{"id":397011,"date":"2026-09-11T16:16:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T16:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/397011\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T16:16:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T16:16:27","slug":"is-the-juice-worth-the-squeeze-unfs-only-presidential-candidate-faces-faculty-staff-in-public-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/397011\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIs the juice worth the squeeze?\u201d: UNF\u2019s only presidential candidate faces faculty, staff in public forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday and Thursday, the University of North Florida hosted public forums<\/a> with Michael P. Shannon, the sole contender for the vacant university president position, so the UNF community could address key institutional priorities before the upcoming confirmation process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During designated forum sessions, UNF faculty and staff had the opportunity to speak directly with Shannon, asking questions about his approach to academic and intellectual freedom, the university\u2019s prominence in research, and how Shannon plans to support students, staff, and faculty as the university continues to funnel in hundreds of new students each semester.<\/p>\n

Despite making what he called an \u201cincredibly difficult\u201d decision to leave the University of North Georgia mid-tenure, Shannon currently stands alone in the running. The UNF Board of Trustees is scheduled<\/a> to interview Shannon and deliberate on his candidacy on Sept. 16, with the Florida Board of Governors holding final confirmation authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shannon, who has served as president of the University of North Georgia since July 2023, said UNF\u2019s recruiting firm first called him in April. He said making the decision was \u201cincredibly difficult, the hardest of my professional life,\u201d in an email<\/a> released to UNG students in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe [UNF] Provost asked me earlier today, \u2018Why did you answer the phone?\u2019 And I think that really gets to the heart of [the] question, because of what\u2019s here and the opportunity here,\u201d Shannon said during the forum.<\/p>\n

In a later session, Shannon said, \u201cWhat draws me is the place, the people, the history of the institution; it\u2019s still a young institution in the context of others I\u2019ve been part of. The opportunity to be part of building something here is what matters most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said that UNF\u2019s relative youth as an institution offers a unique opportunity for strategic growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the University of North Florida can rewrite the American playbook on what an American university looks like in 2026, and going into 2030,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

Defining UNF\u2019s Identity: R1 Research vs. Teaching<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to butter my bread, baby; let\u2019s talk about research,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

Inga Timmerman, an associate professor of Finance, said that while UNF wants to be a research institution, the university still sells itself as a teaching institution, asking Shannon whether UNF can pursue R1 research status <\/a>without abandoning its identity as a teaching-focused university.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t pretend like we want to be doing both and doing well. What is your vision for UNF?\u201d said Timmerman. \u201cAre we going to become an R1?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shannon said he believes that the university can handle both.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you can be R1, moderately selective, and have a teaching and learning environment,\u201d Shannon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shannon said UNF\u2019s on-campus research labs and environment create opportunities for students to engage in \u201cthe greatest experiential learning\u201d.<\/p>\n

Shannon pointed to Georgia Tech, where he worked for nearly eight years, as evidence that a university can double-dip and be both research-intensive and teaching-focused.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came from the most research-intensive R1 in the country by any measure [Georgia Tech], grew up in that environment, worked in it, was on the administrative side of it \u2014 and I\u2019ll tell you, this place has that DNA. It has that capability,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

Georgia Tech currently is outranked by Johns Hopkins University<\/a> as the most research-intensive R1<\/a> in the country, with Georgia Tech ranking second nationally<\/a> for federally sponsored research expenditures.<\/p>\n

Addressing concerns over long-term commitment\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alexander Achorn, from UNF\u2019s Development and Alumni Marketing office, asked Shannon what happens if another job calls once he\u2019s a few years into UNF\u2019s upcoming growth campaign<\/a>, as North Georgia\u2019s call pulled him away mid-tenure.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a call, you have to take it,\u201d Achorn said. \u201cBut then midway through the campaign, you\u2019re going to get another call and take it. So what is your long-term goal, either being here or in your career?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good, fair assessment of my journey and one that I\u2019m very cognizant of when coming here,\u201d said Shannon. Shannon called it the \u201chardest question of the day,\u201d and thanked Achorn for the inquiry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recognize the commitment here, and I\u2019m not saying I don\u2019t have a commitment in my current place,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cThis opportunity is different, and I\u2019m telling you like it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Navigating political pressure and academic freedom\u00a0<\/p>\n

UNF history professor Phillip Kaplan asked Shannon about his strategy for addressing what Kaplan called \u201cunprecedented challenges\u201d facing higher education, including long-term national enrollment declines and \u201cpolitical pressures restraining funding from federal and state sources, including pressure on curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shannon said that while \u201cno question we are living in an unprecedented time,\u201d the pressure isn\u2019t limited to the government and the interworkings of politics.<\/p>\n

The pressure comes from parents of incoming students who question the value of a college degree<\/a> and donors who ask why they should give their money to universities, Shannon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is the juice worth the squeeze?\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

