One more hurdle.
That’s what state Sen. John Thrasher needs to clear before he officially can lead the school he’s supported as a student, an alumnus and a politician.
The Florida State University’s board of trustees voted 11-2 Tuesday to select Thrasher as the school’s next president. He must be approved by the Board of Governors, which is expected to take up the issue in November.
Thrasher said in a news release his goal is to “advance the faculty and the research, service and teaching mission of this university.”
“I want Florida State to be the best place for students to receive an education, so they can realize their dreams,” he said.
Thrasher was the only non-academic candidate among the four finalists.
In the end, for some trustees, it came down to who had the smallest learning curve.
The learning curve for academically strong candidates to learn the complicated political side of leading a major university vs. the learning curve for a politically powerful candidate to get to know the inner-workings of a university.
The political side includes being able to secure both public and private dollars for Florida State University, of which Thrasher has been masterful.
Over the years, the former House speaker has helped secure millions in public and private funding for his alma mater. He also led the push for the medical school, which bears his name.
“How can we get the funding to be the university we need to be in the absence of someone like Sen. Thrasher?” trustee Ed Burr, a Jacksonville businessman, said during Tuesday’s meeting. “Can we afford the timeframe for the learning curve of another president coming in here as we did with Dr. (Eric) Barron for the first couple of years?”
Trustee Kathryn Ballard said Thrasher was “an inspiring leader who can help us heal.”
The need to heal is a reference to the strong and vocal protests against Thrasher, primarily from students and faculty. Those protests continued during Tuesday’s meeting.
Daniel King told the trustees he disagreed with politics driving academics. He referred to “scandal after scandal” at the school, including the recent one-game suspension of FSU quarterback Jameis Winston.
“Right now is the time for John Thrasher to sit out of the game,” King said.
Marshall Jones, who was against Thrasher, asked the trustees to think about love when making their decision.
“I love Florida State University and I know you do, too,” he said. “So please show your love for Florida State University.”
The discontent continued even after the vote, when students chanted “Florida State can’t be bought” and “John Thrasher’s got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho.”
Tuesday night, Burr praised the way Thrasher handled the dissension, saying it “speaks volumes” about his character.
Now, Burr said, “It is incumbent on the entire Florida State University community to pull together and support our president.”
Thrasher will continue his re-election effort for his Senate seat. The general election is Nov. 4. The Board of Governors’ November meeting is Nov. 5-6.
There will be a special election to replace Thrasher if he receives final approval from the Board of Governors. (See story on Page A-3 for potential candidates for Thrasher’s Senate seat.)
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