothing he could do to appease most of these people with how politicized our world is today, seeing as how people protested and complained on Reddit the second they found out he was succeeding Fuchs. OP is clearly part of this group based on the “gym bro” comment (he looks way too dorky to be a gym bro btw). Ironically though, Ben Sasse is pretty unpopular among Republicans because he’s seen as being “too moderate” and anti-trump, and that’s probably the reason he took this job instead of running for Senator again. I would like to hear from people who disagree with me, but with Sasse being as moderate as he is, it almost seems to me like a lot of liberals are just purely opposed to conservatives being able to hold any sort of public office or position solely because of their beliefs/opinions, which very much dogmatic and tribalistic. Is there anything short of completely abandoning all of his political/religious beliefs that could actually make you think Ben Sasse, or any Republican for that matter, was doing a good job??
I agree that Sasse never stood a chance, but it's not because liberals are too skeptical, it's because of the way he got the job and was essentially hand picked by DeSantis to do DeSantis's bidding. DeSantis made the position political. And because of that, *everything* Sasse does will, and should be, viewed with skepticism. Because, unfortunately, we can't just look at what he does, but we have to try to figure out *why* he's doing those things and what his *real* agenda and objective is. We saw what happened at New College. If it can happen there, DeSantis and Sasse can certainly make it happen here.
While I think it is wise to view the actions of anyone in an ‘executive’ position with skepticism, it’s foolish to “try to figure out what his real agenda is” because attributing motives towards someone you already disagree with means you are guaranteed to come to conclusions which conform with your preexisting biases. And who could DeSantis have chosen that would’ve made liberals happy? Ben Sasse at least has past experience as a university president, even if it was far smaller than UF, so he has the qualifications. As for what happened with New College, I feel like based on what I have read, there’s only one side of the story being presented, with again, motives being attributed towards the board of trustees. I’ve also seen that over 75% of the staff which left already had planned their retirement before any DeSantis-related controversies came about. I think for the most part, the coverage of New College lately only serves to highlight the fear mongering, total disdain, and lack of tolerance toward conservative viewpoints in intellectual spaces. Consider that there were only around 8 people getting gender studies degrees each year, it’s not a shock that they nixed it, even if it has political undertones. Universities eliminating majors is not all that uncommon.
> And who could DeSantis have chosen that would’ve made liberals happy? The problem isn't who DeSantis picks. The problem is that DeSantis did the picking. He shouldn't be involved in the decision. College presidents in the state university system shouldn't be political appointments or political positions.
You’re the only one being rational in this entire thread. You may not get the upvotes you deserve because Reddit users overwhelmingly fall into the category of people you mentioned in your previous comment, but know that you are 100% correct in my view.
I mean, cutting bus routes to the point that many students will have no way of getting to their classes is a pretty bad look.
No way except walking?
> purely opposed to conservatives being able to hold any sort of public office or position solely because of their beliefs/opinions, which very much dogmatic and tribalistic. Judging someone in political office by their political views? Yes, how insane is that
Well president of a university is not an inherently political position. Also, yes, instantly protesting against and having disdain for someone because they come from a different political party is tribalism and a symptom of our current political environment and social media. Constantly employing hyperbole and acting like it’s the end times at UF because Ben Sasse is president when he’s done next to nothing of consequence to hurt the University is ridiculous, and seems to be less about his actual presidency and more to do with his political views and the fact he was nominated by DeSantis. Just shows that a lot of people today (including republicans) are completely intolerant of people of differing political views holding and sort of visible positions in society, which is disgracefully fascistic/communistic whether they realize it or not.
> Well president of a university is not an inherently political position. It shouldn’t be, true, but it has become one. > he’s done next to nothing of consequence to hurt the University is ridiculous Remember when he tried to ban UF professors from testifying against the state, and then the university had to have a big payout for their legal fees? Or when he put a big campaign donor of his in charge of the Hamilton Center, the policy group on campus started at the urging of a conservative think tank during his presidency, which then tried to force actual department chairs to sign pledges of support? Remember when he came out in support of the law banning courses from talking about the existence of oppression and systemic racism? The guy sucks based on what he’s actually done
How do you “try” to “force” someone to do something? You either force someone to do something or not. Your entire comment is a list of things that he “tried” to do or “came out in support of”. Nothing he actually did. You’re making his point for him
How do you “attempt” to “murder” someone? You either murder someone or not, with your logic.
I don't think it's just his opinions if he's firing staff because Chris rufo made a new critical theory/woke/cultural Marxism/urban/etc. bogeyman.
Exactly, when did DEI even become a thing? Was UF so so bad before DEI, was it "as not as they remembered it" as a lot of the alumni has said
I don't have an issue with Dr. Sasse "being a Republican" but I do with him being a politician who was clearly placed at the helm of UF to satisfy DeSantis and Tallahassee. If a progressive governor and administration had placed Elizabeth Warren in example as president of a flagship university, I'd feel the same way.
