House panel supports making university presidential searches more transparent

Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, during the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, Tuesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

A Republican-led effort to take back some of the power from Gov. Ron DeSantis after several of his allies landed presidential university jobs is moving through the House.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Michelle Salzman to add more transparency to the university presidential search process cleared the House Education Administration Subcommittee with bipartisan support in a 15-0 vote.

Salzman’s legislation (HB 1321) would overturn a 2022 law that made the presidential applicants confidential and only the finalists public. Lawmakers originally argued that only releasing the top finalists encouraged more good candidates to apply because they wouldn’t be outed to their current employers if they didn’t get the job.

“When we have presidential searches,” said Salzman, a Republican from Escambia County, “we don’t need to be hiding people behind the shade because we’re worried about if they win or lose.”

In the case of Ben Sasse — the former University of Florida President who is now under fire for wasteful spending — his was the only name released for the job when he was hired.

“This bill is all about accountability and transparency,” said Rep. Marie Woodson, a Hollywood Democrat. “It was overdue, and we have to make sure that we, as lawmakers, we are accountable and we are transparent.”

The bill would also cut the Florida Board of Governors out of the presidential hiring process. The Board would no longer get a vote confirming university Presidents, leaving that decision solely up to school trustees.

Wednesday’s hearing drew several university professors who praised the bill. They spoke about how important it was to have a legitimate presidential search with public scrutiny to get the best candidate for the job.

“When decisions happen behind closed doors, we lose the opportunity to evaluate candidates against our institutions’ needs and values. Open processes allow us to ask critical questions,” said Samique March-Dallas, a finance professor at FAMU.

“A President chosen through a secretive process begins their tenure with a trust deficit. By contrast, leaders who emerge from transparent processes arrive with built in faculty support and legitimacy, essential foundations for addressing the complex challenges facing Florida’s higher education system.”

The next stop for Salzman’s bill is the House Education and Employment Committee.

The Senate companion (SB 1726) filed by Sen. Alexis Calatayud has been referred to the Education Postsecondary Committee, Appropriations Committee on Higher Education, and Rules Committee, but hasn’t been scheduled on a committee agenda yet.