www.alligator.org
We Inform. You Decide.
MONDAY, JULY 28, 2025
VOLUME 119 - ISSUE 40 Not officially associated with the University of Florida
Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida
UF employees shocked by full return to work UF COLLEGE OF EDUCATION STAFF REACT TO THE END OF HYBRID AND REMOTE WORK
By Maria Avlonitis Alligator Staff Writer
Katherine McGuire works from home two days a week. The arrangement saves her an hour-long commute to work and gives her the opportunity to be productive without distractions. When the University of Florida sent an email to employees July 24 announcing a full return to inperson work, the 40-year-old UF graduate admissions officer said the announcement was so abrupt the whole office had to stop working. “They just pulled the carpet from under us,” McGuire said. UF faculty and staff have a month to figure their lives out, she said. Interim President Kent Fuchs’ email announced UF’s plans to mirror national trends in business, education and government jobs by returning to in-person work. Florida International University announced its full return to on-campus work June 6. UF Spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email that UF’s Chief Information Officer Elias Eldayrie made the decision to end hybrid work arrangements for UFIT employees around a month ago, which will take effect Aug. 11. The decision came months after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered an audit of state universities to identify “inefficiencies” in higher education in April. Institutions were instructed to submit a vast set of
SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT
UF Smathers Story description finish with comma,
Campus libraries welcome new pg# interim director. Read more on pg. 5.
documents, including a full list of noninstructional staff positions and whether the roles were in-person, remote or hybrid. Fuchs wrote physical workspaces promote stronger bonds by offering collaborative opportunities and encouraging creative problemsolving. Thirty days is short notice, and it seemed like Fuchs’ email was purposeful as it aligns closely with his contract ending, McGuire said. “I think it's just a way for them to deliver a blow that hurts a lot of us without [Fuchs] having to take the backlash because he is going to be gone,” she said. Ending hybrid and remote work arrangements has been discussed by university leaders for the past year, Orlando wrote in an email. After consulting with the UF Board of Trustees, Fuchs decided he should make the decision instead of waiting for the next president, he wrote. McGuire said a hybrid schedule helped with her work-life balance, accommodating her health issues so she could go to the doctor on days she worked from home. Cutting out the two-hour round trip to get to work makes a big difference in how much time she has for housework, she said. Coming into work every day adds to transportation costs, McGuire said, and UF needs to compensate for the changes. The increased campus population will worsen pedestrian and traffic congestion, and there might not be enough room to accommodate a full staff, she added.
SEE WORK, PAGE 3
Michael Goston // Alligator Staff
The mural on 34th Street that honors the five victims of Danny Rolling “The Gainesville Ripper” as seen on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Read more on pg. 5.
Alachua County family addresses grief in petitioned bill “Clayton’s Law” petition has amassed nearly 4,500 signatures to date By Logan McBride Alligator Staff Writer
Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of death and may be sensitive to some readers. Clayton Emerson was 17 years old when he was killed in a car accident.
The Avenue: 'Superman'
A review of the superhero’s latest appearance, pg. 6
A driver failed to yield on East University Avenue, striking Emerson on his motorcycle in June 2024. The driver, Keith Grant, a 41-year-old Gainesville resident, was found to be negligent in the crash. He has a history of four drug-related arrests in a 13-year period, including an arrest in
2017 for felony drug possession. Grant didn’t complete a toxicology report after the fatal crash. As a result, Clayton’s family drafted “Clayton’s Law,” which would require toxicology tests for all fatal crashes where negligence is involved, regardless of suspicion.
SEE CLAYTON'S LAW, PAGE 4
FOLLOW US ONLINE FOR UPDATES
Operation Catnip
Cat clinic reaches milestone, pg. 7
(352) 376-1834
@FloridaAlligator
@TheAlligator_
@TheAlligator
@thefloridaalligator
4871 Celebration Pointe Ave #10 Gainesville, FL 32608