Michael Hartline appealed to the crowd with humor at the public forums on Feb. 3 across three of Florida Atlantic University’s campuses, speaking to faculty, students, staff, donors and community members as he pitched himself to be the university’s eighth president.

With the ongoing second search for the next permanent president beginning on July 27, 2024, the FAU Presidential Search Committee recently selected three finalists, with Hartline on the list. However, this is not his first rodeo; he was also a finalist in the first search, which was canceled after a violation of Florida law on Oct. 30, 2023. 

Hartline has been the dean of Florida State University College of Business for nearly 10 years — with a resume of experience in higher education leadership. He explained that during his time at FSU, one of his accomplishments was raising funds for the university.

A prime example was his role in securing a $100 million gift from Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation to further expand the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, according to his staff biography on the FSU website. In his role as dean at FSU, he pointed out his experience with philanthropy and engaging alumni, which he says are qualities crucial in the role of president. 

Hartline also explains that FAU has an “amazing community” with an ideal metropolitan location. He believes that going from FSU to FAU means that he is running towards something, not from it.  

The forums were divided into three groups: one for Faculty, then for Students, and finally for Staff, Donors and Community Members.

When asked in the forum about the “elephant in the room” by a staff member from FAU’s Executive Education program regarding political interference, Hartline responded that he places heavy emphasis on partnership and has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds. He recognizes that everyone comes to the university with different perspectives, and his job is to sit in the middle.

A faculty member stated that one of their biggest fears is that this entire search process could be politicized.

“I’ve been in your shoes,” said Hartline as he explained has worked in higher education leadership positions for years. While stating that he walked in the shoes of a first-generation student and a Pell Grant recipient. 

Hartline also reassured the faculty member that he does not work alone; he has a whole team behind him. He explained that his priority is building relationships, which he says he excels at and stated one does not need to be a politician to effectively work with the legislature.

“And so you have to have that team in place, and they need to be smarter than you. If I’m the smartest person in the room, we have a problem. I really believe that. And, then you get out of the way, and you let them do the job. I’m not a micromanager. I’m just not. I never have been,” he said later in the Open Forum for Staff, Donors and Community Members.

He stated his promise not to put political ideology over students or faculty. He said the leadership team, including himself, should handle situations and that “screaming and hollering” won’t solve the problem. There are many pieces that make up a university, and he boasts that he is good at working with people, no matter what side of the aisle they are on. That’s what civil discourse is about, he says.

“So I think very strongly that one of the things Florida Atlantic needs to do right out of the gate is to press the gas on becoming a preeminence institution in the state of Florida,” he said. “We need to achieve those metrics so that we get the extra funding from the legislatures so we can do some really incredible things.”

On that note, Hartline explains that for the university to achieve R1 status, it means “having a seat at the table” and that the school will be taken more seriously. He is most interested in leveraging the interdisciplinary resources at FAU and unifying the campus across the university. 

FAU Associate Dean of University Advising Services, Joseph Murray asked in the forum for the finalist’s thoughts on the role academic coaches play in student success and how they help students graduate. Hartline said that it’s critical for the university to invest in hiring more academic coaches. 

While online learning may present challenges, Hartline emphasized that online academic advising is one of FSU’s strengths as they heavily invested in this area. Murray agreed that many students prefer online advising. 

Chair of the Rules and Policies Committee of the Boca House of Representatives, Jack Nixon brought up the issue of in-person vs. online classes during the student forum. Hartline referenced a troubling case at FSU, where there are more students than classroom space, while online courses often come with additional fees. 

Hartline noted that a well-designed online course can be an effective solution, especially when there’s a need for more physical space. He said he tries to see all sides of the argument, but in the case of a 500-seat classroom, online learning could offer better outcomes.

Additionally, he wants to make the university “paper-free.” If elected president, one of his first tasks is to make the president’s office electronic and spread that initiative across campus.

Hartline explains that his president’s office would have a “transparent open door policy,” meaning he is here for all of FAU’s community. He says anyone, especially students, can talk to him because he is here to serve them and build up the school.

“Number one is we’re here for students. My main goal is student success. We would not be here if it weren’t for students. We all have jobs and wonderful jobs that we love, because we get to interact with students every single day. And it’s truly amazing. I always say they are the best ambassadors of the university,” Hartline said during the Open Forum for Staff, Donors and Community Members. 

As Hartline said, student success is one of his promises, or what he called his “True Norths,” and leadership is another on his list. He believes that whether he becomes the next president or remains in his current position, the job is not about him. He has a button on his wall that says, “This job is not about me,” as a reminder that his purpose is to serve others.

“I serve students, faculty and staff. I serve the university. I served the state of Florida. I served taxpayers. This job is not about me. And if it ever becomes about me and I’m your President, I hope you will throw me out because that’s not what I’m for; not what I’m about. Also, [I’m] very transparent, very open and engaging. I don’t like to sit in the office all day long.” 

In fact, he plans to engage with students by going to the FAU Esports Arena & Gaming Center to join them in a game, keeping his feet on the ground as the next president.

Following the round of forums in the first week of February, the other two finalists: John Volin will take the stage on Thursday and Adam Hasner on Friday — before meeting with FAU’s Board of Trustees.

Michael Cook is the Managing Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com. 

Taylor Fray is a Contributing Writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email tfray2024@fau.edu.