“I would like this to be my last year as UF president”: NCFL and state leaders react to University of Florida President Kent Fuchs’ announcement

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The 2022 Spring semester began with a significant announcement.

In a video message and tweet sent out by UF, President Kent Fuchs announced that this will be his last year serving as president of the university.

“Last August I informed the chair of UF’s Board of Trustees that I would like this to be my last year as UF President” says Fuchs.

He plans to take a sabbatical then transition to being a professor at UF in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.

He will continue to serve as president through the fall 2022 semester.

Students at the university are surprised by the news but say they’re grateful for their time under his leadership

“President Fuchs has been a great president while I was here. He has made my experience super positive and we’re sad to see him go as a president but excited to see what he does as a professor,” said student Madison Owens.

“A huge thing to do at The University of Florida to get a picture with him and I have a picture with him from every year. He is such a nice guy” said Shannon Sawtell.

Florida representative Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, who also serves on the US house subcommittee currently investigating the university’s conflict of interest policy responded to the announcement.

She said Fuchs led the university to the elite rankings and dealt with “Unacceptable pressure from the executive branch and their appointees.”

The state’s top executive Governor Ron Desantis responded to the announcement in a tweet, congratulating Fuchs on a well deserved retirement.

North Central Florida representative Kat Cammack also made a statement saying the announcement was bittersweet and “He’s led our tremendous university community with honor and integrity.”

Fuchs began his term as president in the beginning of 2015 and is the twelfth president of the university.

Under Fuchs’ leadership, UF tied with three other schools as a top five public university, according to US News & World Report.

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