Eight University organizations, made up of both students and staff, came to Monroe Hill Monday to host a “Labor Day Teach-In” to express discontent with federal intervention at the University. The speakers noted the dissolution of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and expressed frustration with the Board of Visitors’ current search committee for the University’s tenth president, which protesters said lacks diversity and student and staff representation.
While Labor Day is not a University holiday, it is a federal holiday representing the historical workers’ rights movement and the many American workers who protested for better workers’ rights and living conditions. Mary Bauer, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, emphasized the connection between their protest and the holiday organizers had chosen to host it on.
“Virginia, and frankly, America, have never lived up to the promises laid out in our Constitution, but we sure as hell aren't going to let them be rolled back any further,” Bauer said. “Labor Day is a day of protest, and we know we have a lot to protest in 2025.”
The rally began at noon with protesters and members of the University’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors — one of the organizations that co-sponsored the rally — gathered at the top of the hill, holding posters that read, “Hands off U.Va.,” as well as, “Seek truth, follow facts, don’t be afraid to think for yourself.”
The Teach-In followed an organized structure in which four speakers presented on topics ranging from the history of labor organizing at the University to what shared governance means today.
Bauer was the first of the speakers and voiced what she characterized as an attack on DEI trickling down to the University from the federal government. Bauer expressed her disagreement with the Trump administration and her belief that American democracy is at risk.
“We are standing here in September of 2025, so seriously contemplating the loss of our democratic freedom,” Bauer said. “We should all be astonished that one day, children could read that in seven months [under the Trump administration], a democracy was lost.”
Bauer continued by emphasizing her belief in the power of protesting, saying that this year, it is important that no one remains silent while American civil rights are being jeopardized. While the ACLU was not one of the co-organizers of Monday’s Teach-In, Bauer said the ACLU stands behind the University nonetheless.
Bauer was followed by Asst. English Prof. Piers Gelly, who spoke about the University's history of labor organizing in an effort to encourage all of Monday’s protesters to keep up their work. He noted the fact that the University today has $15 student worker wages as well as health insurance for graduate students. However, he said this was achieved because of the work of past protesters.
“If you're like me, you're feeling a lot of fear right now,” Gelly said. “ If you remember nothing else from my talk today … I hope you can imagine yourselves in good company, and not just the company of the people standing beside you today, but the people who stood here years ago and found it possible to be brave.”
Gelly’s speech was followed by a song written and performed by some members of the University’s AAUP chapter, with attendees of the rally joining to sing, “We’re never turning back, we’re going to fight for peace and justice.”
The third speaker of Monday’s rally was Walt Heinecke, associate professor of Education and a member of the AAUP, who spoke on the importance of shared governance at the University and what he views as the Board’s disregard to that philosophy as the search for the next University president continues.
Heinecke said the Board is currently acting in such a way that is violating the University’s shared governance, as they are only asking for input from University students and staff, without allowing those students or staff to participate in decision making.
“They state, as the Board of the University, ‘We’re committed to effective governance accomplished through a Board culture characterized by dedication, diligence, collaboration, teamwork, candor, transparency and accountability,’ which we’re not seeing any of,” Heinecke said.
Heinecke pointed out the presidential search committee does not include the student representation requested by the Student Council, as there is only one undergraduate serving on the search committee — who is also student representative of the Board. Heinecke noted during his speech that the search committee also only includes one elected faculty member, Prof. David Leblang, who was present at the rally.
The fourth and final speech of the Teach-In built on each previous speech and was titled, “The Role of Students Today,” presented by Eli Weinger, president of Jewish Voice for Peace and graduate Batten student, and CJ Ackerman-Garvin, president of the Queer Student Union and third-year College student. They spoke about the dangers facing minority student organizations on Grounds.
Ackerman-Garvin agreed with previous speakers, emphasizing the importance of students needing to come together for themselves, especially in times when the University is not there for them.
“In [January], the Board suspended gender affirming care for patients under 19. Then I asked how the University could be great and good if it did not care for all of its community members, especially those who are historically marginalized,” Ackerman-Garvin said. “However, today, it is clear that we must rely on ourselves and our communities, not the University or its administration, to protect and care for each other.”
QSU and JVP were two of the student organizations who co-organized Monday’s rally. Ackerman-Garvin noted they were also speaking on behalf of organizations who could not be present, including undocUVA — a group for undocumented University students.
In an interview following their speech, Ackerman-Garvin said they felt inclined to speak at the rally due to how pressing these times are for minority students.
“I think this is a really important time to connect with our community and to organize in the face of the unprecedented changes that are facing the University,” Ackerman-Garvin said. “I wanted to make sure that the LGBTQ+ community was represented during these times, and I wanted to be here to speak up for those who could not be here themselves due to safety concerns.”
Kathryn Quissell, assistant professor of public health sciences and AAUP member, said she viewed Monday’s rally as being important to inform students and staff as to why shared governance is currently at risk and why the University as a whole is in a "troubling time.” She noted that AAUP and student organizations began planning for this rally over the summer — following the resignation of former University President Jim Ryan June 27 — but that they knew they wanted to wait until students were back on Grounds to be present for it.
“It’s a tricky situation where so much of what happened [with the Board’s decisions having] took place over the summer when everyone was away from the community,” Quissell said. “I think a lot of people are coming back to Grounds and don’t fully understand the situation and how it’s unfolding and why it’s really troubling for life at the University.”
Quisell noted she thinks of Monday’s rally as the beginning of a series of steps to raise awareness to students and staff of the importance of protecting academic freedom.
The organizations which co-sponsored Monday’s Teach-In are calling for students and staff to join them Sept. 11 to speak out at the meeting of the full Board.
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