University of Florida students protest Presidential finalist Ben Sass

senator. Ben Sass, the sole finalist for the University of Florida presidency, met protesters and asked questions from skeptics during a campus visit on Monday.

Videos and pictures shared online show protesters gathered near a public forum on the Gainesville campus, shouting: “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Ben Sass has to go!”

Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, answered questions about LGBTQ rights and academic freedom during the forum, according to news reports.

As a U.S. senator, Sass has taken a number of conservative positions during his tenure in Washington. In 2015, he regretted landmark Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges This established the constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

Sass was asked at a student forum on Monday about his commitment to protecting the LGBTQ community, according to the student newspaper The Independent Florida Gators.

“Your question is: Do I support and affirm everyone in this community?” Sass replied, according to The Student. “Absolutely.”

Sass sought to distinguish between his current role as a partisan elected official and his future role as an academic leader. “Frankly, one of the appealing things is the opportunity to get out of politics,” Sass said.

Last week, he was named the only finalist to become the 13th president of the 56,000-student university. The board is expected to vote on the appointment soon.

Sasse Named Sole Finalist for University of Florida Chancellor

Sasse holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in history from Yale University. He was president of the private Lutheran University of Nebraska, Midland University, with approximately 1,700 students, before being elected to the Senate in 2014. He was re-elected in 2020, but plans to step down if his appointment at the University of Florida is approved.

The controversy arose after Sasse became the only finalist, without informing the campus community in advance. Skeptics wondered whether he would support academic freedom for teachers who disagreed with his political views.

The university has been the battleground of a culture war over the past year, with accusations of the governor sparking controversy. Ron DeSantis (R) sought to exert undue influence on its operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. Its current president, W. Kent Fuchs, announced in January that he would step down after appointing a successor.

Judge Rules for Professors in University of Florida Academic Freedom Case

In Florida, DeSantis’ college plans rattle some academics

Sarah Brown, news editor for the Chronicle of Higher Education, tweeted about Sass’s appearance in Gainesville.

exist a tweet, Brown wrote: “Universities are against indoctrination,” Sass says, and so are great professors. As a historian, he says, he cannot imagine teaching without wrestling with slavery and racism as America’s original sins History. “It’s not the same as instilling a particular theory. ” “

exist another tweetBrown wrote: “Sass also spoke (again) about how he views his role as chief storyteller, salesman and cheerleader. He said being president of UF has nothing to do with his policy stance.”

According to Gator Magazine, Sass tried to portray himself as the agency’s guardian in response to questions about whether he would support the job protection measure known as tenure.

“I will be an ardent defender of tenure,” he was quoted as saying by the student newspaper. “In a large research university like this, tenure is a very important tool.”



Source link