The Florida Board of Governors approved Stuart Bell as president of the University of Florida, ending a two-year stretch of interim leadership. The decision follows a special meeting in Tampa where Bell presented his vision and faced questions from governors on prior pandemic-related decisions, free speech on campus, and diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. The approval makes Bell UF’s permanent leader again and resets the university’s leadership agenda as UF continues to manage other high-level vacancies in the system. The vote also signals what issues state leaders are prioritizing as universities navigate speech, DEI governance, and post-COVID institutional change.