Moez Limayem Unanimously Approved As USF President

By Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix

December 12, 2025

The Board of Governors of the State University System gave a unanimous go-ahead Friday for Moez Limayem to assume the presidency of the University of South Florida.

Limayem, now president of the University of North Florida, succeeds retiring President Rhea Law amid a broader shakeup statewide of public university presidents. He will be USF’s ninth president.

The contract between Limayem and the Tampa institution is for a five-year term with a base salary of $1.25 million.

“Thank you for the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I’m truly just honored, humble, energized, and just fully aware of the responsibility this confirmation carries,” Limayem said during Friday’s remote Board of Governors meeting, adorned in academic regalia ahead of UNF’s graduation ceremony.

“You have my word that I will lead with transparency, community, and purpose. Every decision I make will be guided by one question: What is best for our students, our faculty, staff, our community, our state, and our country?”

He thanked his UNF colleagues and USF trustees, retelling how he came to America from Tunisia.

“I came to this country from Africa with a very, very modest background because I believed in the power of education to change lives,” he added.

Limayem is one of a few nonpolitical figures to lead state universities under Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s long-championed his “war on woke” at the higher education level.

Since DeSantis took office, former GOP lawmakers or allies to the governor have assumed university presidencies, including former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez at FIU, former Education Commissioner and state Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. at UWF, former state Rep. Adam Hasner at FAU, former Education Commissioner and former Senate President Richard Corcoran at New College, and state Board of Education Chair Marva Johnson at FAMU.

Limayem is eligible for a performance bonus of up to 50% of his base salary, putting his cash total at $1.87 million annually before other benefits.

He will receive $18,000 annually to pay for his car and the university will pay his auto insurance. The university will pay $144,000 annually toward a housing stipend. A one-time moving stipend of $50,000, too. Additionally, Limayem will receive deferred compensation of 25% of base salary.

In February, Law announced she would step down at the conclusion of a presidential search. She spent more than 40 years as a student, volunteer, board member, and president at the institution.

Limayem leaving his post as president at University of North Florida kicks off a search at that school.

Part of Limayem’s first few months will be navigating a legislative session, which includes DeSantis’ proposal to hand all of USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus facilities over to New College of Florida.

USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford, a former Florida House Speaker, chimed in on the governor’s proposal during a trustee meeting Thursday.

“This is a policy matter that’s going to be discussed, debated, and worked through over the coming months of the legislative session. We don’t control the outcome of that discussion, but I also want to say, it’s a process, this is the very beginning of the process,” Weatherford said, going on to add there’s “a lot of ball to be played.”

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