Former Florida Lieutenant Governor Emerges as Only Candidate for University Presidency

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The former deputy governor of Florida is the only person left in the running to become the next president of Florida International University.

It’s not a surprise that former Republican state lawmaker Jeanette Nuñez was chosen unanimously by the presidential search committee. She has been the school’s acting president since February and has the support of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

FIU is one of the largest colleges in the country, with more than 56,000 students. A lot of its students are Hispanic, first-generation, and low-income.

DeSantis’ office talked to FIU Board of Trustees Chair Roger Tovar directly about hiring Nuñez for the temporary job. Tovar then put her in charge.

Tovar said at the time, “I can’t think of a better advocate for FIU than a two-time graduate from South Florida who has served in the Florida Legislature and as lieutenant governor.”

Nuñez got both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the same university where two of her children also went.

Carlos Duart, who is in charge of FIU’s search committee and vice chair of the board of trustees, announced Nuñez as the winner Thursday. This came after two other finalists said they would only stay in the running if they were named the only option.

Duart said, “Interim President Nuñez’s long and successful career and desire to make FIU even more of a leader in higher education in Florida and across the country make her a great choice to lead FIU at this important juncture in our university’s history.”

Many students and teachers are worried that DeSantis is influencing the boards that hire presidents for the state’s public colleges and universities to pick more and more Republican politicians who support his conservative agenda.

Choosing DeSantis’s second-in-command for a presidential job, which usually comes with a multiyear contract with a six-figure pay and a nice on-campus flat, is one of the newest and clearest signs of how the governor has affected higher education.

This congressional session, bills that would have limited the governor’s role in hiring university presidents did not pass.

There will be forums with Nuñez next week at FIU so that students, teachers, and staff can ask questions. Following that, she will have a public meeting with the school’s board. For her selection to go through, the state’s board of governors must agree to it.

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