U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is asking Florida’s university system chancellor to review University of Florida contracting and presidential search practices after the school recommended Dr. Stuart Bell as the sole finalist to become its next president.
In a May 20 letter to State University System Chancellor Raymond Rodrigues, Scott criticized UF’s search process as lacking transparency and public input, saying students, parents and taxpayers have been given little information about Bell, interim President Donald Landry or other potential candidates.
Scott said he was not advocating for Landry or any other candidate, but questioned why Landry was not considered or publicly discussed as part of the process. He also said Landry’s contract includes a multimillion-dollar payout if he is not named permanent president and called for an investigation into the agreement.
“I am not aware of any public discussion on whether a pay out of this size has any merit,” Scott wrote. “It is my understanding that the UF Board delegated its authority on a multimillion-dollar contract solely to its Chair. I don’t understand how that process is in the best interest of the university, its students and taxpayers.”
Scott said he understood that neither the UF Board of Trustees nor the Florida Board of Governors voted on the contract. He asked Rodrigues to collect contracts from State University System institutions involving elected officials or their family members, as well as contracts that include payouts when someone does not receive a permanent job.
The letter also referenced recent reporting by Fox 13 in Tampa that UF’s law school gave Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier a $100,000 teaching position. Scott said the arrangement, if accurate, raised additional questions about UF’s hiring and contracting practices.
“I was told this arrangement was done by UF so the Attorney General would hire more UF Law grads,” Scott wrote. “I don’t know the Attorney General, but that is frankly bizarre and if true, it demonstrates a pattern of malfeasance in UF’s hiring and contracting processes.”
Scott also called for changes to Florida’s 2022 university presidential search law, arguing that it allows too much of the selection process to occur outside public view. He said the current process often results in only one finalist being presented to university boards, limiting public scrutiny before a final vote.
Scott said Board of Governors regulations require a search committee to explain why it is bringing fewer than three candidates to a university board. He said the UF board interview should not be the first and only public venue for reviewing the finalist.
The senator said the Legislature and the next governor should consider changes next year to restore public oversight in university searches and contracting decisions.