Following the highly publicized departure of former president Jim Ryan, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors named Paul Mahoney interim president at its August 4 meeting. As the board moves forward with the leadership search, groups on and off Grounds continue to raise concerns about Ryan’s ouster, the board itself, and the presidential search process.
Mahoney replaces acting president Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, who assumed the role upon Ryan’s resignation. Davis continues to serve as executive vice president and the university’s chief operating officer.
Prior to his appointment, Mahoney was the dean of the UVA School of Law from 2008 to 2016, and remains a professor at the law school.
Listening sessions were held from July 17 to 23 to determine community priorities for an interim president. Small groups of UVA Health leaders, staff, academic deans, undergraduate students, faculty, graduate students, and vice presidents, as well as the UVA Wise chancellor were invited to the sessions. Each session had two BOV members/representatives and a member of UVA leadership act as facilitators.
Beyond the small groups, an online nomination form and email were open to “members of the university community” through 5pm on July 25.
According to a community engagement and nomination summary presentation from the BOV meeting, top priorities in the selection of an interim president include “stabil[izing] and build[ing] trust,” “attracting and retaining talent,” “UVA Health,” “academic freedom and protection of research and teaching,” and “community relationships.” Two main challenges—“research and funding cuts” and the “highly complex legal environment”—were also named.
More than 140 people were nominated for the interim president position, with almost 600 nominations submitted. Among the nominees, five candidates received 30 or more nominations.
Organizations, including the UVA chapter of the American Association of University Professors, raised questions about the BOV and the process for selecting the interim and 10th president.
“The process for both the interim and permanent president implemented thus far by the BOV would constitute major violations of shared governance. We urge the Board to reconsider its approach for both searches and reconstitute those decision-making committees to be reflective of significant faculty, staff and student participation in the process,” reads a July 27 statement from the executive committee of the UVA-AAUP. “Unless the BOV changes its course on these search processes, we fear this will only exacerbate the lack of confidence of faculty, staff, students and alumni in the governance and undermine the stability of the university in the coming year.”
As the meeting moved into closed session, an anonymous online attendee “demanded transparency” from the board. When they returned to open session, the BOV provided no explanation for its selection—only holding a formal vote on the interim president nomination and the next board secretary.
With the appointment of an interim president, UVA is now focused on the search for its 10th president. A 28-member committee was named July 25, and includes 10 current BOV members.
The committee’s first meeting will be held this month. A rough timeline of four to six months was shared at the August 4 BOV meeting.
Photo: University of Virginia School of Law.