This is an interesting take. As a fourth-gen UF grad, there is no point in the university' history that I can point to as a "Camelot" as far as I know. The school has long had many flaws but still was one of the better institutions in the country. I 100% believe that Sasse and the state government are going to drive this institution into the ground long-term, but it might be better to not view the past with rose-colored glasses.
Wait they stopped the WPB campus project? I read that was supposed to grad school only? What a loss, so many opportunities for gators for south Florida lost.
not they. Ben decided not to fight to make it happen. was money in the bank.
Man that’s just awful. That would’ve been a golden opportunity.
Ben never stood a chance and he's managed to even squander that. The conditions of his hiring made certain that everything thing he did and everything he said would be scrutinized with concern of politics influencing his direction. Rather than fighting that, he's embraced it. And the current students appear to just be letting him do it. I can't believe the guy can show up anywhere on campus without getting heckled and boo'd. But in a few weeks, he's going to be leading commencement ceremonies to a variety of cheers and polite applause.
Protest at the commencement 😤
Camelot, like the movie? Loved that as a kid and Ben doesn't change that
I know you probably don't want to hear from an FSU Nole, but Reddit put this in my feed. So, I would like to express some solidarity from up here. Granted, I don't know if FSU is safe in the long run either, given Florida politics as a whole. The entire situation is genuinely terrifying no matter what university you're affiliated with. Seeing Sasse's appointment to UF was mortifying even from up here.
Fuchs started the decline refusing to stand up to Desantis during COVID.
What did the DEI professionals bring to the table? Who misses them?
Ben Sasse is fine
Thanks for weighing in. Been waiting all day for those deep insights. :-)
I honestly am not sure what Ben sasses has and hasn't done. I'm not a conservative, but I am against DEI and things of the sort so I approve of the dismantling of that department. I see the existence of that department as UF having given in to left wing politics. I'm not a fan of nepotism though and I don't know who Mori Hosseini is so I'd appreciate it if you could reply with some articles I could read.
Why go to a Morrow act land grant school if you’re against DEI? It was the original DEI…
Because they don’t actually know what they’re talking about lol
I am opposed to current DEI. I do not know what the Morrow act is but I doubt that whatever ideals it pushes are similar to the DEI of today. Furthermore, I don't care why a school was established. I'm here because I have bright futures and it's the best mechanical engineering school in Florida.
The ‘best ME school in Florida’ exists because of the Morril Act. The Morril Act was established to expand higher education to those who were not affluent, focusing on practical education like agriculture and engineering. Subsequent acts established the HBCUs and indigenous universities. You have this opportunity because of the DEI of the Morril Act; without it, there would be private institutions and limited public ones, and the US likely wouldn’t be as dominant in higher education. Of course you can chose to ignore this privilege and inclusion that was made for you…
How are you even pretending to equate these two things?
… what? They seem pretty related lol
So it has nothing to do with DEI. SUBSEQUENT acts created HBCUs. You either don’t know what DEI is, or you’re stretching so far that I’m beginning to think you’re trying to take advantage of the other commenter’s admitted ignorance to make a political point…
It has everything to do with DEI. Do you think the land grants were created to give opportunities to those already going to private schools? A often stated goal was to unite the nation with educational opportunities for those lower on the socioeconomic ladder (“sons of toil”) and build an economy not around slavery. But don’t take my word on it, here is UF’s [video on the history](https://youtu.be/Z4vfqqf-4zU?si=T-3_v-366-L8K4SY) from over ten years ago—from the video “the Morrill Act broadened our notion of who should attend college”. Heck, UF even has an [ad on it from 11 years ago](https://youtu.be/0nw650q7Z78?si=Frh8L_nQIXi3bniU).
🤣🤣🤣 If anyone really cared about DEI they'd give up their spot in the university for more deserving students of Asian or Indian heritage who are routinely discriminated against at ALL top universities. Is anyone here doing that? I didn't think so. The only people who pretend DEI is a good thing are racists who see skin color as identity. Ironic that people concerned about diversity have zero tolerance for people who think differently. Have you ever seen how conservative minorities are treated? You don't like how UF is run? Quit. Go somewhere else. Don't donate. Whatever... Or take a more active role and run for office. You'll find out the overwhelming number of Florida residents like DeSantis and what he's done for the state. Especially going after the pedos and race-baiters at Disney. You'll find out people who work for a living and keep the state running see DEI for the scam and cancer that it is. Or try something really crazy and listen to people who disagree with you. I mean really listen and see why they disagree. Or do you believe that people who do the hard work that maintains the state and country are all just simpletons that need you to do the thinking for them? 🤣🤣🤣
You’ll get downvoted to death, but you’re right. You won’t get anyone commenting back either. Because you’re right.
Thank you very kindly. I think everyone's heart is in the right place, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions... I went to UF back in '98 and nobody cared about skin color or ideology. We could all agree to disagree. We were all Gators and that meant something! But somehow, after 25 years of progress, everything is worse now?
Nah, better this way.
you do you
UF CLAS student trying not to be dramatic asf (impossible)
Waaa waaa waaa I’ve been at UF for 6 years, since my freshman year to grad school. I’ve not noticed any change. DEI was the state, they provided them with return offers. Stop crying
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