FAU Students and Faculty Express Concern over Presidential Candidate Adam Hasner

Florida Atlantic University recently announced its three finalists for president, and the man considered to be the leading candidate – interviewed for several hours Friday on the Boca Raton and Davie campuses – does not appear to have wide approval from faculty and students.

Adam Hasner, executive vice president at GEO Group, Inc., a for-profit prison company based in Boca Raton, is former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives and former House majority leader. 

He spent the day answering questions from professors, students and other community members, some of whom expressed concerns about his fitness to lead Florida Atlantic, which has long touted its placement as one of the nation’s most diverse universities. 

But now, in an age of anti-DEI policies emanating from Washington and Tallahassee, Hasner was grilled about his politics and previous statements. He sought to assure critics that he would run a campus that would be welcoming.

“When I step onto the campus, if I’m honored to be the eighth president of Florida Atlantic University, this is my singular focus…and I am going to use all of those skills and experiences every single day to make this the university that we all want it to be,” he said. “And that goes for the academic mission, that goes for the cultural mission. I’ve talked about it being an environment that’s respectful and welcoming, where everybody feels valued.”

Many students were far from reassured, and some showed up with protest signs.

“Mr. Hasner, your record speaks far louder than your platitudes ever could, because the FAU student body needs a president, not a politician,” said Nick Ostheimer, 18, a junior majoring in political science. “We want a selection, not a coronation. You’re here not because you’re a worthy finalist, but because of your allies in Tallahassee and on the Board of Governors.”

Ostheimer, the president of the College Democrats chapter on campus, then led a walk-out of like-minded students. Ostheimer complained that nearly 100 students were turned away from an earlier meeting set exclusively for student input, held in a room with a very limited seating. FAU police, who were deployed around the student union, said there was no room for the students who arrived to hear Hasner speak. 

Hasner remained calm in the face of criticism but said that it was “disappointing” that the College Democrats would make such a statement and then walk out.

“You have ties to the very industry we rejected years ago when they wanted to have their name on the stadium,” a woman who identified herself as an FAU graduate said at the same forum, “and it’s very obvious that the only reason you’re here is because of inappropriate meddling from the Florida governor’s office. DeSantis has installed leaders at several other universities in a very clear effort to influence higher education toward his politics.”

Hasner told faculty that he understands the complexities of a university and that a president must wear many hats. If he is named FAU’s eighth president, he said, he is excited to be a part of FAU’s success and improve the university.

“I understand that we have a highly diverse student population, we have a strong responsibility in terms of advancing the academic mission for our students, to make sure that they get the skills and the tools and the resources that they need that are going to prepare them for their careers and to be successful in life,” Hasner said in a meeting with faculty members, which took place earlier in the day.

He pledged to be the public figurehead and help secure funding and improve community relations.

“As we go forward, one of my highest priorities will be to go out every single day, communicate with the community, raise money for the university from this community,” Hasner said. “Go to Tallahassee to fight because there's a limited amount of resources for the state university system. We have to be able to show what it is that makes us special, so that we can secure those funds so we can advance our programs and advance our people.” 

FAU professor and Faculty Senate President-elect Bill Trapani questioned Hasner’s ability to do the job, but wanted him to prove his worth. He asked about accountability and what he wants to do for FAU.

“I think you’d be a great Board of Trustees member. I would be the first person in line to argue for you to be on our board,” Trapani said. “I just wonder whether this is really good for us. It may be good for you. Is it good for us?”

FAU has been on the hunt for a new president since 2022 when former president John Kelly stepped down. In early July 2023, FAU named finalists for president, then the search was suspended due to potential violations of Florida law. In September 2023, faculty members endorsed Interim President Stacy Volnick to be FAU’s next president. 

But less than two months later, Ashley Moody, then-Attorney General of Florida, forced the university to restart the search completely, claiming that the presidential search committee violated Florida law. This led to the resignation of the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Some accused Gov. Ron DeSantis of meddling in the search, including putting his trust in Florida Senator Randy Fine.

The other two finalists in the search are Michael Hartline, the dean of the College of Business at Florida State University, and John Volin, executive vice president and provost at the University of Maine.

But faculty sources say the leading candidate is Hasner, a politician and businessman who works for GEO, a company which gave a $6 million donation to FAU in 2013 in exchange for its name on the stadium. Students protested this, and the university administration returned the donation. The company has faced public backlash and legal challenges for mistreating prisoners and unethical business practices.

Some students and faculty are unhappy with the favored choice, based on turnout at the various forums. Several dozen students protested outside of the Student Union on the Boca campus, pleading for a president who has a background in academia, and Hasner does not. He studied law at FSU and is a member of the Florida bar.

The GEO Group’s executive vice president of corporate relations, Pablo Paez, is serving on the FAU Board of Trustees until January 2028, which some see as a potential conflict of interest. Paez, an FAU graduate, could be influenced by this relationship during the Board of Trustees interviews and selection process with all three candidates on Monday.

Hasner was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2002-2010 and served as majority leader from 2007 to 2010.

“It’s very alarming. I don’t understand why politics has so much to do with education,” Florida Sen. Tina Polsky told the Sun Sentinel. “There shouldn’t be a political litmus test for board members or for presidents, and that’s what it entirely has become.”

University and political insiders told the Sun Sentinel that Hasner is the favorite for the job.

“It’s already baked in that Adam Hasner is going to get [the] FAU job, and there are two very qualified applicants who have tremendous academic experience, and yet we already know the outcome,” Polsky said. “From everything I’ve heard, it’s a done deal.”

Jessica Abramsky is a senior journalism student at Florida Atlantic University. You can follow her on Instagram. News partners are welcome to republish our work as long as they credit the writer and MediaLab@FAU.