Like other Florida universities, UNF gets one presidential candidate to consider

One finalist has emerged for the University of North Florida presidency, following a trend of state institutions relying on an “exceptional circumstances” carveout to state policy that otherwise requires three or more finalists.

The university received 152 applications, search committee chair and trustee Jack Boyle said, calling it a “clear reflection of UNF’s momentum and growing national reputation.”

Michael Shannon, now president of University of North Georgia, is the finalist, subject to approval by UNF trustees and the Florida Board of Governors. 

“Dr. Shannon is a strong leader with an impressive background in higher education and military service,” Boyle said. “He is passionate about student success, community engagement and the future of UNF.”

Board of Governors policy requires a presidential search committee “to submit more than two qualified applicants” to the board of trustees “other than in exceptional circumstances.” Additionally, trustees must be notified about the reason why fewer than three candidates are being presented to them.

According to Boyle, in an email sent Tuesday to trustees and forwarded to the Phoenix Wednesday, the search committee selected four finalists and only one was willing to be publicly announced as such. Boyle said the committee returned to the candidate pool but an additional candidate declined to be publicly named, leaving only Shannon.

“While the outcome is a sole finalist, I want to emphasize that this result followed a broad, competitive and deliberative search. The committee considered a deep applicant pool, evaluated semifinalists through a rigorous interview process and took additional steps to determine whether other candidates were willing and able to continue into the next phase,” Boyle wrote to trustees.

The news release announcing Shannon says the institution “reviewed candidates in accordance with” Board of Governors rules and state statute.

“While I understand the hesitancy of some to move forward in the absence of a guarantee, it shows that Dr. Shannon has demonstrated a high level of respect for the public nature of our presidencies in Florida, and a healthy respect for our process,” Board of Governors Chair Alan Levine said in an email response to Boyle, also forwarded to the Phoenix.

Among other institutions to name a sole finalist:

• University of West Florida in naming former Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr.
• Florida International University in naming former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez.
• University of South Florida in naming former UNF President Moez Limayem.
• University of Florida in naming former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, former University of Michigan President Santa Ono, and former University of Alabama President Stuart Bell.

Florida university applicants for president were previously subject to the state’s “sunshine” laws, meaning their names were not exempt from public disclosure. In 2022, lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved keeping applicants’ names private until the final stages.

The fear voiced at that time, and as was the case at least in FIU’s search, was that finalists not named president don’t want their current employer to know they are seeking a new job.

“I congratulate you on attracting such a high-quality candidate, and I find that he is both qualified to serve as President of the University of North Florida, and that he would be an exceptional addition to our cadre of 11 of America’s best university presidents!” Levine wrote.

About Shannon

Shannon has served at UNG since 2023. His background is in aerospace, nuclear, and radiological engineering. 

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1995 and 1999 and a doctoral degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2009.

“Jessica and I are excited for the opportunity to spend time with the UNF community, to listen and learn, and to better understand its aspirations for the future,” he said. “There is tremendous momentum here, and I am inspired by what UNF can become and the impact it can continue to make for its students and this region,” Shannon said in a news release.

He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and later was a faculty member and executive at Georgia Tech. 

The UNF news release highlights a period of growing enrollment and retention at UNG under Shannon’s leadership. 

UNG, a public institution, calls itself “The Military College of Georgia.”

The presidency opened when Limayem left the Jacksonville university to return to University of South Florida as president, where he once served as a dean. The search committee was established in March and a listening session happened in April. 

Former Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti has been serving as interim UNF president.

UNF trustees will interview Shannon and vote on his presidency in mid-September.