First of 4 candidates for FGCU president holds Q&A for students, staff

On Tuesday evening, Florida Gulf Coast University students and staff sat down with the first of four candidates to be the university president.

Students and faculty members participated in a Q&A with Henry Mack, a senior chancellor with the Florida Department of Education, who Gov. Ron DeSantis selected to serve on the state education commission.

Mack said the experience and connections in Tallahassee would give him the power to make real changes on the FGCU campus. Mack also said FGCU’s community of thinkers is what drew him to the school.

Students didn’t hold back with questions, and while some said they left with a good impression, others were concerned.

“I’m still very unsure about this candidate. Unfortunately, he really did not answer the questions in a way that I had hoped. He seemed a little bit dodgy when I asked him directly about protecting diversity and protecting different viewpoints on this campus,” FGCU Senior Jules Bustamante said.

“I thought that he was really well-spoken; he was probably quicker on his feet than I expected. His commitment and determination and just how well he conducted himself were pretty surprising for me, in a good way,” Bustamante said.

On Wednesday, students and staff will hear from Aysegul Timur, the current vice president and vice provost for strategy and program innovation at FGCU.