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TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2026

VOLUME 120 - ISSUE 33 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Announcement of UF presidential finalist stirs online controversy GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICIALS CRITIQUED THE CANDIDATE AND SEARCH PROCESS

By Swasthi Maharaj & Sofia Meyers Alligator Staff Writers

UF’s Presidential Search Advisory Committee unanimously named Stuart R. Bell the sole finalist for UF’s 14th president May 18. Despite Bell’s experience in academia, his selection created a flurry of controversy online questioning the finalist’s stance on DEI and the transparency of the search. Bell’s history Until last July, Bell served as

the 29th president of the University of Alabama, where he founded the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies while he served as the head of the UA Department of Mechanical Engineering in the late ‘90s. Before his decade-long tenure at UA, he served as provost and professor of engineering at Louisiana State University and as dean of the School of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas. According to a UA press release, the university surpassed 40,000 students for the first time and achieved record retention and graduation rates during Bell’s presidency. UA also achieved Carnegie R1 research status un-

SEE UF PRESIDENT, PAGE 4

Grace Sands // Alligator Staff

Helena Boehling flips through sheet music at Nightjar Gallery & Studios, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. Find this story in The Avenue on pg. 7.

UF continues pause on out-of-state, international transfers The pause, which was intended to last a week, has lasted over two months By Swasthi Maharaj Alligator Staff Writer

Over two months after UF temporarily halted transfer admissions for out-of-state and international students, the restriction remains in place. UF initially paused transfer admissions for out-of-state and international students in February, and labeled it a temporary measure administrators deemed necessary to “better balance UF’s resident and nonresident populations.” The restriction, outlined in emails sent by Provost Joe Glover and

Vice President of Enrollment Management Mary Parker to college deans and assistant deans, was expected to last one week. The pause came amid broader state-level efforts to limit nonresident enrollment in Florida’s public universities. In February, the House Budget Committee approved a proposal by Rep. Jennifer Kincart Johnson, R-Lakeland, that would require Florida’s state universities to reserve 95% of new fall enrollments for in-state students. The proposal would reduce the current allowance of out-of-state students from 10% to 5% in incoming cohorts.

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

AIDS assistance

Real pg# estate listing spurs concern in Alachua. Read more on pg. 3.

The Avenue: Music

Data center finish with comma, Story description

UF enrolled 2,124 transfer students in Fall 2024 from a pool of 5,870 applicants, according to the university’s most recent Common Data Set. Among all first-year students, nearly two in 10 came from outside Florida. The policy also carries financial implications for the university. In the 2024-25 academic year, out-of-state students paid over $22,000 more annually in tuition and fees than in-state students. UF didn’t respond in time to multiple requests for comment from The Alligator. For students, the policy shift raised concerns about access and institutional identity. Sulei Mejia, a 19-year-old public health

Florida temporarily resumes funding after abrupt cut, pg. 5

Meet punk preteen duo Youth Ambulance, pg. 6

junior and director of transfer affairs for UF’s Student Government Cabinet, transferred to UF a year ago. Mejia said she understands the pressure surrounding UF admissions for Florida residents, but she still believes the university shouldn’t close the door on qualified applicants from outside the state. “I feel like UF is such a diverse place,” Mejia said. “It would be wrong to not be able to get more culture and more diversity from these other parts of the world where students are able to transfer in from.” Transferring to UF transformed Mejia’s college experience, she said. Through Student Government and cultural organiza-

SEE TRANSFERS, PAGE 4

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