Most undergraduate students departed from Grounds mid-May following final exams, save for those taking courses or working jobs in Charlottesville throughout the summer months. With move-in in full swing for the fall semester, here is the Charlottesville and University news students may have missed while they were gone.
Late April through May
After a delay in its leadership transition due to a presidential election dispute, Student Council swore in its president for the 2026-27 academic year, fourth-year Commerce student Michael Mitchell, and the rest of the Council April 28 over Zoom. The transition was postponed amid the appeal process following a complaint filed by Micah Andrews, fourth-year College student and then-Student Council presidential candidate. Andrews had alleged various violations of the University Board of Elections Rules and Regulations that she claimed invalidated the election results, including bribery and coercion by the Inter-Fraternity Council and endorsing violations across stakeholders. UBE ultimately upheld Mitchell’s victory in a 2-1 decision.
During the April 28 meeting, Mitchell expressed his enthusiasm for beginning his role and engaging with the Council and student body. Mitchell and his presidential ticket aim to expand funding for Contracted Independent Organizations, improve relations with University governance bodies and promote the financial stability of the Council.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know each and every single one of [the Student Council representatives] … I know this past month has been a little chaotic, but it is all completely resolved now, so we are very excited to hit the ground running and to get things done,” Mitchell said.
The Council held its first meeting of the summer over Zoom June 27, in which it confirmed cabinet members and other Council appointments and approved new CIOs and the summer budget.
Off Grounds, the Virginia Supreme Court dealt its final blow to Virginia Democrats’ redistricting efforts early May. After many students and Charlottesville residents headed to the polls April 21 and voted “Yes” for the amendment, the Supreme Court ruled against the people’s vote, arguing a procedural violation nullified the results. The congressional maps established in 2021 thus applied for the Aug. 4 Virginia primaries and will be in place for the November general election.
After final exams concluded May 8 — the day after a cybersecurity breach took hold of Canvas, propelling some professors and students to last-minute means of completing studying and exam preparations — Final Exercises took place the following weekend. Jim Ryan, former University president and current law professor, delivered the keynote speech at Valedictory Exercises, encouraging the Class of 2026 to “do the right thing always.”
“Many of you told me that you hope to leave U.Va. better than you found it, and guess what, together you have done exactly that,” Ryan said. “You have my deepest thanks. Thank you for doing the right thing over and again. Keep doing just that always.”
Shifting to University governance, the Board of Visitors Health System Board Quality Subcommittee met May 22 to hear a regulatory report to ensure the University Health System was meeting accreditation standards. Also within the month, U.Va. Health launched an on-demand virtual primary care service across the Commonwealth.
A few University leadership transitions occurred over the summer, including the transition of the new non-voting student and faculty members of the Board, which took place June 1 and July 1, respectively. Fourth-year College student Jackson Sleadd entered the role with expressed goals to expand student participation in University governance and strengthen the connection between students and the Board. Jeri Seidman, associate Commerce professor and 2025-26 Faculty Senate Chair, entered her role with a similar goal to increase trust between the Board and University community, and she has said that her early interactions with the Board have given her hope for future relations.
June
The Board met June 3-6, with the June 6 session being a Board retreat held at Morven Farm with an aim to ground the members around unifying governance goals for the year ahead. In the June 5 session, University President Scott Beardsley outlined priorities for the University’s next strategic plan, and U.Va. Health leaders presented potential changes to U.Va. Health’s governance structure.
Also in June, The Cavalier Daily looked into potential applications of Yale’s report on trust in higher education to the University and heard from Law professors to weigh the legality of Virginia’s redistricting battle.
With regards to other governance matters, the Honor Committee held a summer meeting to prepare for the upcoming semester, and the Faculty Senate released its 2025-26 committee report detailing new academic programs and artificial intelligence’s role in the classroom. Further, a University alumni group, Wahoos4UVA, requested Spanberger to install academic protections after she vetoed board governance legislation, and Darden Vice Dean Yael Grushka-Cockayne became the dean of the Darden School of Business — a leadership role previously held by Beardsley. Finally, former Batten Dean Ian Solomon announced his departure late June.
June 27 marked the one-year anniversary of Ryan’s public announcement of his resignation — a decision amplified by national media coverage due the pressure campaign waged by the federal government in the month preceding the announcement. The Cavalier Daily explored trust in University leadership, students’ reflections on their role in University governance and the Justice Department’s scoping efforts to reshape higher education nationwide.
July
The general effective date for Virginia laws passed in the 2026 General Assembly session was July 1. From 11:59 p.m. April 13 — Spanberger’s deadline to sign, veto or amend legislation on her desk — through the implementation date, The Cavalier Daily reported on students and professors weighing in on various pieces of legislation impacting the University community.
Spanberger passed legislation on healthcare reform, rent stability, housing costs and a raise in the minimum wage. Legislation regarding collective bargaining and university board governance did not come to fruition in the 2026 legislative session, although University groups and politicians have expressed interest in continuing to work to achieve Board reform.
Provisions in the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill also came into effect July 1. Notably for the University, graduate loan cuts will impact University healthcare and education degree programs. Also on the national stage, early voting began for Virginia’s Aug. 4 primary elections in July.
University governance continued to see movement, with a reconstituted provost search committee launched late July.
In the City, residents continued to express their opposition to “The Mark,” a student housing project approved for construction late in the spring semester despite resident vehement pushback at Charlottesville City Council meetings. The Mark is the latest development in a story of tension between City residents and burgeoning luxury apartment developments targeted at students. City residents have expressed that the luxury housing projects crowd out residents and degrade the historical ties of the City, as well as offset the economy, making it unaffordable for residents to stay.
August
August, as well as earlier summer months, saw various U.Va. Health achievements, including the development of a new treatment approach for brain cancer, the expansion of AI use in healthcare and the graduation of the first Earn While You Learn nursing program class. In addition to Solomon, another dean departed in August — Marianne Baernholdt, former dean of the Nursing School. There are now five dean roles within the University occupied by interim leaders.
Virginia Primary Election Day took place Aug. 4, and it saw expected low voter turnout in Charlottesville precincts that typically see University student voters on election day. The election day occurred later than usual due to a delay imposed by the redistricting push. All results were called early on in the night — Congressional Candidate Tom Perriello (D) and Congressman John McGuire (R) will face each other in the General Election Nov. 3 to represent Congressional District 5, and Senate Candidate Bert Mizusawa (R) won his party’s nomination to face three-term Sen. Mark Warner (D) in the fall.
Looking nationally, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter Aug. 3, urging university boards and presidents nationwide to state to the American public their commitments regarding merit-based admissions, intellectual pluralism, affordability and excellence amidst AI usage, among other topics. The letter comes less than a year after the Education Department’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, which the University did not sign onto. The University has not signaled it will respond to the Aug. 3 letter.
As students begin to trickle back onto Grounds, The Cavalier Daily has also provided an update on Aggarwal Hall, which will house the Alumni Association and is set for completion spring 2027, and looked into how the University dubs students as “Lawnies.” Last, amidst state and nationwide debates over energy use and planning for large-scale data centers to support a growing AI industry, the University’s Fontaine Data Center has expanded its budget by $30 million.
Looking to late August, classes will commence Tuesday, and various University groups will reconvene after adjusted summer schedules.
Grace Little is a news editor for the 137th term. She is a third-year student from Dallas, Texas majoring in Neuroscience and the Interdisciplinary Major in Public Policy, Politics and Media Studies. She enjoys writing about the shifting landscape of higher education.
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