To attend a University where every student knows the president's name is uncommon. To attend a University where the student body holds its president in such high regard and admiration is a noteworthy phenomenon. That being said, to attend a University where alumni think they should have the ability to fire the president at will, is something different altogether.
And yet, that is the case at this University, where Jim Ryan serves as our president. His position, however, is being challenged by the Jefferson Council, a conservative alumni organization whose recent actions reflect a deep disconnect from the student body. Their efforts to remove President Ryan from office show not only that this group is dangerously out of touch with the general student population, but also that they are acting out of a desire to pull this University back to a time when intolerance reigned supreme.
In recent weeks, the Jefferson Council has launched a heavy-handed campaign to oust President Ryan from office known as RESETUVA. This campaign cites his efforts to expand DEI initiatives and his supposed role in allowing the Honor System at the University to “deteriorate”. Statements like these disregard the importance of diversity at a university with such a complicated history rooted in slavery. Not to mention that as the University continues to accept increasingly diverse classes, it must ensure that it is working to fulfill their needs as opposed to actively dismantling the systems put in place to aid and support them.
This group of alumni also distort the truth behind the changes to the Honor System — while, albeit controversial with alumni, there was no dismantling of Honor. Rather, it was reformed by students and for students. The amendment passed with an overwhelming 88.69 percent of votes in favor of a new multi sanction system in 2023. The changes in the Honor system had nothing to do with President Ryan, and are a shining example of student self-governance doing what it is intended to do.
Notably absent from this campaign against President Ryan is any recognition of the accomplishments of the Ryan administration. Under President Ryan’s leadership, the University has launched an incredibly successful capital campaign — raising over $5 billion for the University, including $1 billion dedicated to academic support through scholarships and endowed professorships. The University also remains one of only two public universities in the nation that meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, illustrating his continued support of students from all backgrounds.
These assaults on our university come at a time when higher education as a whole is under threat. Lawmakers are pulling funding intended for academic research, the Department of Justice is launching targeted investigations and State department officials are revoking the visas of international students — all indicative of a larger, coordinated campaign against America’s educational institutions. Ultimately, the attacks on President Ryan should be seen within this context as attacks on the student body, on student self-governance and on tolerance and acceptance.
Should the raucous Jefferson Council and related conservative groups succeed in their effort to oust President Ryan, the University will enter a new phase that will be unrecognizable to most of its current students and staff. The truth is that, in an era marked by Trumpism, President Ryan is being used as a political cudgel by conservative alumni to drag the University back to a time defined by its systemic inequalities. It is an unfortunate, and avoidable, mirroring of what we are seeing happening all across this country.
As Grounds quiet down during the summer months, with students traveling, working, and pursuing internships, I would like to share a message with the Board of the Visitors — who do not take a summer hiatus. I urge you to act with restraint when listening to the loudest voices — especially those generations removed from this University and, most importantly, its current culture. To the incoming members of the Board, I ask that you recognize how deeply loved President Ryan is by the overwhelming majority of the University's students, staff, faculty and alumni.
During my time at the University, I have had the unique privilege of serving as my class president for what will soon be four years. In each and every one of those years, President Ryan has been a consistent presence for my class and the broader undergraduate population. To say that President Ryan shows up for students at the University is an understatement.
When funding for the Class of 2026 Third-Year Ceremony ran out, it was President Ryan who stepped in to cover the costs — recognizing the power of student traditions at the University. When his mother passed away, he still attended a class dinner and gave the keynote address before driving to New Jersey that same night, simply because he had given his word that he would be there for us. When Lighting of the Lawn wanted to pilot a drone show, it was President Ryan who ensured they had the funding to do so. To have a University president whose continuous presence on Grounds could lead to him easily being mistaken for the dean of students is a remarkable phenomenon. And yet, that is the case at this University.
So to the Board — to bend to the will of a loud and aggressive minority would leave a lasting stain on this University’s legacy, one that misrepresents the broader community’s respect and admiration for President Ryan and his positive actions here. Do not make the mistake of ignoring student voices.
Keoni Vega is the Class of 2026 president and a rising fourth-year student at the University of Virginia. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Columns represent the views of the authors alone.
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