Virginia’s Governor-elect Wants a Say Over Leadership at U.Va.

Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, told the university’s board that the choice of a new president, to replace one pushed out by Republicans over the summer, should be delayed until she is in office.


Abigail Spanberger, who won the governorship of Virginia by a wide margin, is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 17. Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

By Stephanie Saul
Nov. 12, 2025
Updated 3:15 p.m. ET

Virginia’s governor-elect, Abigail Spanberger, moved quickly on Wednesday to assert influence over higher education in the state, where conservatives have been on a campaign to force colleges and universities to abandon diversity measures.

During the summer, for example, conservative alumni teamed with the Trump administration to force the resignation of James E. Ryan, who was president of the University of Virginia and a proponent of diversity initiatives.

The school’s governing body, the Board of Visitors, has been seeking a permanent replacement for Mr. Ryan. But in a letter Wednesday, Ms. Spanberger, a Democrat and alumna of the university, asked the board to put off choosing a successor until after she takes office next month, and has a chance to fill five vacant seats on the board. … Ms. Spanberger said the ousting of Mr. Ryan involved “federal overreach,” and that she was “deeply concerned” about the board’s failure to challenge the Trump administration.

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The letter, sent just over a week after Ms. Spanberger’s decisive election victory, seemed to illustrate how she intends to work to shape higher education in a state where leaders at three public universities — the University of Virginia, George Mason University and the Virginia Military Institute — have come under attack from alumni groups, largely over their efforts to increase campus diversity. In February, the board of V.M.I. voted against renewing the contract of Cedric T. Wins, the school’s first Black superintendent.

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Stephanie Saul reports on colleges and universities, with a recent focus on the dramatic changes in college admissions and the debate around diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.