Virginia’s Democratic Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has reportedly stalled the University of Virginia’s (UVA) president search with the intention of packing the university’s Board of Visitors before the decision can be made.
UVA’s previous president, Jim Ryan, resigned in June over pressure from the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the school was under investigation due to its alleged illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Spanberger wrote in a letter sent to the board on Wednesday that she was “deeply concerned” by the events and insisted the board not take any further actions in its search until she enters office and appoints five new members, according to The Washington Post.
“The search for a university president is the most consequential action a university board can undertake, and in all cases, such a search must be conducted through a legitimate and transparent process,” Spanberger wrote. “Accordingly, I urge you to refrain from rushing this search process and from selecting the finalists for the presidency or a president until the Board is at full complement and in statutory compliance, meaning that I have appointed and the General Assembly has confirmed new Board members. As it will be a priority of my administration to stabilize and normalize the leadership of our public colleges and universities, I will make appointments soon after my inauguration.”
“University leaders and the Board of Visitors are reviewing the letter and are ready to engage with the Governor-elect and to work alongside her and her team to advance the best interests of UVA and the Commonwealth,” UVA spokesman Brian Coy told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Visitor’s Board is currently made up of five appointees from the state’s current Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, who were blamed by UVA’s faculty senate at the time for failing to protect the school from the Trump administration’s demands and allowing external pressure to influence the university’s actions. Spanberger mirrored these concerns, stating “the actions of the Board of Visitors have severely undermined the public’s and the University community’s confidence in the Board’s ability to govern productively, transparently, and in the best interests of the University.”
1). We will not allow any of our colleges and universities to be turned into right wing political laboratories by Youngkin appointees.
2). We will have Governor Spanberger’s back with whatever actions are necessary to ensure this- PERIOD.
Should the University of Virginia delay its presidential search until new board members are appointed?Any questions?
— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) November 12, 2025
Democratic Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas took to X to further emphasize the party’s intent to take over the university’s presidential search.
“We will not allow any of our colleges and universities to be turned into right wing political laboratories by Youngkin appointees. We will have Governor Spanberger’s back with whatever actions are necessary to ensure this- PERIOD,” Lucas wrote. “Any questions?”
Virginia Democrats have rejected a whopping 22 of Youngkin’s appointees to university boards within a 2-month span alone, leaving UVA and other university boards understaffed.
In October, UVA struck a deal with the DOJ to resolve five investigations relating to DEI and racial discrimination, a resolution reached in part thanks to Ryan’s resignation. The university was accused of having “deliberately rebranded its discriminatory DEI infrastructure to evade accountability” rather than entirely dismantling the programs.
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