Jason Jewell, a longtime contributor to the Mises Institute and Mises Graduate Program alumnus, has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Academic Officer of the Florida University System. Our friend Allen Mendenhall writes a proper tribute:
It is fitting, and no small cause for celebration in American higher education, that Jason Jewell — a scholar whose intellectual fingerprints mark over two decades of humanities leadership at Montgomery’s Faulkner University — has been tapped as the inaugural chief academic officer of Florida’s state university system.
At Faulkner, Jewell crafted a legacy steeped in the Great Books tradition, shepherding graduate and undergraduate programs that champion the enduring relevance of classical texts in our digital age. His stewardship of online humanities doctoral and master’s programs since 2015 suggests an administrator who understands timeless wisdom and contemporary pedagogical imperatives.
“I am grateful for Faulkner University,” Jewell tells me, “which has given me many opportunities to grow as a teacher, scholar, and administrator. It has been a joy to work with so many tremendous colleagues and students for so long.”
That Florida’s Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and the Board of Trustees have selected such a figure — one who has demonstrated both scholarly gravitas and administrative acumen — signals their seriousness about intellectual rigor in an era when many universities mistake trendiness for transformation. Jewell’s elevation to this newly created position comes as Florida’s higher education system, like the republic itself, grapples with fundamental questions about the purpose and promise of liberal learning.
Florida has undertaken ambitious reforms to reshape its state university system, focusing on classical education and traditional academic values. The state leadership has committed substantial funding, including over $34 million for the New College of Florida, which has already seen record enrollment under new leadership. The reforms aim to strengthen academic rigor and emphasize the study of Western civilization, economics, and foundational American principles.
