By unanimous vote Friday, Scott Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business, will succeed former University President Jim Ryan. After months characterized by votes of no confidence and numerous protests, the Board chose to appoint the 10th president of the University on the last day of the fall semester — a day when most students had left for winter break. We, as a University community, should be exhausted by and furious at the Board’s continual refusal to prioritize any member of the community besides itself.
This past summer and fall have been tumultuous for the University — there was Ryan’s resignation, Interim University President Paul Mahoney’s appointment, an entire presidential search, an agreement with the federal government and revelations about a Board member’s “unusual” actions in the provost search. The chief concern with all of these events has been the Board’s unwillingness to cooperate with or listen to members of the community, instead choosing over and over again to act unilaterally. With the plethora of criticism the past few months have generated, the selection of a new president should have been an opportunity to assuage these concerns by listening to stakeholders — and waiting.
Instead, the Board chose to end a tumultuous period at the University in the exact conditions with which it began — with a lack of community presence. When Ryan’s forced resignation was announced, most students were spread far and wide for their summer break, unable to be physically present on Grounds to engage in the process of leadership change. Much the same with Beardsley’s appointment. As soon as most students had finished exams and the primary academic operations of the University had halted, the Board decided that it would be an opportune time to announce the selection of a new permanent president. The image of a Board sneering at the community it is meant to serve is everpresent, both with Ryan’s resignation and his replacement.
Furthermore, it is hard to ignore that the unanimous vote elevating Beardsley to the University’s top role was undertaken by a Board that is seemingly not legally constituted. Multiple stakeholders have raised concerns that the Board does not currently meet statutory requirements — Virginia law requires 12 of the 17 Board members to be Virginia residents and alumni of the University. Currently, the Board has nine Virginia residents and nine alumni of the University. While the University has maintained that the Board is legally constituted, the simple arithmetic of this legal concern cannot and should not be ignored. Given such fundamental allegations about the legal composition, there was no reason to rush through this appointment. Why not wait a month until community members can be certain that the Board is legally constituted and its action legitimate?
By electing to needlessly appoint Beardsley under unsatisfactory conditions, the Board ultimately does a disservice to both Beardsley’s momentous undertaking and the stability of the University. Instead of a president who can immediately tackle the job of running this institution, we have a president who will be unnecessarily marred by the circumstances surrounding his appointment. Just as Ryan’s resignation overshadowed Mahoney’s appointment, so too will Beardsley be blemished by the events of his installation. Such a result was entirely avoidable.
As Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger prepares to take office in January, it is unclear what the future looks like for the Board. Their decision to move forward with the presidential appointment — despite Spanberger’s call for delay until she takes office — raises questions about the motivations. Did the Board act recklessly out of fear of potentially losing their jobs? Did they simply want to make a point? Did they hope to secure a certain legacy? What is striking is that all of these questions remain unanswered. What is clear, however, is that Spanberger would be right to see this Board as one which has utterly lost the trust of its stakeholders. We all assumed it would only be a matter of time before this Board learned to truly respect its stakeholders. Alas, that time has still not yet arrived, and for that, our entire community continues to suffer.
The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, two Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.
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