On Friday, Governor Bob McDonnell appointed six members to the Board of Visitors, including the reappointment of current Rector Helen Dragas. Due to the immense controversy regarding the Board’s ouster and then reinstatement of President Teresa Sullivan, McDonnell offered a public explanation for his appointments saying that his choices are all “competent professionals…who come from the fields of academia, business, law, and technology, and who can, while bringing different backgrounds and philosophies to the table, work well together in finding common ground and forging a shared path for Mr. Jefferson’s University.” McDonnell also defended his reappointment Dragas saying, “During her four-year term on the board she has been a strong and dedicated board member, committed to advancing the mission of the university.”
While many in the University community immediately questioned the decision to reappoint Dragas, official responses from University leadership showed a focus in moving past the the controversy that infiltrated grounds for nearly three weeks. In a short response to McDonnell’s announcement, newly reappointed Rector Helen Dragas said “I am confident that we can preserve and enhance U.V.a’s greatness for present and future generations.” President Sullivan echoed Dragas’ sentiments in a response of her own, saying that the new appointments were a “group of distinguished individuals - from higher education and technology to government and health care - who will be able to hit the ground running.”
McDonnell still recognized the need for change in the structure of the Board of Visitors when he appointed Former Vice President and chief operating office Leonard Sandridge and former Board of Visitors member and Darden Trustees Chair William Goodwin as non-voting senior advisory members of the Board. Their positions are unprecedented in U.V.a Board history. In reference to their appointments, McDonnell said that “their roles will be to provide the board with wise counsel on an array of matters and to assist the university in solving strategic and communications challenges, based on their decades of institutional knowledge and understanding of the university.”
The Faculty Senate responded to Governor McDonnell’s BOV appointments by saying, “We are grateful to the Governor for his careful, thoughtful consideration of these appointments and for his eloquent statement explaining his decisions.” In regards to the reappointment of Rector Dragas, the Faculty Senate stated, “… if President Sulivan can work with the Rector, we can as well.” According to the Faculty Senate, the biggest “immediate challenge we face is restoring trust” and that they pledge to do everything in their power to “ensure that the University of VIrginia thrives in years to come.”
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