Florida’s two pre-eminent universities have new presidents who face the task of improving the schools’ national standing.
The state university system’s Board of Governors on Thursday unanimously approved the appointments of Cornell University Provost Kent Fuchs to head the University of Florida and state Sen. John Thrasher to be the next president of his alma mater, Florida State University.
“I have no doubt both universities will thrive under these leaders,” university system Chancellor Marshall Criser said.
Thrasher is succeeding Eric Barron, who left this year to become president of Penn State University. Fuchs will take over from outgoing UF President Bernie Machen, who is retiring in December after 10 years.
The governors held the confirmation hearing while meeting at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
Thrasher, a former House speaker who has long been an influential player in the Legislature, is expected soon to submit his resignation from the Senate. A new $430,000-a-year contract calls for him to take the FSU helm on Monday.
His move will lead to a special election in Northeast Florida’s Senate District 6.
Thrasher, a St. Augustine Republican who has long desired the FSU job, easily defeated two challengers in Tuesday’s election in his Senate district, receiving 58 percent of the vote. Afterward he released a statement that he was “committed to helping our district and Republican Party find a candidate who is uniquely qualified to serve the people of Northeast Florida.”
Fuchs, pronounced Fox, is expected to move into the President’s House at the UF after the start of the new year, with a contract making him the highest paid president in the state university system. As the 12th UF president, Fuchs is set to have a base salary starting at $860,000 a year.
Board of Governors Chairman Morteza “Mori” Hosseini received commitments from Thrasher and Fuchs that they would do their best to ensure student safety, keep tuition as low as possible, and to work with other state university presidents to improve the overall system.
Fuchs, who said he intends to be visible on campus and through social media, said the challenge of increasing the school’s national profile is part of what attracted him to Gainesville.
Fuchs is coming from a private Ivy League school that is ranked 15th nationally by U.S. News & World Report. He has been credited with helping Cornell raise $1 billion. Fuchs said a top-10 position can be reached at UF, but it will take a number of years.
“While I wouldn’t want this in my contract … it’s an achievable goal,” he told the board.
The University of Florida was most recently ranked 48th among national universities, and 14th among public schools. Florida State University stands 95th nationally and at 43rd in the public-school list in the magazine’s annual rankings.
Thrasher’s selection was contentious as it played out across the summer in Tallahassee. But Thrasher, who was Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign chairman when the search began, was the front-runner for the job throughout the process.
Board of Governors member Dean Colson, who in June said the school’s presidential search “damaged the national reputation” of FSU, maintained his criticism of the process Thursday. Yet, Colson added that he expects Thrasher to be a “very good president.”
Thrasher said since being selected for the job on Sept. 23, he has spent 14 days on campus, meeting with administration members, faculty and students.
“I have not been before the full Faculty Senate yet, but I look forward to doing that,” Thrasher said.
Thrasher acknowledged he may have had a hand in state schools not being as adequately funded the last few years as some board members would want. But, he added, that in order to achieve higher standards at the university he wants to quickly prepare the school for the legislative session, focus on the school’s ongoing $1 billion capital campaign and look into increasing faculty pay.