UVA president resigns under pressure from Trump administration

UVA president resigns under pressure from Trump administration

The president of the University of Virginia announced that he is resigning from his post on Friday. The Associated Press reports that the departure of former university president James Ryan marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's attacks on colleges and universities that have maintained their diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

WASHINGTON - The president of the University of Virginia announced that he is resigning from his post on Friday. 

The Associated Press reports that the departure of former university president James Ryan marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's attacks on colleges and universities that have maintained their diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

What we know:

The departure of James Ryan, who had led the school since 2018, represents a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration's effort to reshape higher education. Doing it at a public university marks a new frontier in a campaign that has almost exclusively targeted Ivy League schools. 

It also widens the rationale behind the government's aggressive tactics, focusing on DEI rather than alleged tolerance of antisemitism.

Ryan had faced conservative criticism that he failed to heed federal orders to eliminate DEI policies, and his removal was pushed by the Justice Department as a way to help resolve a department inquiry targeting the school, according to the person, who was not authorized to discuss the move by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

"To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University," Ryan wrote in a statement. "But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job. To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld."
 

What they're saying:

Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a statement, saying he appreciates Ryan's service to the university. 

"I thank President Ryan for his service and his hard work on behalf of the University of Virginia. The Board of Visitors has my complete confidence as they swiftly appoint a strong interim steward, and undertake the national search for a transformational leader that can take Mr. Jefferson’s university into the next decade and beyond," Youngkin wrote.

University of Virginia Rector Robert D. Hardie released a statement on Friday, saying: 

"Earlier today, and with profound sadness, I accepted President Jim Ryan's resignation on behalf of the Board and its members.

Jim Ryan has been an extraordinary president of this great University. He has led our institution to unprecedented heights, always doing so with grace and humility. I know I speak for our students, alumni, faculty, and staff when I express my heartfelt gratitude for Jim’s tireless service to our University, especially for the ways he has guided the institution steadily and with great purpose, even in the face of major challenges like a global pandemic. UVA has forever been changed for the better as a result of Jim's exceptional leadership."

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger released the following statement on Ryan's resignation: 

"The resignation of President Jim Ryan is a loss for the University of Virginia and the Commonwealth. That the president of a top-ranked, thriving public university would be pressured to resign by the Department of Justice — in order to avoid further harm and harassment from the Trump Administration — is a clear infringement upon academic freedom and should concern every Virginian and American."As an alumna of the University of Virginia, I am deeply saddened to see our Governor, his Administration, and so many members of the Board of Visitors remain silent in the face of these attacks on the integrity and independence of the University of Virginia."As Governor, I will take decisive steps to ensure that all of our Commonwealth’s Boards of Visitors are composed of individuals committed to the mission of serving and strengthening our public colleges and universities. I will work to restore a standard of leadership that puts academic excellence, Virginia’s students, and the strength of Virginia’s public colleges and universities ahead of any political agenda."

And the Virginia chapter of the NAACP expressed outrage in its statement, saying: 

The NAACP Virginia State Conference expresses its outrage regarding reports that the Trump administration’s Justice Department pressured the University of Virginia (UVA) President James Ryan to resign. This alarming development raises serious concerns about political interference in our educational institutions and the very principles of justice that they are meant to uphold."

President Ryan, known for his commitment to enhancing diversity on campus and fostering community engagement, should not face political coercion for championing inclusive policies. The Justice Department is tasked with protecting all individuals, regardless of race, background, or beliefs. Justice should not mean Just-US; it must serve all of society.

Rev. Cozy Bailey, President, stated, "This unprecedented attack on President Ryan underscores a troubling trend where political interests undermine our fundamental values of diversity and inclusion. We stand firmly against any effort to dismantle the progress we have fought so hard to achieve. The future of our institutions depends on their ability to embrace and promote diversity, not retreat from it."

The NAACP Virginia State Conference calls on all stakeholders to stand in solidarity against these pressures and to protect the essential values that promote equity and justice within our educational systems.