WHEREAS, the code of the Commonwealth of Virginia states that the University’s Board of Visitors, shall “grant to the president of the University supreme administrative direction over all the schools, colleges, divisions and branches of the University;”
WHEREAS, in its Statement of Visitor Responsibilities, the University’s Board of Visitors states that “Visitors actively safeguard principles of academic freedom for the University and its faculty and endeavor to protect the University from outside influences seeking improperly to shape it;”
WHEREAS, we are aware that in the spring of 2025, the University’s Rector and Board of Visitors were in receipt of a series of letters from representatives of the United States Department of Justice objecting to alleged violations of federal law and policy and demanding information;
WHEREAS, the tone and content of the letters from the Department of Justice can reasonably be understood to constitute outside influences seeking improperly to shape the governance of the University and the power of the president of the University to control the administrative direction of the institution;
WHEREAS, in a statement to the University of Virginia community on June 27, 2025, President James Ryan announced his resignation and noted, “To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University. But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job” due to apparent extralegal threats from the federal government to withhold financial support for the University;
WHEREAS, the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of the University of Virginia, which establishes the Senate’s advisory function for the President and the Rector and Board of Visitors “concerning educational and related matters affecting the welfare of the University,” has been violated;
WHEREAS, in its Statement of Visitor Responsibilities, the University’s Board of Visitors states that it is committed to, among other attributes, candor and transparency;
WHEREAS, contrary to norms and principles of UVA’s commitment to shared governance. the Faculty Senate was not directly informed of any demands made upon the University by representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, nor consulted about any negotiations between the Board of Visitors and the U.S. Department of Justice;
Resolved
The Faculty Senate expresses no confidence in the Board of Visitors for not protecting the University and its president from outside interference, and for not consulting with the Faculty Senate in a time of crisis, actions that are inconsistent with its duties under the Code of Virginia and the Board’s Statement of Visitor Responsibilities;
As stated in its Resolution on the Resignation of President Ryan of June 27, 2025, the Faculty Senate calls for the Board of Visitors to provide the Senate with an immediate and complete accounting of its efforts and activities in response to all inquiries and demands made upon the University by representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice in the spring of 2025;
In order to restore its confidence in the Board of Visitors, the Senate calls for the Board to provide the Senate with a full accounting of the specific series of events, and actions taken by the Board that resulted in the resignation of President Jim Ryan, and to honor the Code of Virginia, the Board’s own Statement of Visitor Responsibilities, and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty Senate to most effectively defend the University from external influences going forward; and
Be it further resolved that the Faculty Senate of Virginia calls upon the Rector and Vice Rector to honor their commitment to work closely with Faculty Senate Executive Council to design and execute search processes for the interim and 10th president that are deeply rooted in the foundational principles of shared governance and whose search committees are comprised of at least 75% UVA employees.
This resolution was passed by the UVA Faculty Senate on 07/11/2025 by the following vote:
Yes: 46
No: 6
Abstain: 8