Florida Board of Governors
Coverage of Florida Board of Governors in the Nexus archive.
- 11th Circuit strikes down part of Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’ as unconstitutional
The 11th Circuit struck down part of Florida’s Stop WOKE Act, ruling it unconstitutional for restricting professors' classroom speech on race, gender, and diversity. The 2-1 decision rejected Florida officials' request to overturn a lower court's injunction against enforcing the law's provisions, which banned discussions of eight specific concepts related to race, color, national origin, or sex.
- Immigrant groups respond to undocumented student ban at Florida colleges
Florida's pro-immigration groups criticized a new rule banning undocumented students from state colleges as 'cruel' and potentially illegal. The State Board of Education voted to require all students at Florida's 28 colleges to be U.S. citizens or 'lawfully present,' with the Board of Governors set to consider a similar ban for universities in September.
- Stuart Bell is the new University of Florida president, concluding a two-year search
Stuart Bell was approved as the University of Florida president on July 1, 2026, ending a two-year interim period. The Florida Board of Governors approved former University of Alabama President Bell, with Governor Aubrey Edge casting the sole vote against him. Bell has committed to not endorsing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, closing DEI offices at Alabama to comply with state legislation.
- State colleges, adult education now off limits for undocumented students
Florida's State Board of Education approved a policy requiring state colleges and adult education programs to only admit U.S. citizens or those lawfully present, barring undocumented students. The policy also prohibits admissions based on race, color, sex, disability, national origin, religion, or marital status. Rep. Anna Eskamani criticized the move as lacking legislative backing.
- Undocumented students could be banned from university enrollment under advancing rule change
The Florida Board of Governors is advancing a proposal to ban undocumented students from enrolling in state universities starting in the 2027-2028 academic year. The rule change, which requires verification of lawful presence in the U.S., was adjusted to exclude foreign students attending online programs. If approved, Florida would join Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina in restricting undocumented student enrollment.
- Third party will determine if University of Florida has a governance problem
The Florida Board of Governors postponed a vote on University of Florida's new president, Stuart Bell, due to governance concerns raised by Chair Alan Levine. The dispute centers on power dynamics between Levine and UF trustees Chair Mori Hosseini, with Levine alleging governance procedures at UF fall short of state standards. A third party will review governance practices amid tensions over leadership transitions and reporting structures at the university.
- Florida’s Battle of the Boards
The Florida Board of Governors is delaying a confirmation vote for the University of Florida presidential hire, citing concerns about regulatory noncompliance by UF’s board chair. The article references the conflict between the two governing bodies over the appointment process.
- University of Florida trustees select Stuart Bell as next president
The University of Florida Board of Trustees selected Dr. Stuart R. Bell as the university’s next president, pending ratification by the Florida Board of Governors. Bell previously served as president of the University of Alabama and held academic leadership roles at Louisiana State University and the University of Kansas. He was chosen from hundreds of candidates and is expected to succeed Interim President Donald Landry.