Upholding educational standards requires actively demonstrating the value of academic programs to both internal and external stakeholders, Shannon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat cuts at the heart of everything that we\u2019re facing right now across the enterprise \u2014 academic freedom, intellectual freedom, the conversations around content,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

Shannon said defending academic freedom means confronting real fights over curriculum and content, not just endorsing the principle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe context of it for me is: the students we were inspiring and training in that curriculum need to know about that content, whether we have an opinion about the content or not,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

According to Shannon, during his time at UNG, his office received a call from an elected official asking that a professor\u2019s textbook be removed from the curriculum because of its content.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went over to the college and sat down with one of the leaders. This colleague is brilliant. We talked, we looked at data, we looked at context before I gave an answer to the call,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cLet\u2019s understand the context and let\u2019s understand why the textbook is being used.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came to a compromise. The textbook is still used today,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cThe person on the other end of the call was very pleased with the conversation I had back with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Shannon did not disclose the textbook\u2019s name, in September 2025, UNG made headlines after a UNG senior claimed an assigned textbook, \u201cInternational Public Relations: Negotiating Culture, Identity, and Power,\u201d labeled Christianity as a white supremacist group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The senior posted a TikTok about the alleged passage in an assigned public relations textbook, drawing coverage from Fox News<\/a> and other national outlets.<\/p>\n

UNG issued a statement clarifying the passage<\/a>, saying the student had misinterpreted the content and that the textbook remained in use.<\/p>\n

Shannon said addressing the pressures facing higher education will require the university to rethink itself rather than defend the status quo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to redefine ourselves. We have to think creatively. We have to be innovative,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cWe have to work on it and work on the pieces together and fight for the non-negotiables.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to protect the sanctity of who we are \u2014 shared governance, academic freedom, intellectual freedom \u2014 which I agree with strongly. I spent 20 years in the military, and I take academic freedom seriously. You will have no more staunch ally. You will have nobody who fights more than this guy,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

Maria Atilano, the Student Success and Engagement librarian at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library, said they appreciated Shannon\u2019s commentary on the importance of academic freedom in higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly time will tell, however, if he can or will stand up for such protections when faced with pressure from Florida\u2019s Board of Governors,\u201d Atilano said.<\/p>\n

During the forum, Shannon also expressed admiration that the Carpenter Library<\/a> still carried physical books.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlus, although our library has much more to offer than just books, his spoken admiration for libraries and their resources was well taken,\u201d Atilano said.<\/p>\n

Tackling student enrollment and retention<\/p>\n

UNF enrolled about 18,900 students this fall, its largest total in school history for the second consecutive year, up from about 17,600 in fall 2025, according to the UNF website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The UNF 2023-2028 strategic plan<\/a> sets a goal of 25,000 students and Top 100 Public University status by 2028.<\/p>\n

UNF associate vice president for Student Success Eric Richman told Shannon that while the university\u2019s student population is climbing, it also faces a growing student retention issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we lose students, we\u2019re not losing them because they fail academically,\u201d Richman said. \u201cWe\u2019re losing them because they return home and they go to state colleges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richman said UNF\u2019s dashboard data <\/a>shows that about 10% of academically successful students in good standing leave for state colleges closer to home each year. Without football or another draw to keep them nearby, she said, they don\u2019t transfer to a rival university; they leave the system altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo part of our challenge as we grow is figuring out how to keep them here,\u201d Richman said.<\/p>\n

In response, Shannon said he wanted to understand exactly what was causing this retention issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fundamental question is why,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cIs it money? Is it family? Is it homesickness?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shannon said he didn\u2019t have a fix yet, floating ideas from more philanthropy dollars to cover cost gaps to studying the university\u2019s own \u201creturn on failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s a money thing,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cMaybe we have to work more on the philanthropy side to create opportunities for those students to make up that difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond addressing student retention, the possible incoming leadership must also navigate complex workforce dynamics and labor relations across campus, based on staff and faculty concerns.<\/p>\n

Candidate views on union relations<\/p>\n

The vice president of the university\u2019s United Faculty of Florida chapter, Maria Atilano, asked Shannon directly about his experience working with unions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Florida\u2019s labor environment differs sharply from Georgia\u2019s, where \u201cnone were unionized,\u201d according to Shannon. While Shannon worked with the unionized federal government in past roles, he said he had no experience with unions in higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of higher-ed union\/collective-bargaining contexts specifically, I don\u2019t have direct experience,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cI respect it [unionization], and I hope you\u2019ll teach me. I want to learn,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI respected his straightforward answer to my question and his openness to learning and working together,\u201d Atilano said to Spinnaker. \u201cIt\u2019s important that our incoming president recognizes the strength of UFF-UNF and the overwhelming support of our faculty union, which is near 60% membership density<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next steps<\/p>\n

The UNF Board of Trustees is scheduled<\/a> to interview Shannon and deliberate on Sept. 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Following the trustees\u2019 vote, the Florida BOG must formally confirm any final selection to finalize his appointment as university president.<\/p>\n

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For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n