The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors has made more than its fair share of headlines recently. At the end of March, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin fired his own appointee, Bert Ellis, just weeks after the Board made the controversial decision to dissolve the University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
As UVA leadership navigates an increasingly polarized political climate, one long-standing position—the student member of the Board—is designed to ground the Board’s actions with perspectives from the student body. While the student representative cannot vote on policy, the Board’s rules recognize their voice as equal to those of the 17 voting members.
Lisa Kopelnik, outgoing student member of the BOV, says she applied to the role knowing it was a “pivotal moment in higher education.” During her one-year term, which ends June 1, Kopelnik focused on promoting accessibility and affordability, civil discourse, and safety on Grounds. The fourth-year was present for historic moments, including the resignation of UVA Health CEO Craig Kent and the back-and-forth over the presence of gender-affirming care for patients under 19.
Youngkin’s March 26 decision to fire Ellis, who was originally appointed in 2022, followed public debates over Ellis’ “anti-woke” stances on DEI, alleged code of conduct violations, and reportedly confrontational behavior toward students and local officials. While Youngkin initially asked Ellis to step down, the Board member was fired after he refused to cooperate with a public resignation statement.
When the environment became challenging, Kopelnik says she fell back on her duty to represent students.
“It was a difficult term, and it was a difficult period,” says Kopelnik, noting that she cannot speak for the Board as a whole. “I never stopped trying to portray this full, nuanced picture of the student experience, working with students from all walks of this university’s life, and really trying to voice students as much as I could through my role.”
The Board’s March 7 vote to shutter the university’s DEI office came after the Trump Administration’s January 21 executive order threatening funding cuts for public institutions that maintained DEI programming. When the Board reconsidered DEI at UVA, Kopelnik shared stories from a variety of students to humanize the issue and illustrate the ways policies impacted her classmates.
“It’s important that we are compliant with [the] federal government, but it’s really important that we are committed to our values as a university,” she says.
Kopelnik will be succeeded by third-year Gregory Perryman, who joins the Board after a two-year term on the advisory committee to the UVA Investment Management Company. Like Kopelnik, a major focus of Perryman’s platform is building stronger communication between students and Board members. He also aims to support UVA’s tradition of student self-governance, to address affordability concerns, and to incorporate student perspectives into decisions on emerging issues, like artificial intelligence and Name, Image, and Likeness policy.
As part of his work to strengthen connections between students, faculty, alumni, and community members, Perryman plans to hold open office hours and engage with a wide range of student organizations.
“I want to make sure that the student who knows nothing about the Board and has no idea what the Board of Visitors even does has opportunities to engage with me as a student,” Perryman says.
Some students have voiced criticism of the Board’s decisions to dissolve DEI and continually raise tuition. To reach those communities, Perryman says he will prioritize common ground.
“What I believe in is keeping those lines of communication open, being honest with one another, but also making sure that we don’t lose sight of our shared values,” he says.
In addition to Perryman, the BOV is slated to add another new face—former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Youngkin tapped Cuccinelli as Ellis’ replacement in a March 26 statement.
As attorney general, Cuccinelli defended outdated laws banning same-sex marriage and led investigations into climate researchers at UVA. He also unsuccessfully appealed to the Supreme Court to revive Virginia’s anti-sodomy law.
The General Assembly must vote to approve Cuccinelli’s appointment. In January’s session, it greenlighted the vast majority of Youngkin’s picks but blocked nine appointees from various board positions.
At press time, the General Assembly has not released a timeline for the vote on Cuccinelli’s appointment.
Gregory Perryman will succeed Lisa Kopelnik as the student member of the Board of Visitors on June 1. Supplied photo.
