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Soon after taking office Saturday, Gov. Abigail Spanberger appointed 27 people to governing boards at three Virginia universities and ordered a review of the state’s contentious higher-education appointment process.
The appointments include 12 nominees for George Mason University, 10 for the University of Virginia and its affiliates, and five for Virginia Military Institute. Each nominee remains subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.
The move comes amid vacancies on the boards, federal scrutiny of Virginia universities and continuing political disputes over institutional autonomy and diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Spanberger directed the secretary of education, working with the secretary of the commonwealth, to prepare a report on how board members are chosen. The review will examine term lengths, reappointments, starting dates for new members and the evaluation process used by the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments.
In Executive Order No. 6, Spanberger said changes in federal policy and challenges to universities’ independence and missions made it urgent for Virginia to reconsider how governing boards are assembled.
She said effective governance is necessary to defend academic quality and help universities prepare students for an increasingly competitive and complicated world.
Review follows bitter confirmation battle
The order follows a prolonged clash between Democratic lawmakers and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin over appointments to Virginia’s public colleges and universities.
Last year, the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee rejected 22 Youngkin nominees, largely amid disagreements over DEI initiatives. Lawmakers also questioned decisions by some boards to bring university policies closer to those favored by the Trump administration, arguing that the changes threatened institutional independence.
The dispute led to months of litigation and eventually reached the Virginia Supreme Court. The case became moot after the gubernatorial administration changed.
Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, said the review could help improve a selection process that has become increasingly politicized, particularly at UVA and George Mason.
Tobias said he will also watch whether the report considers staggered terms. Some Virginia K-12 school boards use that structure to maintain continuity when members’ terms expire before their successors begin serving.
Former congressmen tapped for George Mason
Spanberger’s George Mason nominees include former U.S. Reps. Tom Davis, a Republican, and Jim Moran, a Democrat.
The university is the subject of an ongoing U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation and has faced allegations that its hiring and admissions policies involved racial discrimination.
Charles Stimson, who was named the board’s rector during the Youngkin administration, recently stepped down, leaving another opening.
UVA nominees arrive during leadership turmoil
Spanberger also moved to reshape UVA’s Board of Visitors after asking several members to resign last week.
Her nominees include former Vice Rector Carlos Brown; UVA alumna and foundation board member Elizabeth Hayes; business executive and Spanberger transition-team member Mike Bisceglia; and Victoria Harker, who was initially nominated to the board by Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell in 2012.
The appointments come as UVA proceeds with its search for a new president despite requests from Spanberger and others to pause the process. Board leaders told lawmakers they moved forward because convening the full board takes time and the university needs stable leadership.
The presidential search began after a Justice Department investigation contributed to President Jim Ryan’s resignation in June.
Ryan wrote in November that Rector Rachel Sheridan and Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson coordinated with the Justice Department and Youngkin’s office to pressure him to step down. At a Jan. 12 Senate hearing, Sheridan neither confirmed nor rejected Ryan’s account. She instead described her recollection and said university leaders acted according to what they believed was best for UVA.
UVA and the Justice Department later signed an agreement suspending five of seven investigations involving the university’s DEI policies and allegations of campus antisemitism. Two investigations have been closed. The agreement prompted concerns among Democrats and members of the UVA community about federal interference.
Northam nominated to return to VMI board
Former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is among Spanberger’s five nominees for VMI’s governing board. Northam previously served on the board and completed his term in 2022.
A state report released in 2021 found racial and gender disparities at VMI and concluded that improvement was needed. It also found that racial slurs and jokes were not uncommon and that the school trailed other Virginia universities and military academies in racial and gender measures and diversity work.
That same year, VMI’s board selected retired Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins as the institution’s first Black superintendent. Four years later, a board made up mostly of Youngkin appointees removed him.
Northam, who established Virginia’s first executive-branch DEI office while governor, would join a new group of appointees that otherwise includes alumni and leaders from business and civic organizations.
Report and confirmation votes approaching
The administration expects the appointment-process review, including recommendations, to reach Spanberger before March 18. Its findings are intended to guide decisions and strengthen future appointments.
The House and Senate Privileges and Elections committees are expected to consider the nominees by Feb. 17, the General Assembly’s crossover deadline.
Lawmakers will also weigh Senate Bill 49, which would prohibit nominees from serving in positions requiring legislative confirmation until the General Assembly has formally approved them. Current practice allows nominees to begin serving before that vote.