A panel of state senators grilled the University of Virginia's rector Monday — mostly about the resignation of former President Jim Ryan and the selection of Scott Beardsley, his replacement.
There's been increased scrutiny of UVA's leadership since Ryan's departure last summer, after federal officials pressured the public university to respond to numerous inquiries into its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and allegations of race-based admissions, among other topics.
Multiple groups have raised concerns about the presidential search process, and on Monday lawmakers questioned why the board — which currently remains short five members — couldn't have waited until it was full move forward.
Rector Rachel Sheridan defended the board's decision, adding that the search committee looked for someone who could stabilize the university, earn trust and help the school move forward.
"For those who were concerned that throughout the last six months, that the search process would produce an ideologue with some sort of political agenda for the university, we ask you to judge the result," Sheridan said. "Scott Beardsley could not be less political or less of an idealogue."
She noted the only direction the board received from outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin's office regarding the search was through the public exchange of letters between Youngkin and Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger. In those, Spanberger requested a pause on the presidential search and Youngkin argued otherwise.
Recent reporting from The Washington Post, however, detailed text messages between conservative UVA board members and Youngkin aides, coordinating to address issues like gender-affirming care and DEI efforts. Sheridan, who Youngkin appointed, said she's often found herself reconciling some extremes on the board.
"I was not a Youngkin point person," Sheridan said. "But I was, in fact, the person that tried to bring consensus and moderation to the board."
Ryan released a 12-page letter in November detailing his recollection of the events that transpired leading up to his resignation. Some of the details conflicted with an 8-page letter Sheridan had previously released with her recounting of the events.
When Sen. Creigh Deeds (D–Charlottesville) asked whether she disagreed with the contents of Ryan's letter, Sheridan said she'd only comment on her recollection of events leading up to Ryan's resignation.
"I'm not going to have a 'he said, she said' over what Jim Ryan put in the letter," Sheridan said.
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D–Chesterfield), the incoming lieutenant governor, asked Sheridan "at what point" she reached the conclusion that Ryan should step down.
"I never decided President Ryan should leave. He decided whether he was going to go," Sheridan responded, referring back to her letter.
Ryan's account, however, described intense internal pressure to step down, calling into question whether or not the idea even came from federal officials.
What role — if any — UVA board members and other Virginia government officials played in Ryan's departure remains unclear.
In remarks that included his educational and professional background, Beardsley — who became UVA's president Jan. 1 after serving as its graduate business school's longtime dean — told members of the Senate Finance Committee that he wants UVA to lead in human-centered innovation.
"Virginia's future workforce will be shaped by things such as artificial intelligence and advanced data tools, and at UVA, our responsibility is to ensure that those tools are used for ethical purposes, strengthening productivity, helping our healthcare outcomes and preparing students to lead with judgment," Beardsley said.
He also acknowledged that "these are high-tension times" for UVA and that he welcomes "candid conversations" about the university's future.
"My decisions will be guided by the university's mission and values and not bipartisan politics," Beardsley said. "Secondly, I recognize the past year has been challenging, and I want to state again that I'm committed to rebuilding trust. That will take time, transparency and thoughtful action, but I'm committed to it."
Jeri Seidman, chair of UVA's faculty senate, told VPM News she was disappointed lawmakers didn't press the rector more about the events that led to Ryan's resignation — and said that when they did, Sheridan didn't seem interested in engaging.
Sheridan did not respond by publication time to follow-up questions VPM News sent via email after Monday's meeting.
On Monday, Deeds told VPM News that he still has questions and may want to speak with Sheridan further to establish a better working relationship with the school's rector.
"It's in all of our interests. Our economy depends on a healthy university system," Deeds said. "It's too important to be tainted by partisanship, and it never has been so partisan as it is now, and that's just too bad."
Deeds said legislation is in the works to ensure that after Spanberger, no governor appoints more than half of any public college's board in the commonwealth.
"The result will be that a wall will be constructed between the partisan world and our higher education system," Deeds said. "So there's always a division of ideas and a diversity of ideas."
Sheridan told Deeds during the meeting that she'd be willing to sit down with him to speak further. Deeds previously told VPM News he had to file a Freedom of Information Act request with UVA — the first such request he's made of a public university in Virginia as a lawmaker — in an attempt to get answers.
UVA's faculty senate in November called for the rector and vice rector's resignations, citing a lack of transparency.
Senate Finance Chair Mamie Locke (D–Hampton) told VPM News she thinks "the door is now open" to further dialogue with UVA's rector.
"Even though we're not responsible for the appointment, we are responsible for confirming — and we are also responsible for funding," Locke said. "So how can you ignore the people who are responsible for those two things?"
Seidman said she's not sure that more meetings between Sheridan and state lawmakers would be fruitful, given Sheridan's responses to certain questions.
"She seemed to make it clear that she was not interested in discussing anything in the past," Seidman told VPM News.
Clay Dickerson, president of UVA's student council, told VPM News he's also not optimistic about Sheridan being more transparent in the future: "Although I do acknowledge the fact that Sheridan is not the only individual at fault here, and there are plenty of folks on the current board who have mistreated the situation, it's the kind of thing where I think she'll take a lot of the hit."
As for Beardsley, Dickerson said he'll let him prove himself.
Copyright 2026 VPM