Latest news with #BoardofVisitors
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
A Rebuke for George Mason
Trustees and boards are supposed to set policy at universities, but too often they settle for football tickets and a child's admission. That's one reason it's good to see the Board of Visitors take its obligations seriously at George Mason University. We reported last week on the debate at the Northern Virginia school over racial and gender preferences. At a meeting on Friday, part open and part closed to the public, the board voted to eliminate a variety of diversity, equity and inclusion programs that had become fronts for discrimination in admissions and hiring at the school.
Axios
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Fourth federal investigation launched at George Mason for racial bias
The Trump administration this week launched its fourth investigation in four weeks into George Mason University, Virginia's largest public university. Why it matters: It's the second public university in Virginia that's been targeted by the administration and the Justice Department since June. The big picture: DOJ's most recent investigation into George Mason alleges racial discrimination in the school's admission and scholarship decisions. It follows an investigation the department launched the week before, which alleged the Fairfax school used race as a deciding factor in faculty hiring and promotions. The U.S. Department of Education started its own probe into the school's alleged racial discrimination in hiring and promotions earlier this month in response to a complaint by "multiple professors." And DOE kicked off July with an inquiry into alleged antisemitism at Mason. In statements, the school has denied all the allegations and said it will cooperate with the investigations, per the Washington Post. The intrigue: In response to the probes, George Mason's Board of Visitors and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hired Torridon Law, a firm co-founded by President Trump's former attorney general William Barr, the Post reports. The hiring of that firm prompted the George Mason chapter of the American Association of University Professors to issue a vote of no confidence in the school's Board of Visitors this week. The association is concerned that the Board of Visitors and the Trump administration are trying to fire the school's president, Gregory Washington, who is Black, according to a news release from the group.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UVA president resigns under pressure from Trump administration, per reports
The New York Times is reporting that James Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, will resign following pressure from President Donald Trump's administration. The school's board of visitors voted in March to dissolve UVA's Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships. 'The Board of Visitors voted for common sense, saying 'no' to illegal discrimination and 'yes' to merit-based opportunity,' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said at the time. 'DEI is done at the University of Virginia. We stand for the universal truth that everyone is created equal, and opportunity is at the heart of Virginians' and Americans' future.' Still, reports said the Department of Justice felt Ryan mispresented the steps he'd taken to eliminate the programs, and the Trump administration had pushed for his removal. At the time this story was published, UVA has not released an official statement on Ryan's resignation, but the New York Times obtained a letter to the head of the Board of Visitors saying he submitted his resignation. More: $15 million mental health crisis and detox facility to open near Augusta Health Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both United States Senators from Virginia, released a joint statement on Ryan's decision. 'Virginia's economy and prosperity depend on the strength and integrity of our higher education system,' the senators said. 'It is outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan — a strong leader who has served UVA honorably and moved the university forward—over ridiculous 'culture war' traps. 'Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future.' Later, in a press call with Virginia reporters, Kaine called the move "a sad day for Virginia" and suggested that Ryan stepped down because he did not have the backing of the UVA Board to stand up to the administration. He urged other college boards across Virginia to stick to their appointed roles of overseeing those who run their colleges and back them to the hilt. "If you're on a board, you have to have the back of your president and stand strong," Kaine said. He likened the move to a test of loyalty to the Trump Administration. "It's like they now have a pelt and they are proud of it," Kaine said. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Virginia, said in a statement that the move by the administration goes against every foundation on which UVA was built. 'Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia to serve as a bastion of academic freedom for students to engage in intellectual curiosity without fear of censorship or retaliation. He viewed education as a shield against tyranny," McClellan said. "The bullying of his beloved university by President Trump and his Justice Department are the exact brand of government overreach he feared. University leaders should be accountable to the university community and its governing bodies, not subjected to political pressure from the president of the United States.' More: Augusta County residents speak out against Pride event cancellation — Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@ and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: UVA president resigns under pressure from Donald Trump, per reports
Mint
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
University of Virginia Chief Exits Under Pressure From Trump
University of Virginia President James Ryan is stepping down amid a Trump administration probe of the school's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, according to people familiar with the matter. Ryan informed university leadership of his resignation on a hastily-called meeting over Zoom, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussion was private. 'I thank President Ryan for his service and his hard work on behalf of the University of Virginia,' Glenn Youngkin, the state's Republican governor, said in a statement. '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,' he wrote. Ryan's departure from Virginia's flagship university underscores the pressure on US higher education from President Donald Trump, whose administration has scrapped federal funding for Harvard University and other schools and begun investigations of colleges for 'race-exclusionary' practices. The New York Times, which first reported the resignation, said late Thursday that the Justice Department had demanded Ryan's exit as a condition of settling a civil rights investigation of the University of Virginia's diversity practices. Ryan, the school's ninth president, developed a reputation as a champion of diversity while drawing fire from conservative alumni and Republican board members for being 'too woke,' the newspaper said. Ryan, who earned a law degree at the University of Virginia, took the reins at the institution in 2018 and previously served as dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Education. In March, the governing board voted to abolish the school's diversity, equity and inclusion office. Youngkin this week appointed four new members to the board. They include a vice chairman at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and a former chief financial officer of Carlyle Group Inc., the private equity firm where Youngkin previously worked as co-chief executive officer. The University of Virginia didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UVA president resigns under pressure from Trump administration, per reports
The New York Times is reporting that James Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, will resign following pressure from President Donald Trump's administration. The school's board of visitors voted in March to dissolve UVA's Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships. 'The Board of Visitors voted for common sense, saying 'no' to illegal discrimination and 'yes' to merit-based opportunity,' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said at the time. 'DEI is done at the University of Virginia. We stand for the universal truth that everyone is created equal, and opportunity is at the heart of Virginians' and Americans' future.' Still, reports said the Department of Justice felt Ryan mispresented the steps he'd taken to eliminate the programs, and the Trump administration had pushed for his removal. At the time this story was published, UVA has not released an official statement on Ryan's resignation, but the New York Times obtained a letter to the head of the Board of Visitors saying he submitted his resignation. More: $15 million mental health crisis and detox facility to open near Augusta Health Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both United States Senators from Virginia, released a joint statement on Ryan's decision. 'Virginia's economy and prosperity depend on the strength and integrity of our higher education system,' the senators said. 'It is outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan — a strong leader who has served UVA honorably and moved the university forward—over ridiculous 'culture war' traps. 'Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future.' Later, in a press call with Virginia reporters, Kaine called the move "a sad day for Virginia" and suggested that Ryan stepped down because he did not have the backing of the UVA Board to stand up to the administration. He urged other college boards across Virginia to stick to their appointed roles of overseeing those who run their colleges and back them to the hilt. "If you're on a board, you have to have the back of your president and stand strong," Kaine said. He likened the move to a test of loyalty to the Trump Administration. "It's like they now have a pelt and they are proud of it," Kaine said. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Virginia, said in a statement that the move by the administration goes against every foundation on which UVA was built. 'Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia to serve as a bastion of academic freedom for students to engage in intellectual curiosity without fear of censorship or retaliation. He viewed education as a shield against tyranny," McClellan said. "The bullying of his beloved university by President Trump and his Justice Department are the exact brand of government overreach he feared. University leaders should be accountable to the university community and its governing bodies, not subjected to political pressure from the president of the United States.' More: Augusta County residents speak out against Pride event cancellation — Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@ and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: UVA president resigns under pressure from Donald Trump, per reports
