Spanberger Asks U.Va. Board to Pause Search for New President Amid Trump Scrutiny
Spanberger cited unconfirmed board vacancies and declining trust amid federal scrutiny of diversity programs, urging a delay to ensure a transparent presidential search process.
- On Wednesday, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger urged the University of Virginia Board of Visitors to pause selecting the 10th president until a full board is appointed and confirmed after her January inauguration.
- She argued the board is not fully constituted because five appointees lack General Assembly confirmation, votes of no confidence from the Faculty Senate and Student Council have eroded trust, and federal scrutiny plus Jim Ryan, former University of Virginia president's resignation have raised legitimacy concerns.
- In a letter to Rector Sheridan and Vice Rector Wilkinson, Spanberger urged pausing the search to ensure credibility and transparency and pledged Board appointments soon after her inauguration to stabilize Virginia's public colleges and universities.
- UVA leaders are reviewing Spanberger's letter and said they are ready to engage with the Governor-elect, UVA spokesman Brian Coy said; a legal battle at the Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments last month.
- The move adds to partisan tensions over Governor Glenn Youngkin's appointments, which Democrats blocked, leaving the board short-handed and stocked with GOP donors, while Spanberger aims to stabilize higher-education leadership.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Spanberger asks U.Va. board to pause search for new president amid Trump scrutiny
Virginia’s governor-elect is asking the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia to pause its search for a new president until she’s sworn in and can appoint — and the General Assembly can confirm — new board members. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat and alumna of the school, said in a letter Wednesday to the university’s rector and vice rector who head the board, that she’s “deeply concerned by recent developments” at the university and ho…
Youngkin criticizes Spanberger's request to delay UVA presidential search until her term begins
RICHMOND, Va. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin penned a letter Thursday criticizing Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger's request that the University of Virginia delay naming a new president until she takes office in January.Spanberger wrote a letter to UVA Wednesday asking the school to postpone the presidential selection process. She claimed the university's Board of Visitors "severely undermined" the public's confidence in their ability to be p…
Spanberger Calls on UVA to Pause President Search
Virginia’s Democratic governor-elect has called on the University of Virginia to wait to hire a new leader until she appoints new board members in January. Virginia governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has called on the University of Virginia to pause its presidential search until she takes office in January and appoints new members to the Board of Visitors.
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