USF Board of Trustees

The university will put out an "invitation to negotiate" in the next month to select a design and build team for the project.

University of South Florida Board chairman Will Weatherford assured officials that DeSantis would come around next year.

Rhea Law, a Tampa lawyer who previously served as chair of USF's Board of Trustees, is the first alum to lead the university.

Finalists Rhea Law and Jeffrey Talley will meet with the USF community on all three campuses a day before they're interviewed by the university's Board of Trustees.

Officials also announced at Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting that USF will hold town halls for the two presidential finalists the week of March 21.

According to the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, the proposed site is on the northeast side of campus, near Fletcher Avenue and North 50th Street.

The two candidates were thoroughly questioned as they offered different visions for the future of USF.

Interim president Rhea Law, who was asked to consider taking over as USF's next president, is a finalist along with retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley.

The USF Board of Trustees discussed a plan, which includes five possible locations on the Tampa campus, and hopes to present it by June 30.

The USF Presidential Search Committee is expected to have candidates selected for the position by early next year.

“We are extremely disappointed that decisions to modify our approach are no longer being guided by science and data,” USF Faculty Senate President Timothy Boaz said.

Steven Currall’s tenure as president of the University of South Florida officially came to an end Monday. Tampa attorney Rhea Law will temporarily fill his position.