From the Independent Florida Alligator: After almost 20 years of service, the University of Florida shut down its Office of Sustainability... UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldán Hernández wrote in an email statement university leadership decided to “sunset the Office of Sustainability and its functions” effective Aug. 4. The decision to shut down the office is part of a university-wide effort to identify new efficiencies, eliminate duplicative efforts and cut costs, she wrote...
Three employees were terminated as a result of the office’s closure, two of whom declined an interview. One did not respond in time for publication. The statement read UF has made great strides in adopting efficiency principles, environmental stewardship and economic viability through the Office of Sustainability, and those principles are now embedded into UF’s business practices. The office’s mission was to make UF a sustainability model by promoting ecological restoration, economic development and environmental justice, according to its site. It offered internship positions, and the site said collaboration is one of its top priorities.
...At a June 5 UF Board of Trustees meeting, chair Mori Hosseini said he asked Chief Financial Officer Nick Kozlov to have all UF departments and deans “look at a 5% net decline.” ...
Full story at https://www.alligator.org/article/2025/08/uf-shuts-down-office-of-sustainability.
From Inside Higher Ed: Texas Republicans, like those in other red states in recent years, have overhauled aspects of public higher education in ways that have raised concerns about the future of academic freedom for faculty and institutional autonomy for colleges and universities. They’ve banned diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; reduced the faculty’s role in university decision-making; and mandated curriculum reviews, among other changes. But Senate Bill 37, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in June, added something the other states’ laws lack: It created an ombudsman position tasked with ensuring institutions follow SB 37 and the earlier DEI ban, which took effect in 2024...
The governor gets to choose the ombudsman, and the state Senate can approve or deny the pick. After that, the governor can unilaterally decide to fire this new overseer if he’s not pleased. This means Abbott, a Republican who has criticized professors for pushing “woke agendas,” has ultimate authority over this new watchdog. Faculty and academic freedom groups say they’re concerned about politicization of this new position—which, under the law, can recommend that state lawmakers cut off a university’s ability to spend state funds until it complies...
Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/state-oversight/2025/08/11/texas-lawmakers-create-overseer-make-colleges-follow.
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