Today I write to the University as an alumna and resident of Charlottesville of fifteen years, in response to the events of this past summer. I would like to encourage the students, faculty and staff to not let a critical series of events fade from public view as the semester becomes increasingly busy.
University President Teresa Sullivan’s forced resignation was marked by protocol violations, private agendas and the prioritization of corporate-style interests within the management of an institution that is far more than a business. Her reinstatement, by contrast, was brought about by outrage on the part of faculty, students and the larger community — a moment that the University deserves to look back on proudly for exhibiting the ideals of self-governance that hearken back to its heritage.
To think that peace has been restored and that June’s fiasco can be patched over with vague roundtables discussing “accountability” and the “future of the University,” however, is false. This was more than a massive public relations nightmare: it was symptomatic of structural deficiencies and inequalities present within the University for some time.
What I want to say to the community on Grounds is this: The time for lofty catchphrases is over. When the University president is ousted using rushed, secretive meetings, when there is discussion of smaller departments being eliminated simply because they do not provide their own profit, then you do not have a “community of trust.” Claiming that the University is governed by “honor” and other “Jeffersonian values” obscures the fact that these precepts are currently not present because they are not in practice. “Honor” is not created by assertion, but by action. At the center of our attention should be the fact that it was possible for conspiracy from within the Board of Visitors to displace the well-liked and competent president. This is a serious problem of governance and a lack of transparency.
As an alumna, I felt shock, confusion, and outrage about Sullivan’s ouster, along with everyone else. When people filled the Lawn to call for Sullivan’s reinstatement, I felt as though finally a larger number of students was ready to push for real change.
I believe that the University is a fantastic school with incomparable resources; as a transfer student, I found myself particularly aware of the gifts that the University students receive. But there are still gaping holes in the way that the University is structured that lead to disenfranchisement and form disconnects between administration, students, employees, faculty and the community of Charlottesville. We must begin to listen to all voices on Grounds being silenced by forms of unaccountable governance — not only students and faculty, but employees, whose major contributions to the University often go unnoticed. Sullivan’s ouster was merely symptomatic of such structural exclusions. How can we assert that the University is a community of trust guided by honor and democracy when the events of this summer, and many more besides, indicate that it is not?
So, to the first-years still heady with excitement about old traditions and new promise, as well as to the upperclassmen moving through their years at the University: drop the slogans. Take a closer look at what is going on around you, at your school, and don’t be afraid to point toward what is often uncomfortably overlooked. Make your voices heard.
Raty Syka graduated from the College in 2011.
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