The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

University Rector Helen Dragas' statements regarding President Sullivan's reinstatement

Below are University Rector Helen Dragas' statements at the Board of Visitors meeting where the body unanimously voted to reinstate President Teresa A. Sullivan:

Opening Statement

I hereby call this special meeting of the Board of Visitors to order.

The last two weeks have been like no other in the University's history. They have turned all eyes in higher education to our Academical Village. While the issues we face are not singular to UVA, the path we choose forward will be ours alone. Whichever way this vote today goes, I am convinced that this University, with all its complex components and talented people pulling together, can create that path, and emerge as an even stronger institution after our meeting today. I will have more to say on that later.

I'd like to reiterate an apology to the UVA community. Again let me state that we never wished nor intended to ignite such a reaction from the community of trust and honor that we love so dearly. Mindful of the constraints of the confidentiality of personnel matters and the non-disparagement agreements in the President's contract, we simply did not give adequate context to and reasoning behind our thinking, and the concerns we had about the direction of the University that led us to take the action that we did. Our communications department became quickly overwhelmed, preventing us from offering timely explanations. Into that vacuum arose stories of conspiracy theories and other inaccuracies, and the situation became enormously dramatized and emotionally charged. Although I put forward a detailed statement outlining specifics on ten of our principal concerns about UVA's future last Thursday, that came too late, and I want to say once again to the University, and directly to my fellow Visitors: I sincerely apologize for the way this was presented, and you deserved better.

In his statement on Friday, Governor McDonnell issued us a clear mandate

Comments

Latest Podcast

The University’s Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admission, Greg Roberts, provides listeners with an insight into how the University conducts admissions and the legal subtleties regarding the possible end to the consideration of legacy status.



https://open.spotify.com/episode/02ZWcF1RlqBj7CXLfA49xt