Five members of the University’s Board of Visitors resigned Jan. 16 at the request of Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), clearing the way for the newly inaugurated governor to appoint 10 new members shortly after taking office Jan. 17. The resignations prompted reactions from state lawmakers amid ongoing tensions regarding the Board’s governance.
The resignations — which included former Rector Rachel Sheridan and former Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson — followed recent criticisms of the Board’s handling of the University’s presidential search. The resignation of former University President Jim Ryan June 27 prompted a search that concluded with the Board’s selection of President Scott Beardsley — which was announced Dec. 19 shortly before Spanberger took office.
Despite requests from faculty, deans and Spanberger to pause the search amid lingering questions surrounding Ryan’s resignation, the Board continued the search process and ultimately appointed Beardsley.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have pointed to the Board’s refusal to pause the presidential search as a central reason behind the tension of the Board resignations.
Democratic lawmakers said that the decision to appoint 10 new Board members reflected strained governance and a breakdown of trust between the Board and the broader University community. Both Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) and Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) said that they were not surprised by the resignations and emphasized that they had no prior knowledge that Spanberger would ask Board members to step down.
“[Spanberger] appointed 10 new Board members after there were [five] resignations,” Surovell said. “The governor didn’t talk to me about what action she was going to take, but it did not surprise me, given that the Board ignored her request to slow down the presidential hiring process.”
Deeds agreed with Surovell, saying the resignations of the five Board members were not surprising given the Board continued their presidential search despite calls to pause until Spanberger took office. He added that there seemed to be political interference with the Board from the Trump Administration which forced Ryan to resign and that because of that, there was a lack of trust between the University community and the former Board.
Republican lawmakers said that the resignations were driven by political pressure from the new gubernatorial administration. State Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R-Chesterfield) condemned the resignations and appointments in a post on X.
“Day 1 of the new administration was reckless,” Sturtevant wrote. “ … Purging Republicans from [U.Va.] [wasn’t] the ‘moderate’ approach.”
Sturtevant has also spoken in the past about appointments to the Board under Youngkin. When the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee rejected eight appointees made by Youngkin July 10, Sturtevant defended those appointees as qualified and criticized deviations from the committee’s usual review process.
The Virginia Senate Republican Caucus — the formal organization of Republican members in the Virginia Senate, led by Republican Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover) and Caucus Chairman Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) — also criticized Spanberger’s actions regarding the resignations of Sheridan and Wilkinson on X.
“What part of the Spanberger affordability plan includes firing 5 Board of Visitors Members at U.Va.?” the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus wrote.
Youngkin, Sturtevant and Rep. John McGuire (R-Albemarle) did not respond to a request for comment.
In their resignation letters submitted on the final day of Youngkin’s term, Sheridan and Wilkinson cited political pressure and division as reasons for stepping down. Spanberger has not publicly confirmed that she directly requested the resignations.
When asked about the potential impact of the newly appointed Board members, Deeds noted that some appointees have previously served on the Board — Carlos Brown and Victoria Harker. He expressed his confidence in the new appointees and their ability to step into their new roles without a loss of institutional momentum.
Deeds also emphasized the importance of separating partisan politics from higher education governance, calling the University’s presidential search process an example of what can happen when that line is blurred.
“It’s very important to me that we put a wall between the world of partisan politics and the University … [and] the entire higher education system,” Deeds said. “Not only do we train the workforce, but we develop the ideas and we develop the momentum that's going to continue to drive economic growth throughout the Commonwealth.”
Surovell framed the appointments as an opportunity to reset the relationship between the University and its governing body. He said that he hoped these changes would lead to a less politicized Board and a more stable governance structure, adding that such a relationship depends on the Board’s ability to operate in a “depoliticized environment.”
“It’s my hope that with some new appointees and a governor that is not committed to interfering with the operation of the school, that we can start the process of having a more normal relationship between the school and the Board of Visitors,” Surovell said.
The Board resignations and appointments come as Spanberger signed Executive Order 6 Jan. 17 — which directs the secretary of education, in consultation with the secretary of the Commonwealth, to conduct a formal evaluation and make recommendations on the appointment of members to governing boards of public higher learning institutions in Virginia. The executive order calls for recommendations on potential legislative changes — including term lengths, reappointment procedures and evaluation of potential appointees — to be delivered to the governor within 60 days.
The General Assembly is considering legislation that could alter how university governing boards are appointed and overseen in Virginia. One proposal — Senate Bill 49 — would require gubernatorial appointees to boards and commissions to receive confirmation from the General Assembly before assuming their roles. Under the current law, most appointees are permitted to serve immediately upon appointment while awaiting confirmation. The bill remains under consideration.
Attorney General Jay Jones (D) has also launched a nationwide search to recruit independent university counsels for higher education institutions — including the University, Virginia Military Institute and George Mason University. According to Jones, the counsels would provide legal representation for institutions facing “politically-motivated assaults” on Virginia’s public colleges and universities.
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