The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Letters to the Editor: The resignation of University President Jim Ryan

Students, alumni and community members react to the end of Ryan’s seven-year tenure at this University

Editor’s note: University President Jim Ryan resigned June 27 following pressure from the Department of Justice to leave his post or risk the University losing research funding. Following this event, The Cavalier Daily has received letters from University community members. This page was originally published June 28 and has been updated as more letters are received. The opinions expressed in these letters are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Letters represent the views of the authors alone.

Taylor Vest, Darden Class of 2024 alumna

As a proud alumna of the University of Virginia, I am devastated and outraged by the news that President Jim Ryan has been effectively forced to resign under direct pressure from the Trump administration and its Justice Department. In functioning democracies — and in institutions founded on honor, truth and civil discourse — leaders are not removed for refusing to bend to political agendas. Yet, that is exactly what is happening.

Jim Ryan is a model of thoughtful leadership, integrity and quiet courage. He has guided the University through turbulent times with grace and moral clarity. He stood for free speech, for equity and for building a university where all students belong. He listened. He acted with principle. And in doing so, he refused to become a political pawn — and that, apparently, made him a threat.

Let us be clear — this is not just about Jim Ryan. This is about a president and a political movement attempting to intimidate, punish and reshape public institutions through fear and coercion. The demand for his resignation is not just an attack on one leader — it is an attack on academic freedom, institutional independence and the values that this University was built on.

And where is the Board of Visitors in all this? Largely silent. Largely complicit. Rather than defend our university’s leadership and autonomy, they have stood by, while a respected president is pushed out for staying true to his convictions which benefit the greater University community. Where is their backbone? Where is their loyalty to the university — and to the Commonwealth they are supposed to serve?

This is not how decisions should be made at the University. This is not how leaders are treated in a healthy democracy. This is not the Virginia way.

We must not stay silent. We must not let this disgraceful abuse of power go unchecked. We are witnessing a dangerous precedent — one where truth is inconvenient, convictions are punished and cowardice is rewarded.

I stand with Jim Ryan. And I call on fellow alumni, faculty, students and staff to speak out. To write. To organize. To demand that the governance of this university reflect its founding values.

If we love this University, then we must defend it from those who seek to twist it into something unrecognizable.

Enough is enough.

Cole Rozwadowski, fourth-year Architecture student

Dear Editor,

In 2019, on the 200th birthday of the University, University President Jim Ryan described his vision for the University and what it might mean to be both great and good in all that we do, stating that “We have to rededicate ourselves to the animating purpose of the University … which is to serve.”

The importance of education to produce the next generation of citizen leaders is a mission as old as our University. Thomas Jefferson frequently emphasized the need for public education and an informed citizenry, writing, “Whenever the people are well informed, they may be trusted with their own government.”

So imagine my disdain when the New York Times reported on Ryan’s resignation, noting that his “Great and Good” vision “rankled conservative alumni and some Republican board members, who accused him of imposing his own ethics and values on college students.” 

The Virginia Department of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate determines that a “life-ready Virginia graduate” must “build connections and value interactions with others as a responsible and responsive citizen.” Perhaps it is the indoctrination speaking, but that sounds an awful lot like being both great and good.

Public service, for the benefit of our communities, our Commonwealth and our nation, has never been about political ideology. The University’s values of honor, integrity, trust and respect lay the foundation for citizen scholarship that actively contributes to a robust democratic society. These beliefs are not imposed on our student body, but are deeply ingrained in our community of trust. We reaffirm our commitment to that community by recognizing the legacy of harm at our University and investing in the reparative work needed to move forward as a beacon for higher education.

The fight we now find ourselves in is about what kind of University we want to be. While this may be referred to as Mr. Jefferson’s University, we must begin by remembering that this is as much our University, constructing meaning in the context of both citizens and strangers. It is our turn to pick up the mantle, get in “good, necessary trouble” and ensure that students have a seat at the table, whether it is offered to us or not.

