University of Michigan President Expected to Lead Florida’s Flagship School

Santa J. Ono once led one of the most extensive DEI programs in higher education before ending it in compliance with Trump’s executive order.

About 100 students at the University of Florida gather at the Marston Science Library on the campus in Gainesville, Fla., as part of a planned "walkout" to protest against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis's efforts to curb diversity, equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs in public universities and colleges around the state, on Feb. 23, 2023. Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times

A university president who once led one of the most extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education before ending it in compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order is headed to Florida, where such initiatives are prohibited by state law.

University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono is the “sole finalist” to take the helm at the University of Florida, both institutions announced this week.

In a May 4 news release, the University of Michigan announced Ono’s departure, noting capital construction and research projects high on his list of accomplishments.

The University of Florida said in a statement that Ono’s experience makes him the leader they are looking for.

“Dr. Ono’s proven record of academic excellence, innovation, and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice. We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future,” Rahul Patel, chair of the University of Florida’s presidential search committee, said in a May 4 news release.

Once Florida’s Board of Governors approves the appointment, Ono is expected to assume the new role. He will remain in Michigan as long as needed until an interim president is in place, according to the school’s statement.

Although the schools’ statements did not mention Ono’s work on university-wide DEI initiatives at Michigan, The Epoch Times’ Feb. 11 analysis of DEI programs across the nation noted that Michigan appeared to have the most extensive one.

President Donald Trump announced shortly after his inauguration in January that colleges and universities that continue DEI programs could lose federal funding under civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by race.

Michigan, which received $1.4 billion in federal funding last year, announced its compliance with the executive order on March 27, saying it would end the use of diversity statements in hiring. It also announced the closing of the university’s DEI office as well as its separate Office for Health Equity and Inclusion, and it discontinued an institution-wide DEI 2.0 plan.

The DEI 2.0 initiative web page, before its removal, detailed how school leaders were advancing DEI-related ideas through “hundreds of activities” across more than a dozen campus programs.

In the March 27 announcement, “Evolving our Approach to DEI and Moving Forward Together,” Ono and other university administrators said that the changes were “effective immediately, in alignment with many of our peers at public and private institutions” and that the decisions “have not been made lightly.”

“We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting,” they wrote. “We are deeply grateful for the meaningful contributions of leaders, faculty and staff who have advanced our ongoing efforts to create an ever-more inclusive and respectful community.”

The school has since removed all things DEI from its website.

In Florida, state law already prohibits DEI in higher education before Trump’s return to the White House.

In January 2024, Florida’s state Board of Education permanently banned discrimination by race and gender in school admissions, hiring, training, instruction, and all other functions of higher education. The policy “ensures that taxpayer funds can no longer be used to promote DEI on Florida’s 28 state college campuses.”

Two months later, the University of Florida eliminated 13 jobs related to DEI and announced it would no longer enter into contracts with vendors who prioritize DEI.

A senior official in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration said members involved in the selection process are aware of Ono’s history of promoting DEI. They also credit him for responding to Trump’s executive order and for how he responded to anti-Israel protests on the Michigan campus.

If hired as the University of Florida president, the senior official said, “he’s going to have to follow the rule of law.”

The Epoch Times reached out to the University of Michigan for additional comment.