University of Florida presidential hopeful Stuart Bell says he won’t bring ‘woke’ back

By: Jay Waagmeester

Outlets: Florida Phoenix

Published: June 3, 2026

Words: 1,383

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

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GAINESVILLE — Stuart Bell, the lone finalist to be the next president of University of Florida, aimed to avoid the fate of the previous solo finalist by pledging allegiance to the conservative higher education policies storming Florida campuses.

During an afternoon of faculty, staff, and student forums Wednesday, Bell, former president of the University of Alabama, addressed concerns raised by critics and alumni on social media who questioned his position on diversity, equity, and …

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