OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Florida Board of Governors confirmed U.S. Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska as the University of Florida president early Wednesday afternoon; there was one vote against hiring him.
Sasse, a Fremont native, said in a tweet later on Wednesday afternoon that he plans to resign in the first week of January.
thrilled to join Gator Nation in February — very excited about the work ahead. Melissa and I have had the great honor of serving Nebraskans in the Senate these 8 yrs — I will finish out the upcoming lameduck session and resign in the first week of January https://t.co/W4mS5hnTR9
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) November 9, 2022
The faculty senate at UF objected to the process by which Sasse was selected and issued a vote of no confidenceat the end of October. The university board of trustees, however, voted to approve Sasse for the role last week and so today's result was widely expected.
Sasse's replacement will likely be chosen by Governor-elect Jim Pillen.
Sasse joined the board via telecall because he did not travel to Florida due to an incoming hurricane.
He told the board he is “looking forward to stepping back from politics for a time.”
He pledged to the UF Board of Trustees that he would not engage in electoral politics. He said he will stop political contributions individually and through PACs, nor speak at partisan events.
“I don’t have any bandwidth to be involved in partisan politics,” he said. “Some of the concerns have been a belief that because I’ve served in a partisan capacity for the last seven years and ten months, that somehow that would be a key part of my life going forward. I don’t have any bandwidth to do that.”
Sasse, in answering questions from the board, often talked about the value of free speech on campus.
"Education is about learning how to humbly and meaningfully engage ideas," he said. "We want the University of Florida to be a place that embraces debate and we want to expose Gators to a range of opinions that challenge their assumptions. Help them refine their arguments, and let them leave...prepared to think for themselves."
Sasse faced a critical question from a student representative on the board, Nimna Gabadage, the chair of the Florida Student Association and student body president at Florida State. Sasse's appointment faced criticism and protest from students. He asked what tangible steps Sasse would take to guarantee students from "all walks of life can feel supported and welcomed."
"Everybody on all of our campuses has immeasurable dignity and worth," Sasse said.
He said he's pledged to meet with an LGBTQ+ group on campus. Sasse's prior comments on gay marriage had been a contention point among students.
"Obergefell is not just the law of the land," Sasse said. "There's zero challenge to it ... My job would be to make sure that every single member of the community feels respected ... That happens by recognizing and admitting that in a big and diverse place, not everybody is going to agree about everything. But we're going to talk about it. And we're going to talk about it in a manner that starts with that affirmation of the dignity of every individual."
This story will be updated.
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