Following her 15-point win in the Old Dominion, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) sent a letter to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, asking members to halt their search for the school’s next president.
Spanberger’s move drew sharp criticism from current Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), who wrote his successor a letter calling her outreach to the Board of Visitors a “breach of protocol.”
Former UVA President James Ryan resigned following pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration on the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
Board of Visitors members are appointed by the governor of Virginia, approved by the state legislature, and then serve four-year terms. All 12 members of the board, including the rector and vice rector, were appointed by Youngkin, including some who were donors to his political campaign.
The board announced on Nov. 3 that it had begun “narrowing the field” of presidential candidates and would invite candidates for interviews at the end of the month.
In her letter, Spanberger argued that the board “severely undermined” the confidence of Virginians in its ability to “govern productively, transparently, and in the best interests of the University,” according to an Inside Higher Education report.
“The benefits of selecting a new president with a full, duly-constituted Board are clear,” Spanberger wrote, according to the report. Saying that waiting for her appointments before making a presidential selection would remove “any concern that the Board’s actions are illegitimate due to a lack of authority.”
Youngkin blasted Spanberger in a personal letter, obtained by the Washington Examiner, saying she overstepped.
“Whether done in error or in bad faith, I am compelled to address both the breach of protocol as well as the inaccuracies of your letter,” Youngkin wrote to Spanberger. “I am advised that this was likely the first time in the history of our Commonwealth that a Governor-elect attempted to interfere with the governance of a university and the fiduciary duties of individual board members.”
He wrote in the letter that he advises the board to stay the course and not delay the search.
“My guidance to the UVA Board is to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities, take advantage of the most inclusive and successful presidential search process in UVA’s history, and not waste the great pool of candidates by unnecessarily delaying the search and losing them to other schools,” Youngkin wrote.
UVA spokeswoman Bethanie Glover told the Washington Examiner that the university is “ready to engage” with Spanberger but did not specify the timeline of the board’s selection process.
“University leaders and the Board of Visitors are reviewing the letter and are ready to engage with the Governor-elect and to work alongside her and her team to advance the best interests of UVA and the Commonwealth,” Glover said.
Spanberger is an alumna herself, graduating from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in 2001.
YOUNGKIN MAKES FINAL PUSH TO DEFINE HIS LEGACY AS VIRGINIA CHOOSES NEXT GOVERNOR
Following Ryan’s June resignation, the Board of Visitors selected Paul Mahoney to serve as interim president as it searches for a full-time replacement.
Mahoney struck a deal with the Trump administration, ceasing the university’s “discrimination” in its hiring practices to stop the federal investigation into its DEI practices.
