UVa Board of Visitors’ controversy highlights systematic failures

Staff Editorial

It’s rare that a school’s Board of Visitors makes headlines. Our own is seldom discussed in the media. But recently, UVa’s Board became the center of controversy when they forced the resignation of President Teresa Sullivan, just two years into her tenure. This is a teachable moment, not only for UVa, but for VCU as well.

The forced resignation is more than a debacle for; it’s an attack on the American higher education system and the principles of education. The “philosophical differences” that led to Sullivan’s ousting holds roots in two critical debates occurring on campuses all across the nation: How should public education institutions be governed and the role of that governing board in the philosophical operations of the school.

Here we have two opposing forces: a Board of Visitors that pushes for the school to be run more like a business, and a university president, who seeks to maximize the achievements, objectives, and well-being of the students.

What would a Board of Visitors, composed primarily of prominent political donors that lack educational leadership credentials and were appointed by two different governors know about running a university?

Perhaps the worst part of the past month at UVa is how much of it happened behind closed doors.

It is important that other schools’ boards not imitate the same kind of closed off, secretive proceedings that UVa’s board did. A significant level of uneasiness is created when a university president suddenly resigns. That uneasiness grows when the information released to the public regarding the incident is vague. Right after Sullivan resigned, Rector Helen Dragas simply said, “The Board believes believes this environment calls for a much faster pace of change.”

The kind of micro-mismanaging that UVas Board of Visitors has left their university as a whole vulnerable to host of problems, including student admissions, valuable alumni donations and faculty recruitment.

If they truly desired to run like a Fortune 500 company, as insinuated by emails released by UVa at the request of their student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, then they wouldn’t have fired their CEO with such disregard. The act of taking a public university’s problems behind closed doors speaks volumes about their long-term intentions and ideas about governing.

Critics and supporters alike have commended Sullivan for her notable presence, efforts to engage all parts of the university’s community and leadership on a variety of issues, including university transparency.

In a time where university presidents across the nation are being fired or resigning, UVa can use this moment to stand above the controversy and institute the necessary changes. Schools benefit from active and open policy boards and leadership stability.

In contrast, VCU’s own Board of Visitors has performed well, with little controversy that detracts from the well-being of the university. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement; the student body and university as a whole would benefit if the members of the Board of Visitors were more readily accessible.

Currently, the Board sends out press releases, but their website isn’t up to date. Whether their meetings are open to the student body is unclear. In addition, contact information for individual members isn’t available and the only method of contacting the office of the Board of Visitors is a P.O. Box.

It’s unacceptable that the Board isn’t more forthcoming in distributing and posting such information and it would be a great comfort to us if steps to rectify this problem were taken immediately.

Furthermore, the introduction of a Board liaison, either through the student government or administration would better allow for the dissemination of information. These steps may seem trivial, but they help reassure the student body and go a long way in preventing controversies like the one at UVa. It’s better for VCU’s board to be proactive rather than reactive.

Although UVa’s board reversed their decision and reinstated Sullivan, the controversy stills stings. The takeaway here is that the need for transparency in the policy and legislation of public universities is more prevalent than ever.

As tuition cost soar, students and parents want the reassurance that their money is being used wisely and that they have a voice.

See The CT’s editorial policy here.

Illustration by Samantha Wittwer