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Cornell, NYU Provosts Vie For UF Presidency

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GAINESVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) — Consistency and stability are key elements for any university, especially those who strive to be one of the top schools in the country.

As the University of Florida works toward its goal of becoming a Top 10 public university, it will choose Wednesday between the provosts of two elite northeastern universities for its next president.

The school is expected to name either Cornell University Provost W. Kent Fuchs or New York University Provost David McLaughlin as its 12th president.

That decision will be subject to approval by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state's university system.

The new president will replace Bernie Machen and lead a school with more than 50,000 students and 4,200 full-time faculty. UF currently ranks No. 14 on the U.S. News and World Report rankings of best public colleges.

UF is offering between $950,000 and $1.25 million per year in total compensation, and is building a $5 million mansion to house the new president.

Fuchs has been provost at Cornell University since 2009. Before that he served as dean of Cornell's school of engineering. He is an American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellow.

McLaughlin is mathematics and science professor who has been provost at NYU since 2002. He's a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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