USF's ninth president, Moez Limayem, marked his first day on the job Tuesday by greeting students and treating them to cups of coffee at the Marshall Student Center.
Limayem has deep ties to the university. He served as dean of the Muma College of Business for a decade before he left to become president at the University of North Florida in 2022.
To be exact, that was, according to Limayem, three years, six months and 16 days ago.
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"It's so nice to be back," Limayem told reporters in front of the Bull Fountain outside of the MSC. "My passion and love for students is even stronger than ever before."
The new president said he's learned a lot about leading a university in his previous post, including working with university stakeholders, state government and legislators.
During his time at UNF, Limayem oversaw the school's highest overall enrollment since 1972 and a record first-year retention rate.
At USF, Limayem said he intends to "hit the ground listening."
"I know parking is a problem," he told students over coffee. "What other things can we improve?"
USF Sarasota-Manatee, H-1B visas and academic freedom
Limayem faces several challenges, including how to handle a contentious proposal to transfer the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and some lawmakers are pushing for New College's expansion through the takeover of the satellite campus, despite outcry from the USF community.
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Limayem said he plans to visit USF's southernmost campus, as well as USF St. Petersburg this week.
"We will always, always take good care of our faculty staff and students on every campus, including the Sarasota-Manatee campus," said Limayem.
A bill authorizing the transfer is moving through the Florida House. The Senate has not proposed a companion bill.
"Universities are meant to be, and should be, a marketplace for ideas of different backgrounds. But also we have to realize that freedom of speech comes and academic freedom comes with responsibilities too, right?"USF President Moez Limayem
Another potential change coming down the pipeline is a ban on public universities hiring workers on H-1B visas.
At the last Florida Board of Governors meeting in January, state leaders moved forward on the proposal to freeze hiring faculty and staff through the H-1B program until next year.
The proposal is expected to come before the full board at the next meeting in February.
Employers use the H-1B program to hire foreign professionals when U.S.-born workers are hard to find.
However, DeSantis accused employers, including universities, of abusing the program and hiring foreign workers at a lower cost.
The governor's crackdown on H-1B comes after President Donald Trump imposed his own restrictions, including a $100,000 fee for new visa holders.
As a product of the H-1B program, Limayem said he's "sensitive" to the situation.
"I was an international student, I was an international faculty so I know exactly," he said.
In his campus appearances prior to being confirmed as USF's president, Limayem emphasized his humble background of growing up in Tunisia as the son of a school teacher.
He came to the U.S. on a full-ride scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where he earned his MBA and doctorate. Limayem then served in academic roles in Quebec, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Arkansas.
As the university's leader, he said he wants to "make USF the destination of choice" for people all over the world, but that he'd have to do so within the confines of the law.
"We are a public university. We're going to have no other option but to comply with the regulations, with the law," he said.
ALSO READ: USF faculty say morale has 'dropped significantly' after new state law.
Limayem echoed that idea in his response to how he'd maintain academic freedom on campus.
"Universities are meant to be, and should be, a marketplace for ideas of different backgrounds," said Limayem. "But also we have to realize that freedom of speech comes and academic freedom comes with responsibilities too, right?"
A top priority, Limayem said, is incorporating lessons on civil discourse into curriculum so that "every student at USF will have a 'shot in the arm.'"
State universities continue to grapple with laws governing curriculum and speech in classrooms. USF faculty said morale and trust have significantly dropped after the state restricted discussions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and eroded tenure protections.
Limayem said he and other state public university leaders are able to discuss faculty concerns on academic freedom.
"The 12 presidents meet frequently, and we discuss and we try to voice our suggestions, and we do everything we can to protect our universities on that topic," he said.
