The Faculty Senate Executive Council held an emergency meeting with members of the Board of Visitors Wednesday to continue discussions of the tumultuous fallout of President Jim Ryan’s resignation. A majority of the two-hour meeting was spent engaging in conversation with Rector Rachel Sheridan and Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson both of whom began their terms July 1.
The meeting was the first time that representatives of the Board openly engaged with faculty members in a formal setting following Ryan’s resignation. Many of the questions posed by faculty were met with no comment.
Before the Rector and Vice Rector fielded questions, acting president Jennifer Wagner Davis opened the meeting by affirming her commitment to the University running as normal. She said that with Brie Gertler, interim executive vice president and provost, and Mitchell Rosner, executive vice president for health affairs, they will prioritize a steady transition.
“You have our commitment [that] we will work in the best interests of the University,” Davis said. “We believe in this institution. We do not want to see great people leave this institution.”
Davis said that she hopes to be as transparent as possible when possible.
However, Davis then said that she is not currently at liberty to discuss the circumstances surrounding Ryan’s resignation. She said the University is working on a voluntary resolution agreement with the Department of Justice, and a final resolution agreement will be made public after the Department of Justice concludes its investigation. Until then, the Office of the President has been advised by McGuireWoods — the external counsel retained by the University in April — against discussing the resignation and related matters.
Faculty Senate Chair Jeri Seidman then welcomed Sheridan and Wilkinson, the new Rector and Vice Rector, who now lead the Board of Visitors. Seidman and various faculty members asked Sheridan and Wilkinson a series of pre-prepared questions jointly composed by members of the Faculty Senate.
Similarly to other recent meetings, faculty expressed frustration over the lack of readily available information, including about the degree of federal influence both before and after Ryan’s resignation in addition to whether or not there was any interaction between the DOJ and individual members of the Board.
Some faculty members also noted that there are genuine fears about making any public statement or stand against the actions of the BOV — although hundreds of faculty members signed an open letter to the Board that The Cavalier Daily published Thursday evening.
“In this climate, there are a lot of people who are reluctant to say hard things right now,” a faculty member said. “Especially when they are being taped and might appear on TikTok.”
Citing counsel received from McGuireWoods, Sheridan and Wilkinson chose not to answer many of the questions raised by faculty, but they affirmed that their commitment to the UNiversity’s goals of shared governance, institutional autonomy and academic freedom.
“Shared governance is critically important to us,” Wilkinson said.
Both women offered a reminder to the Executive Council that they are new to their positions which began July 1. Sheridan and Wilkinson said they were not part of the Board’s senior leadership in the process leading up to Ryan’s resignation.
In letters from the DOJ obtained by The Cavalier Daily through a Freedom of Information Act request, Sheridan was the main addressee — alongside counsel from McGuireWoods — of the final two letters sent by the DOJ June 16 and June 17. The earlier letters were addressed to University Counsel Cliff Iler, Ryan or Rector Robert Hardie whose term did not conclude until July 1.
Wilkinson did provide insight into the search for interim president.
“Our intention is that first and foremost the interim president will keep the University running … The goal is to make a decision in the next couple weeks,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson and Sheridan also noted that they intend to solicit faculty and other stakeholder input as part of the interim search, adding that timeliness is the top priority.
While the Rector is tasked with organizing a search committee for a permanent president of the University, there is no set process for deciding on an interim president. Wilkinson said that they are hoping to create a website where anyone from the community can submit recommendations for both the interim and permanent president. Sheridan said she believes it should be someone from the University.
Faculty members raised the possibility of the Faculty Senate putting forth an official recommendation. Sheridan reminded the room that, although she is committed to conversation and input from faculty, the Board makes the final vote.
“Ultimately, the Board has to vote,” Sheridan said. “We cannot abdicate that responsibility.”
Another faculty member asked Sheridan for an update on the Board’s ability — or inability — to officially convene while State Democrats have ongoing litigation against the Board concerning appointees at multiple state universities, including Board Member Kenneth Cuccinelli, who the Democrats contend that they denied.
Sheridan said that it is imperative for the Board to be able to meet regardless of legal action, as the Board must appoint an interim president.
“The Board has to continue to operate,” Sheridan said. “Hopefully that litigation gets resolved.”
Before Sheridan and Wilkinson’s time at the meeting concluded, several faculty members offered messages of caution.
Seidman reminded the group that damage has been done to the University community with students, alumni and faculty expressing a whirlwind of frustration and outrage over the circumstances surrounding Ryan’s resignation.
“I think that the temperature on Grounds is incredibly high,” Seidman said.
The faculty also said that even though Sheridan and Wilkinson are new to these roles, their legacy as Board members will be immediately defined by their course of action.
“Your legitimacy depends on how this is resolved,” one faculty member said.
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