Sen. Ben Sasse, sole finalist for UF presidency, meeting Monday with students and faculty

University of Florida faculty, staff and students will get their first opportunity to hear directly from the sole finalist to be UF president Monday.

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, who was announced Thursday as a search committee's choice as the only finalist for the UF presidency, will hold a question-and-answer session with students and then an open forum with faculty and staff Monday at Emerson Hall. At the same time, some students plan to protest outside the event.

Sasse, 50, is a Nebraska Republican in his second term in the Senate. He spent five years as president of Midland University, a private Lutheran school in Nebraska, before being elected to the Senate.

Sasse will meet with students for a Q&A from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Student Government President Lauren LeMasters said in an email. LeMasters praised Sasse for being a "lifelong learner," saying he is prepared to move UF forward.

“When I talked to Dr. Sasse he set himself apart as a candidate who deeply understands higher education and this unique moment in the history of our institution and country," Lemasters said in the email to the student body.

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The meet and greet will occur in Emerson Hall, located at 1938 W. University Ave., in the President’s Ballroom, which is on the second floor.

Following the student Q&A, Sasse will engage with UF faculty and staff at an open forum at 3:45 p.m.

“Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities, and an unmatched record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector,” said Rahul Patel, chair of the UF Presidential Search Committee, in an email to faculty and staff. "He is right for the University of Florida, and I look forward to introducing you to Ben on Monday afternoon for an enriching and engaging conversation."

The event will be live streamed and attendees are encouraged to send questions to the presidential search website at https://presidentsearch.ufl.edu/ask-a-question.

Sasse's selection has drawn criticism over the process and his political positions. A protest is planned Monday outside Emerson Hall by groups that include UF College Democrats, Planned Parenthood Generation Action and Young Democratic Socialists of America.

UF’s board of trustees is scheduled to formally consider Sasse's candidacy at its Nov. 1 meeting. If the board approves and the Florida Board of Governors confirms the selection, Sasse would become the 13th president in UF's history.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Sen. Ben Sasse, sole finalist for UF presidency, visits campus Monday