But leaders of the committee won’t say if Polston will get an exclusive interview similar to the one scheduled next week for powerful Republican state Sen. John Thrasher, who is chairman of Gov. Rick Scott’s re-election campaign and generally considered the front-runner for the university post.
Polston surprised many Saturday by asking to be considered a candidate for the presidential position, concluding his seven-page cover letter with a request to be interviewed so he could potentially “be considered by the Board of Trustees with Senator Thrasher if approved.”
FSU Trustee Ed Burr, who is the chairman of the search committee, said through an FSU spokesman that holding a similar interview or possibly discussing the issue June 11 when Thrasher is set to be interviewed, “are under consideration but no decisions have been made at this time.”
Board of Trustees Chairman Allan Bense, who serves on the search committee, called Polston a “very sharp guy, a bright guy,” and said “he’s clearly a very qualified person and he should be looked at.”
But when asked Monday if Polston should be given a similar look from the committee as Thrasher, Bense responded, “I just read about it 24 hour ago.” Bense was asked about the issue at a Scott campaign stop in
Polston was appointed to the state’s top court in 2008 by former Gov. Charlie Crist, who was then a Republican but is now running for governor as a Democrat. Along with Justice Charles Canady, Polston is considered to be one of most-conservative members of the court.
Meanwhile, Thrasher, who earned bachelor’s and law degrees from the university, faces controversy as he prepares for his interview.
The search committee “paused” its process last month to interview only Thrasher, noting that his desire for the position has kept some other potential candidates from applying.
The move upset students and faculty members, and a protest is planned June 11 before the interview.
“Knowing that there are more qualified individuals willing to apply, but are dissuaded from doing so because of Sen. Thrasher’s politicking, really drives home the point that the good ole boy system is alive and well here in Northwest Florida,” James Lingley, president of the Northwest Florida Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said in a prepared statement.
Before the committee makes any recommendation to the board of trustees, Thrasher is expected to meet with student, faculty and administrative groups.
Thrasher’s opponents have pointed to the St. Augustine Republican’s lack of an academic background and his legislative record, which includes voting to largely eliminate teacher tenure.
He would also come in having to mend ties with neighboring
Thrasher, in his letter of interest for the job, expressed his commitment to “academic freedom” at his alma mater and an intention to support programs that promote diversity, “placing an emphasis on having a student body, staff, and faculty that represent
The letter was submitted more than a week after the interview invitation was approved May 21 in a 15-9 vote by the committee. The faculty and student representatives on the committee all voted against holding the Thrasher interview.
In the letter, Thrasher also outlined his “long-term, sustained support” for the university, work to bring legislative dollars for programs such as the FSU College of Medicine and new campus facilities, and a desire to advance the school “through the next critical steps on its way to national prominence.”
Thrasher, 70, has long been an influential figure in state politics, serving as House speaker from 1998 to 2000 and currently as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, wrote a letter in support of Thrasher to the FSU committee on Monday.
Polston, who doesn’t reach the state’s mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices until 2025, wrote in the letter he is not looking for a career path but to serve and better his alma mater, where he earned a degree in accounting and went to law school.
“It is my university,” Polston wrote in his letter. “I value my degrees and experiences obtained there, and I deeply desire that the future for FSU is set so that our students in the future will share that feeling.”
Polston added a desire to exceed the top-25 national ranking for the university that has been expressed as a goal by state leaders for both FSU and the
“But I have to admit that it is really my wish, as I know it is that of everyone, to have the Top 10 as a goal and not concede superiority to other universities in the state,” Polston wrote. “We would expect no less from our athletic programs for their goals.”
Fourteen others besides Thrasher and Polston have expressed interest in the FSU position, which was vacated April 2 when Eric Barron left for the presidency at
FSU Provost Garnett Stokes has been serving as the institution’s interim president.
Most notable among the other applicants is state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, a Tallahassee Democrat who submitted her resume after Thrasher was invited to be interviewed.