The Florida Board of Governors unanimously approved Alexander Cartwright as the next president of the University of Central Florida on Wednesday, bringing an end to his time leading MU.
His start date is April 13, according to his contract with UCF.
As of the time of the board's late-morning approval, MU has not announced any plans surrounding Cartwright's departure or a transition of leadership. A UM System Board of Curators meeting was scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday. The meeting will be largely closed, according to the agenda.
The MU chancellor was selected unanimously by UCF's Board of Trustees on Friday. As president, Cartwright will lead one of the largest public universities in the country.
The five-year contract was approved without debate by the Board of Trustees on Tuesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Cartwright's base pay will be $600,000, 20% higher than the university's previous president and about 20% higher than his salary at MU.
The contract also includes potential performance bonuses, which along with deferred compensation and other perks will likely total above $1 million annually, according to the Sentinel.
As president, Cartwright will live in the university-owned Burnett House, according to his contract proposal, and will receive $50,000 for relocation-related expenses.
In his remarks to the Board of Governors prior to their vote, Cartwright praised UCF's potential to become a top-tier research institution and plans to develop the university's strategic plan in the coming years.
During the trustees' deliberations on Friday, Cartwright was praised for his steady demeanor, experience in top administrative roles and relationship with faculty and staff.
In a virtual news conference following his selection by the trustees, Cartwright thanked the MU community and recognized the UCF's frequent efforts to reach out to him.
“The more that I learned and the more times people kept coming to me, the more I started to understand what might be possible in Orlando,” Cartwright said.
For more, read the original Columbia Missourian here.