University of Florida presidential hopeful Stuart Bell says he won’t bring ‘woke’ back • Florida Phoenix

GAINESVILLE—Stuart Bell, the lone finalist to be the next president of University of Florida, aimed to avoid the fate of the previous solo finalist for the position by pledging allegiance to the conservative higher education policies storming Florida campuses. 

During an afternoon of faculty, staff, and student forums in Gainesville Wednesday, Bell, the former president of the University of Alabama, addressed concerns raised by critics and alumni on social media who questioned his position on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Bell made clear early on in the afternoon that he endorses “reshaping higher education, refocusing on student achievement, academic excellence, and the alignment of the values of the people in the state of Florida.”

“I’ve been following those reforms certainly closely. I understand the policies that have been adopted by the governor, that have been adopted by the Board of Governors, and by the UF Board of Trustees, and I certainly agree with those and support those,” Bell said. 

Within hours of the UF Board of Trustees announcing Bell was its pick to run the university, critics took to social media to call into question the academician’s 40-year career and position on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

Some in Gator Nation are growling about UF presidential pick Stuart Bell and his positions on DEI

During Bell’s time in Alabama, the university in 2017 opened the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). He shuttered it in 2024 to comply with an Alabama law that banned any state or local municipality support for DEI.

After the Alabama law took effect, Bell replaced the division with a Division of Opportunities, Connections, and Success (OCS), designated to help individuals work with others from various backgrounds. He led the university for 10 years before retiring last year. 

Bell said Wednesday Alabama lawmakers were content with the steps he took to comply with the new law.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, my own views have always been rooted in that simple principle of every individual should have opportunity, every individual should be treated with dignity and respect, and every individual should be focused on merit, achievement, character, and the potential that has always been for them,” Bell said of organizations that changed their focus away from DEI. 

While UF is the state’s flagship university, it has been without a permanent president after Ben Sasse unexpectedly stepped down in July 2024.

Following Sasse’s departure former UF president Ken Fuchs agreed to return in an interim position as the university launched a presidential search to replace Sasse.

That search recommended University of Michigan President Santa Ono for the post in May 2025. 

Ono was unanimously approved by UF trustees. But members of the Board of Governors grilled Ono a week later, pressing him about his positions on DEI. The BOG ultimately voted 6-10 vote against Ono.

Aware of the kerfuffle over Ono and the criticism lodged against him on social media, Bell immediately moved to distance himself from controversy.

“Well, and let me just start off and be crystal clear. I’m certainly not coming to Florida to bring DEI or any form of woke back. Period,” Bell said.

Florida has passed laws in recent years banning “divisive concepts” in general education courses and prohibiting state spending on DEI.

Bell furthered his pledge to Florida’s policies.

“What also stood out to me is the alignment from governor and Legislature to the board of governors to our amazing UF Board of Trustees, and that is the level of focus and investment that we’ve seen here at the University of Florida. It really does signal purpose, it signals focus, and I want you all to understand that if you look across the U.S., it is rare, it is rare to find that type of focus and that type of investment,” Bell said. 

Pre-screened questions

Bell answered pre-screened questions asked of him by leaders from the respective audience (student, faculty, staff).

Bell said he’s stood for, and will continue to stand for student success “regardless of their background.”

“And I believe that that happens through culture, a culture of merit,” Bell said. “Through a culture of excellence, through hard work, through accountability, through high expectations that we have for those students.”

Universities, businesses, and government entities, including in Florida, pledged commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and created spaces and administrative positions to prove the pledges. In some places, those efforts disappeared, in other places, those efforts were rebranded.

“What has not changed is my commitment to that opportunity. What has changed is what some institutions named that, and there were changes that occurred,” Bell said. “If you look at my record, you will find that Alabama remained focused on academic excellence, student success, research growth, and recruiting outstanding students and faculty.”

UF Board of Trustees Vice Chair Rahul Patel hosted the trio of forums with events dedicated to faculty, staff and students. At each forum Patel listed off the credentials the board saw in Bell, including, academic success (he increased graduation and retention rates) and athletic accomplishments (he was the president of the Southeastern Conference, or SEC.) 

Patel said Bell has “a remarkable demonstrated ability to connect students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration.”

Jewish students

Support for Jewish students was among the top concerns during the last presidential search. Following campus protests in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, universities across the state amended their protest policies. Ono had been questioned on his support for Jewish students. 

Encampments at a university led by Bell would be followed by a tent sale, he said.

“We didn’t have any action that would disrupt our mission of having our classes and education on our campus, we were just rock solid in that message, and support and care for our Jewish students. I mean, I told our group, ‘If I see encampments and tents going up, we’re going to have a tent sale the next day,’ ” Bell said. 

Bell made mention that he received an award dedicated to “beacons of hope for the Jewish people” from the White Rose Society. It was awarded following the attack.

Artificial intelligence

This spring, university commencement videos from across the country made social media rounds in which speakers spoke about the positive uses of AI while students booed, perhaps fearing the technology will eliminate their job.

But Gainesville and the university is home to the fastest university-owned supercomputer. As such UF has a heavy focus on artificial intelligence, looking to weave its use across academic disciplines.

“AI applications are amazing,” Bell said, commenting on cross-disciplinary use of the technology. 

Bell said he believes technology creates jobs.

“I think we just have an incredibly innovative opportunity that’s right before us, and I think AI is going to be one of those,” Bell said.

Scoping out potential

When UF announced Bell as a finalist last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced his support, while Sen. Rick Scott criticized UF’s selection process and system promoting secretive searches. 

In the last handful of years, the state’s universities have selected political allies of DeSantis to lead them. 

Bell’s participation in the SEC overlapped with Fuch’s. Bell referred to Fuchs as a “great friend.” 

Leonardo Villalón, director of the Center of Latin American Studies, said as a faculty member, he’s seeking stability in a university president. He acknowledged that the lack of a permanent president has been “pretty disruptive.”

“I’m looking at the moment, given the rockiness, I think we want some stability. I think we sort of want a calm and firm hand at the tiller as it were, to sort of lead the university,” Villalón said.

He continued: “Obviously higher education is in transformation, the state of Florida is in flux, the national level politics is in flux, and universities are navigating difficult times. That’s just a statement of fact, that’s not a political, editorial comment. And I think he brings a wealth of experience.”

Villalón said his general impression of Bell was a positive one.

“I think the very general statements he made today show that he’s cautious and savvy, and that’s okay, that’s probably good,” Villalón said with a chuckle.

UF trustees will vote on Bell next week although that isn’t the definitive vote. To be the next UF President Bell must receive final approval from the Board of Governors.