Yenni Jimenez Acosta, Contributing Writer
A coalition of faculty and human rights organizations are preparing a push to amend Virginia law to make universities more democratic and protect free speech in response to actions by Republicans and Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Members of United Campus Workers unions from multiple schools and the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights — made up of 25 human rights organizations across the commonwealth — are drafting bills for the General Assembly that would give professors and students voting power on boards of visitors and cap salaries for university presidents.
A “working group” composed of UCW, VCHR, the American Association of University Professors, the Virginia Educators Association, the American Federation for Teachers and other grassroots organizations created the package of proposed legislation.
Advocates of the proposals are hoping for Democrats to win the governor race and maintain control of the House of Delegates in November, which would enable them to introduce more sweeping legislation in January, when the next General Assembly session begins.
Jack Leff, a grassroots organizer and former Virginia Tech professor, introduced a list of 13 policy proposals to VCU faculty at a recent union meeting.
They are already in talks with legislators, who have committed to sponsor some of the policies, according to Leff. Though sponsorship is up in the air and depends on the November election results.
Democratizing boards of visitors
One policy proposal aims to democratize the structure of boards of visitors to better reflect students, faculty and staff by giving them voting seats.
Boards of visitors are the highest governing bodies at universities in Virginia. They are made up of 16 members appointed by the governor of Virginia and make most major decisions, including hiring and firing presidents, setting budgets and approving course curricula. Board members can be confirmed or rejected by the General Assembly.
Another proposal seeks to instate new criteria for governors to appoint board members, ensuring all members are alumni or retired faculty from their respective universities, Virginia residents and have professional experience in higher education.
The proposals are a way of pushing back against partisanship on boards of visitors, which is a “direct threat to academic freedom,” according to written drafts shared by Leff.
At VCU, board members — primarily appointed by Youngkin, a Republican — have made a number of consequential decisions in recent years. They voted in March to dismantle VCU’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies following an executive order from President Donald Trump, according to a previous report by The Commonwealth Times.
The board voted in 2024 to cancel the implementation of a racial literacy course requirement, resulting in some students walking out during their graduation ceremony. The requirement covered topics such as systemic racism, gender studies and workplace inequality, and was in development by students and faculty for years before its cancellation.
Senate Democrats have made similar vows for reform following back-and-forth battles with Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares over the confirmation of Youngkin’s appointees.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said in July that Democrats are exploring multiple changes to the university board appointment system, according to Virginia Scope. One change would require appointees to be confirmed by the General Assembly before they begin serving their terms. Another would extend board member terms from four to six years, which would prevent any one governor from appointing full majorities.
Cheaper tuition and financial transparency
Three policies being proposed by the coalition work to address financial concerns and transparency. One would set a $275,000 cap on the salaries of university executives to “encourage these positions to be public service-oriented.”
Some VCU faculty have criticized the Board of Visitors for regularly increasing the salary of President Michael Rao to be more competitive with other universities, while cutting and consolidating departments and laying off faculty.
Advocates also want to reallocate funding to ease the burden on students by better enforcing a 3% cap on university fee increases.
At VCU, tuition and fees for in-state students in academic year 2020-2021 totalled $14,710, $2,451 of which was fees. In academic year 2025-2026, totals increased to $17,240 and $3,720 in fees — a greater proportion of the total than in years prior.
Aaliyah Jegeles, a second-year art student at VCU, thinks the Board of Visitors makes decisions without considering community input, which strains students financially.
“Rising fees and executive salaries contribute to the cost burden on students,” Jegeles stated. “Capping fees and salaries helps redirect sources towards student support and reinforces the idea of education as a public service not a profit-driven enterprise.”
VCHR and university communities have been “playing defense,” working to keep anti-speech bills from college campuses, according to Leff. Leff said cuts to higher education and increasingly severe assaults on speech have prompted them to take an offensive approach by developing legislation of their own.
Legislators struck down a number of bills last legislative session targeting terrorism that advocates said would harm student protesters and stifle free speech, according to a previous report by The Commonwealth Times.
“What this policy package really is, is an attempt to envision what a university could be if it meaningfully served the public,” Leff said. “As a human rights group, we obviously believe that education is a fundamental human and democratic right, and it’s one that’s under attack.”
Layla Hashish, a fourth-year political science student, said it is important for students and faculty to have a say on decisions that will affect their jobs and livelihoods.
“It’s people who are on the outside and who often have other priorities outside of making sure that we have a good environment,” Hashish said.
VCU declined a request for comment by The CT.
Molly Manning, Heciel Nieves Bonilla and Andrew Kerley contributed to this story.