Several University faculty expressed approval after Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) asked five University Board of Visitors members to resign and appointed 10 new Board members Jan. 17. Faculty who spoke with The Cavalier Daily emphasized lost confidence in the Board members who resigned and optimism that the new Board will prioritize better engagement with the University community.
Spanberger’s appointments followed months of allegations from groups of faculty that the Board was behaving unfaithfully. Several groups, such as the Faculty Senate and the University’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, have released statements since former University President Jim Ryan’s resignation. The groups claimed that the Board allowed the federal government to interfere with University politics and neglected to include faculty input in a rushed presidential search for University President Scott Beardsley, who was appointed Dec. 19.
Media Studies Prof. Siva Vaidhyanathan said he was glad to see that the five Board members left office. He argued that they had a history of intentionally damaging the University’s reputation and stability.
“The dominant Board members in 2025 consistently acted against the best interests of the University,” Vaidhyanathan said. “They consistently violated their fiduciary duty to enhance [its] reputation and … they intentionally did it damage by driving Jim Ryan to resign … I could not be more thrilled that Gov. Spanberger made it clear that they were not welcome to serve on the Board anymore.”
Asst. English Prof. Laura Goldblatt had a similar view, saying she believes the previous Board did not recognize the need for University autonomy from federal overreach.
“From my perspective, it was clear that there were several members on the University’s governing Board who did not believe that [the University] should have political autonomy from the federal government,” Goldblatt said. “I'm glad to see that the people who were … responsible for enacting … damage are no longer on the Board.”
The 10 new appointees come from a variety of fields — including law, business, medicine, government and nonprofits, and all are University alumni. Two are also former Board members — Carlos Brown, former Board vice rector, Class of 1996 and Law Class of 1999 alumnus and president of Dominion Energy, and Victoria Harker, chair of the Batten Foundation Advisory Board and Class of 1986 alumna.
Jeri Seidman, Faculty Senate chair and associate Commerce professor, said that Brown and Harker may help foster a more stable environment on the Board.
“I appreciated that a number of them had been previous Board of Visitors members,” Seidman said. “I think in the current place of chaos, it's good to have people who have had prior experience on the Board.”
Both Seidman and Politics Prof. David Leblang also emphasized their appreciation that the 10 appointed members appear to vary in their political perspectives. At least four have donated to Republican candidates or organizations in the past, nine have given to Democratic causes and at least three have given to both.
Leblang said the new members appear to be less partisan than the previous Board — which was constituted of members appointed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and in which all but one member donated overwhelmingly to Republican candidates and campaigns. Leblang also said he believes the variety of political beliefs from Spanberger’s appointees is a good thing, as an overly partisan Board would cause members to make politically motivated decisions rather than take action in support of the University’s greater well-being.
“We need to depoliticize the appointment of governing boards,” Leblang said. “[Politicization of the Board] is not good for the University, and it's not good for our ability to hire really outstanding leaders, because [our future leaders] would likely see themselves as being politically appointed.”
Most interviewed faculty members said they thought Spanberger’s reshaping of the Board was a sign that she is actively listening to voices within the University, such as from students, faculty and deans who have been critical of its leadership.
Walter Heinecke, immediate past president of the University's chapter of the AAUP and associate professor of Education and Human Development, expressed his belief that a particular coalition of state senators and organizations on Grounds put enough pressure on Board members for Spanberger to eventually request their resignations. Some of these coalitions, according to Heinecke, included the University’s chapter of the AAUP, United Campus Workers of Virginia, Student Council and the Faculty Senate.
“I attribute all of [the resignations and appointments] to the work that the leaders in the Senate of the General Assembly have done over the past year, plus … [that] coalition of faculty, staff and students,” Heinecke said. “I think a lot of the credit should go to the grassroots organizations and work done by those groups.”
State senators had also expressed criticism to the Board regarding Beardsley’s appointment, including State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth and State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico.
Faculty also shared their hopes for what this new Board will accomplish, with most saying they hope the Board will prioritize active engagement with community members in the future. Seidman said the Faculty Senate called for the new Board to conduct an investigation into the presidential search process for Beardsley in a resolution Jan. 15.
Goldblatt said she hopes the newly constituted Board will be loyal to the institution and critical of Beardsley when necessary.
“[I hope this Board] wants to hear from people beyond just the president,” Goldblatt said. “[I hope that it] is asking for testimony from a variety of constituencies … and is able to answer back.”
Asst. Engineering Prof. MC Forelle echoed the hope for the new Board to regain the trust of the University community.
“We want to see real collaboration between the administration and the workers of the University,” Forelle said. “We want to have a voice in how the University functions, and we are hopeful — especially given Governor Spanberger’s rhetoric — that the people she appointed will mirror that rhetoric and begin rebuilding the trust between the Board of Visitors and the University community.”
Vaidhyanathan said that the resignations and appointments would also provide an ideal time for a new presidential search if Beardsley were to resign, as she said that could draw in candidates previously averse to applying.
“[If Beardsley resigned], this new Board [would get] to do what it should have … done all along, which is conduct a fresh national search for the best possible president,” Vaidhyanathan said. “They can do that now, because all of these candidates who were scared to apply to a University with a hostile Board and a hostile governor … would be flocking to be the president.”
The 10 appointed Board members are permitted to begin serving immediately, according to Virginia law, but still require confirmation by the General Assembly. A rector and vice rector have not yet been elected by the Board, but a U.Va. Today reported Jan. 20 that the Board will schedule a special meeting to elect members to those two roles in the coming days.
Read More
EDITORIAL: U.Va. must steady the ship against tidal waves of uncertainty
By Editorial Board | 1 hours agoThe community must acknowledge the flaws of this Board transformation in order to hold future governors accountable
Students reflect on the ‘Batten Curve’ and its grading impact
By Brendon Bordwine | 16 hours agoUnder the policy, Batten courses are guided by a grade normalization standard that aims for a class-wide mean GPA of approximately 3.5, rather than grading solely on raw scores or percentages.
Flu cases are on the rise in a severe seasonal outbreak
By Michael Racz | YesterdayAccording to the Flu Tracker on the Student Health and Wellness website, as of Jan. 24 there have been over 40 diagnosed cases of influenza at Student Health and Wellness since the start of the semester.