Jackie Bond, Class of 2025 alumna

Dear Editor,

I am deeply disheartened by the University’s willingness to prioritize the demands of an increasingly authoritative government over the needs of its students.  

The University was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 on principles of independence, individualism and what he described as the “illimitable freedom of the human mind.” The policies of the Trump Administration which target higher education inhibit this freedom, attempting to transform what is great and good into what is subjugated and subdued.

Although I am disappointed in the University’s unwillingness to take a stand for its students, I am not surprised. As a former news writer with The Cavalier Daily, I have witnessed and often documented the many instances of government interference in the educational endeavors of University students under President Donald Trump. University administration — led by the Board of Visitors — has repeatedly surrendered to the demands of the Trump Administration through the elimination of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships, the denial of healthcare for queer students age 18 and below, and the pulling of research funding for DEI-related studies. 

Ryan was the latest victim of federal overreach, as his refusal to fully dismantle DEI at the behest of the Department of Justice resulted in his forcible resignation. Although Ryan was an imperfect president, he was selfless in his support of students in need through the capital campaign, strong in the face of unforeseen tragedy during the Nov. 13 shooting and steadfast in his defense of diversity. Ultimately, it was Ryan’s unwavering commitment to a diverse student body which resulted in his termination.  

While University administrators have capitulated to authoritative rule, we as proud Cavaliers refuse to bend the knee to a federal administration which views diversity as a weakness and higher education as a threat. To my fellow students and alumni, continue to fight — whether by pen or picket sign — for the values upon which this University and this nation was built. Stand up not only for what is great and good in our University, but what is right in our world. To the University I just departed from, listen to your students and community. We protest for a reason, and we will not be silent.

AK Canavos, fourth-year Batten student

Dear Editor,

Look, I will be frank. You have no reason to listen to me other than this — I am a part of the generation that is supposed to “save democracy.” 

Born in 2004, the vast majority of my political consciousness has been plagued by hyper-partisanship, fierce party allegiance and political violence. As a student of public policy and a hopeful future public servant, those in the generations above me love to respond to my chosen major with the following — it is up to you to fix this mess.

Let me be clear. The Trump Administration’s attacks on institutions of higher education — their ability to research freely, think freely and create spaces for a diverse range of people and perspectives to participate in open discourse — directly impedes on mine and future generations’ ability to “fix this mess.” 

While this Administration’s attack on colleges and universities is not new, its forceful role in the resignation of a University president is. To stand behind the federal government's decision to intervene in the administrative affairs of a state university is to support the suppression of diversity of thought — and, by extension, limit our nation’s ability to produce innovative thinkers ready to tackle the increasingly difficult challenges of the global political arena. 

To stand behind this decision is also to support federal overreach — despite Republican pleas for increased state autonomy — and the exploitation of free-thinking institutions to achieve a political agenda. 

If this sounds like the antithesis of American democracy, that’s because it is. 

Perhaps the question we should be asking is not if universities are hostile towards conservatism, but rather, if they are hostile towards the despotic ideologies of this second wave of Trumpism. 

On behalf of the generation that’s supposed to “save democracy,” President Donald Trump — please know that I have nothing but unconditional disdain for the mess you have made.

Andrew Miller, Class of 1999 alumnus 

Dear Editor,

Greetings. My name is Andrew Miller and I am an alumnus of the University’s class of 1999, as are my sister Katherine, class of 2001, and my father, a Law graduate in 1971. If it were not for the University, I simply would not exist — my parents met in Charlottesville in 1968. Though my younger sister and father have both passed, and I remain as the only living alum in my family, we are very much a University family. I return every few years to pay tribute to their good memory and visit my sister's grave in Charlottesville. This past year, we stayed close to Grounds, and our family dog became fast friends with current students. 

