Latest news with #BoardofVisitors
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘I'm leaving here with my head held high': community celebration held for outgoing VMI superintendent
LEXINGTON, Va. (WFXR) — First Baptist Church in Lexington hosted a community celebration for outgoing VMI superintendent Major General Cedric T. Wins on Sunday afternoon. Wins was the school's first African American superintendent and its 15th overall, holding the position since 2021. A 1985 graduate of the Institute, the community gathered to reflect on Wins' accomplishments across those four years at the helm of his alma mater. 'I'm just a little humbled by it and overwhelmed at the same time,' said Wins. 'I guess it shows that people really do feel like we had an opportunity to make a difference.' 'The community wanted to come together and tell him and show him how much they appreciated him,' said First Baptist Church pastor Rev. McKinley Williams. 'Regardless of a board vote, it wasn't reflective of the community.' Wins will step away from his post on June 30, after the school's Board of Visitors voted 10-6 against renewing his contract in February. Following the decision, then board president John Adams released the following statement: 'The BOV is supremely grateful to Major General Wins for his service to the Institute during some very difficult times. The foundation he has provided us will ensure VMI continues to fulfill its vital mission of educating future leaders. We would also like to extend our thanks to Mrs. Cassandra Wins for her support of VMI.' WFXR reached out to incoming board president Col. James Inman for comment following Sunday's event but have not yet received a response. The decision to part ways came as a surprise to Wins, who felt he had put VMI on the right track during his tenure. 'Obviously yes, there was some disappointment,' he said. 'But I tend to look at things on the bright side. I'm a half full kind of guy. And I know that when one door closes, another one will open.' Wins was known for his diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the school, particularly after a state report said VMI failed to address institutional racism and sexism. His efforts faced pushback from some conservative alumni. 'I'm leaving here with my head certainly held high, feeling as though I was able to accomplish some things in a short period of time,' Wins said. The Board of Visitors passed a resolution in May granting Wins the status of superintendent emeritus, applauding his work in leading the Institute through the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing declining enrollment trends, and increasing school funding. VMI's Board of Visitors says it is continuing the search for its next superintendent. Brigadier General Dallas Clark will replace Wins on July 1 in an interim capacity. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Tech Board of Visitors vote to dissolve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) – President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February, demanding that the public and private sectors eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) based policies to promote civil rights for all Americans. This meant dissolving the Office of Inclusive Strategy and Excellence at Virginia Tech. In response, hundreds of people gathered outside Burruss Hall for an organized protest, asking the Board of Visitors not to vote in favor of this. They all marched around campus to make their voices heard. 'We have to protest, we have to stand up, and we have to try to fight for humanity, and love, and people,' Ryleigh Brown, a Sociology major at Virginia Tech who was involved in the protest, said. 'I'm here to fight for humanity.' The March ended outside the Inn hotel, shortly before the Board of Visitors meeting inside the Latham Ballroom. Democratic Gov. Beshear vetoes GOP bill aimed at dismantling DEI efforts in public universities Rector Edward Baine and other board members opposed the move, saying this would take a step back in the inclusion process. Still, the board voted to pass the order. 'At the end of the day, the resolution says we have to be compliant (with the law), and we always have been,' University spokesperson Mark Owczarski said. 'We have to make sure that we remain compliant in the face of evolving and changing law.' Owczarski said the university will continue to pursue alternate ways going forward to help people feel included. '152 years ago, we were founded to make available to those who seek it, a Virginia Tech education,' he said. 'That fundamental element of our mission has not and will not change.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pfluger, Crank named to US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors
Mar. 21—WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Congressman Jeff Crank (CO-05) were named by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (LA-04) to serve on the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, which provides independent advice and recommendations on matters relating to the U.S. Air Force Academy. "I am humbled and honored that Speaker Johnson has appointed me to serve again on the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors," said Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11). "As a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, I have first-hand experience with the critical function the Academy plays in graduating mission-ready leaders. I look forward to continuing my work in this role alongside Rep. Crank and the presidential appointmentees, to ensure the Academy maintains its focus on lethality, merit, and developing cadets into the next generation of leaders and warfighters to win." "The Air Force Academy develops future leaders in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force," said Rep. Jeff Crank (CO-05). "I am honored that Speaker Johnson has appointed me to serve on the Board of Visitors, and I look forward to working with the Board to advance the Academy's continued success." In a letter to Rep. Pfluger, Speaker Johnson wrote, "I am writing to inform you that pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 9455(a), I have appointed you to serve on the Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy. The term of this appointment is for the duration of the 119th Congress. I am honored to appoint you, and I look forward to seeing the results of your work. Congratulations on your appointment."
The Hill
17-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump appoints Charlie Kirk, Walt Nauta, Michael Flynn to military boards
President Trump on Monday announced a slew of allies would be appointed to the Board of Visitors at the nation's military academies, including lawmakers and conservative media personalities. Trump posted on Truth Social that his picks for the West Point Board of Visitors included Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant general who in 2017 pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents. Other appointees included Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Maj. Gen. David Bellavia, Lt. Gen. Dan Walrath, Meghan Mobbs and Maureen Bannon, an Army veteran who is the daughter of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Trump also announced that members of the Board of Visitors for the Air Force Academy would include conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, retired Col. Doug Nikolai and Dina Powell, who served in Trump's first White House. The president also posted additional appointments to the Naval Academy Board of Visitors, which included his personal aide, Walt Nauta. Nauta was indicted as part of former special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents. The case has since been dropped. Other appointees to the Naval board included Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), former Georgia state Rep. Earl Erhart and former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer. The board of visitors provides guidance and oversight of each military institute's morale, financial state and academics and provides an annual report to the president. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have rapidly overhauled the military, ending any programs deemed to be affiliated with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and banning transgender troops, among other measures.
Fox News
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
University of Virginia to remove its DEI office: 'Voted for commonsense'
The University of Virginia's Board of Visitors Friday voted to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office after President Trump's executive orders against DEI efforts in the federal government. "DEI is done at UVA," Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on X Friday. "Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity. Students at Mr. Jefferson's University—and across America—deserve unlimited intellectual freedom, not ideological gatekeeping." The university's Board of Visitors is made up of 17 voting members appointed by the governor. "This is a huge step to restoring the values of Mr. Jefferson, who founded the university, who understood that we are all created equal, and that's exactly what this is about — ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity," Youngkin said on the "Ingraham Angle" Friday. He said the university's resolution also eliminates "any program that violates the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act or, of course, President Trump's executive order that laid all of this out and prohibits moving these programs someplace else where they would be hidden or using third-party contractors." Youngkin said his administration has been working against DEI efforts in the state since his election. "We, of course, embrace the idea that we come from a diverse society, diverse experiences, and, of course, diverse views, and that, of course, is one of our strengths as a nation, but we have to eliminate illegal discrimination," he explained. "And now we're in a moment where we have our flagship university make a very clear statement that DEI is done at the University of Virginia," he added. The resolution said the "University's Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships is hereby dissolved," adding the school "shall immediately transfer permissible programs to a new organizational home." The resolution didn't specify what would count as a "permissible" program. The resolution added that the university's president would update the board on compliance within 30 days. The board cited the university's mission statement, which "includes a commitment to [developing] the full potential of talented students from all walks of life" in its resolution. It continued by saying that the board "highly values diversity, including diversity of thought and experience, and fosters an inclusive environment, encouraging a culture of opportunity for all, which immensely enriches our Grounds, and is committed to providing every student an education that is free from discrimination and grounded in merit."
