Pasco-Hernando State College has a new president. Eric Hall, who served on an interim basis for the last week, was confirmed to the full-time role by trustees on Tuesday.
Hall, a supporter of Gov. Ron DeSantis, was one of four finalists in the 2023 presidential search when Jesse Pisors was hired.
Hall formerly served as the secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice. He was also appointed to the Government Efficiency Task Force in 2023 before the State's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was created.
Pisors resigned suddenly in early May after board chair Marilyn Pearson-Adams presented a report accusing him of concealing enrollment data. Pearson-Adams said the data came from the state's DOGE, as well as internal data from the school.
In the weeks following Pisors' resignation, college faculty and community members spoke out against the controversial report, demanding answers as to the source of the data.
A string of resignations and terminations ensued. Faculty described a culture of fear and "implied retaliation."
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During Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting, Kathleen Hughes, a professor of psychology, said that questions about the report remain unanswered.
"The math was incorrect. The data visualization was incorrect. It [enrollment report] was biased. No questions were ever answered about that report," Hughes said. "The issue or problem needs to be addressed before we can move forward. Expecting people to trust without addressing the root cause is manipulation."
The board did not discuss the enrollment report.
Before voting in favor of Hall, John Alloco Jr. acknowledged concerns surrounding recent turnover.
"I think it's very important for us to be as transparent as possible as we go through this process, because there are obviously still some people who are very concerned."
Trustees approved a one-year contract for Hall, as well as a salary increase, bringing the previous base salary Pisors made of $279,000 to $325,000.
College leaders said the raise puts PHSC on par with other Florida public colleges. The average salary for presidents in the 28-member college system is $324,904.
Nicole Newlon was the only board member who opposed the decision, suggesting they work up to the increase instead.
"I don't mean any disrespect to Dr. Hall, but I haven't seen yet where we are," said Newlon.
The board agreed to keep an additional transportation stipend at $1,000 per month at Hall's suggestion.