I am writing to express very serious disappointment with the recent resignation of University President Jim Ryan, who has served with distinction and honor. He has built from a basis of tradition and respect for the University while raising standards across the board. The reasons for his resignation, encouraged by political pressure beyond Grounds, are something that the Board of Visitors could have pushed back against. I will be eternally disappointed that the University did not go to bat for him as fiercely as he has many times for the University. The current predicament is proof of this. 

I am startled once again that the University is a political football for no reason, and this time, the collateral damage to the University's reputation will be far worse. Let us pray that the Board of Visitors comes to its senses and restores Ryan to his position. Its predecessors did so before in the case of the previous President Sullivan, amidst similar outcry from students and alumni. I am hopeful this will be done again. The University’s values are timeless, so bowing before these brief gusts of change makes no sense.  

If the University has lost Ryan for good, this is more than a shame, and we have suffered dishonor. If the current situation stands, I hold out hope the University finds a president who honors his legacy, and ours, and the Board’s. In a world that now values expediency and convenience, the Board of Visitors has its work cut out for itself. I will never not be a Cavalier — I am, as they say, marked by my time on Grounds. Yet, I do worry about those who attend now, and those who decide, sadly, that they will not follow in our footsteps. 

Ryan McElveen, Class of 2008 alumnus

Dear Editor,

Like countless alumni of the University, I am stunned and devastated by the sudden resignation of University President Jim Ryan. The University’s Board of Visitors should be ashamed for allowing the federal government to dictate leadership decisions.

Students attend the University to experience one of the best post-secondary education experiences in the country. During his tenure, Jim Ryan has admirably maintained the University’s standing through challenging times while creating opportunities for students from first-generation low-income backgrounds.

15 years ago, the University faced similar political pressure from then-Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who attacked academic freedom by targeting the pathbreaking climate change research by scientist and Professor Michael Mann. By fighting back and raising awareness, we quelled the witch hunt.

We then went further. As students, we pushed for changes to course offerings and the climate on Grounds that, now successfully implemented, have made Grounds a more welcoming place. 

Today’s political attacks on the University are the most outrageous yet, as they come from the pinnacle of American political power. Pushing back will require a much greater outcry and awareness campaign, making it incumbent on us to organize and keep speaking out. If we let federal officials think they can usurp governing boards and topple leaders without political consequences, other institutions — educational and otherwise — will not be far behind. 

This is not just an attack on academic freedom. It is an attack on what it means to be an American. Backroom thuggery is no way for government officials to conduct themselves. The University I know won’t stand for it.

Carrie A. Hartgrove and Taelor A. Logan, Class of 2014 alumnae

Dear Editor,

“They should look forward to a time … when a corruption … will have seized the heads of government, and be spread by them through the body of the people — when they will purchase the voices of the people, and make them pay the price.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1785

That time is now.

Yesterday, we, like many other University alumni and students, received University President Jim Ryan’s email with a heavy heart and mind. Showing true leadership and grace, Ryan made the honorable decision to put the University community over personal gain. However, his resignation is the result of an attack on our educational institutions and on our fundamental principles as a community.

Mr. Jefferson’s University is a place for the free pursuit of knowledge, to exchange diverse ideas and to passionately debate the issues of our day. To be a haven for the free expression of ideals without persecution is a cornerstone of this University. For the Trump Administration to interfere with the autonomy of a university for upholding these values is the very antithesis of what our Founding Fathers fought to establish. For this administration to attack these principles for the sake of its warped doctrine is to attack the very essence of why this University was founded.

President Ryan chose to protect the University. Now, it is our time to make a choice, for this will not end with his resignation. This onslaught is directed at the University’s core beliefs and will continue until they are snuffed out. We implore our community to honor the spirit of our University — uphold these values in spite of these most recent attempts to muzzle our voices, and do not submit to the whims of a despot. 

This is the time for us “to make interested uses of every right and power” while we still have them. If we do nothing, we compromise the honor and reason of our beloved University.

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