Jan. 21
President Trump signs an executive order “ending illegal discrimination.”
Jan. 30
After a January 28 Trump executive order and a letter from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares directing them to do so, UVA and VCU say they will stop providing gender transition care to anyone younger than 19 years old.
Feb. 6
UVA launches a search for a new provost after Ian Baucom announces he will leave his post to become president of Middlebury College.
Feb. 13
A federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump executive order regarding transgender care for people under age 19; UVA resumes such treatments.
Feb. 14
The Trump administration’s Department of Education (DOE) Office for Civil Rights sends a Dear Colleague letter to educational institutions expanding the definition of unlawful discrimination from the 2023 Students For Fair Admissions decision to include any practice that treats students differently from one another on the basis of race, threatening a loss of federal funding for educational institutions that don’t comply.
Feb. 21
At a special meeting, the Board of Visitors (BOV ) passes its Resolution on Gender Care and Proper Board Governance, saying it had not been consulted regarding the changes in transgender care, and once again limiting such care for new patients under 19.
Feb. 25
The BOV learns the outcome of the investigation into Health System leadership in response to a Sept. 5, 2024, letter from UVA Physicians Group faculty. Afterward, President Jim Ryan (Law class of ’92) accepts Health System CEO Craig Kent’s resignation . Mitch Rosner is named interim Health CEO and will take the role more permanently in September.
March 7
The BOV approves a resolution dissolving the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships. The resolution references the 2023 SCOTUS decision barring race-conscious admissions practices, Trump’s January 21 executive order and the DOE’s Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter. In a letter in November, Ryan would say this resolution came directly from the administration of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
March 7
Ian Baucom leaves for Middlebury; Brie Gertler takes over as interim provost .
March 21
After several delays, UVA releases two heavily redacted reports resulting from independent reviews into the events preceding and following the 2022 shootings by a then-student on Grounds that left three students dead and two others wounded.
March 26
Gov. Youngkin fires his appointee Bert Ellis (Col class of ’75, Darden class of ’79) from the BOV and appoints Ken Cuccinelli (Engr class of ’91) to fulfill his term.
April 11
A Department of Justice (DOJ ) letter to 70 schools including UVA asks that they certify that they don’t use race-conscious decision-making in undergraduate admissions.
April 18
A second DOJ letter adds UVA law school admissions to its certification request.
April 24
A federal court enjoins the DOE from enforcing the Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter broadening the definition of unlawful discrimination.
April 28
A third DOJ letter details a complaint that UVA has not complied with the BOV ’s March 7 resolution and demands proof that it has been “fully and completely satisfied and accomplished.”
April 29
At a special meeting, the BOV approves a resolution called “Advancing Free Inquiry and Viewpoint Diversity at UVA.” The resolution notes that UVA had made progress in implementing the March 7 resolution.
May 2
A fourth DOJ letter details a complaint of antisemitic discrimination, harassment and abuse. It will be one of the two investigations closed in September.
May 22
A fifth DOJ letter informs UVA of a compliance investigation about the medical school’s admissions practices.
May 28
UVA sends internal guidance to schools and units to assess compliance with the March 7 BOV resolution regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. Law firm McGuireWoods will be tasked with conducting this internal compliance review.
June 6
The BOV elects Rachel Sheridan (Col class of ’94, Law class of ’98) as rector and Porter Wilkinson (Law class of ’07) as vice rector, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.
June 9
Virginia Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections defeats Youngkin’s appointment of Ken Cuccinelli (Engr class of ’91) to the BOV , leaving it at 16 members. The decision will be challenged in the courts and ultimately stand.
June 16
A sixth DOJ letter says the department has received complaints that President Ryan, his administration and certain faculty members have been trying to defy and evade federal antidiscrimination laws. It expands the compliance review to include the School of Nursing, Darden School of Business, School of Education and McIntire School of Commerce.
June 17
A seventh DOJ letter details a complaint from a UVA student about admissions into the Batten School of Public Policy and McIntire. It says, in part, that “dramatic, wholesale changes are required.” It will be one of the two investigations closed in September.
June 26
The New York Times reports that the DOJ has privately demanded the departure of President Ryan to help resolve its investigation.
June 26
The DOJ suspends investigations pending settlement negotiations.
June 27
President Ryan announces that he will resign effective July 11 . UVA COO J.J. Davis will be acting president until an interim president is named.
June 30
Gov. Youngkin appoints James Donovan, John Harris (Com class of ’82), Eugene Lockhart (Engr class of ’72, Darden class of ’74) and Calvert Saunders Moore (Col ’90 CM) to the BOV .
July 4
Twelve of 14 academic deans send a letter to the BOV requesting an accounting of the events leading up to President Ryan’s ouster.
July 11
Jim Ryan’s last day as president of UVA.
July 11
The Faculty Senate approves a resolution of no confidence in the BOV for “not protecting the university and its president from outside interference” and for not consulting with the body in times of crisis.
July 14
University of Texas System Board of Regents announces that UVA medical school Dean Melina Kibbe, who had been named in the 2024 letter of no confidence from UPG physicians, would become president of UT’s Health Science Center at Houston. A few days later, it is announced that University Medical Center CEO Wendy Horton will also depart UVA, for the University of California San Francisco Health Center.
July 25
UVA announces the 28-member Special Committee on the Nomination of a President to identify and recommend a 10th president to the BOV . Eight members of the BOV ultimately serve on the committee, with Rector Sheridan as chair.
July 29
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi releases guidance to all federal agencies expanding the interpretation of unlawful discrimination.
Aug. 4
At a special meeting, the BOV elects former law Dean Paul Mahoney as interim university president
Aug. 22
The presidential search committee meets for the first time.
Aug. 28
Virginia Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections defeats Gov. Youngkin’s last four BOV appointments, leaving the BOV at 12 members.
Sep. 9
UVA announces that it’s launching another search for a provost after the spring search was unsuccessful.
Sep. 12
At a BOV meeting, interim President Mahoney announces that two DOJ investigations—from May 2 and June 17—are closed.
Oct. 1
The Trump administration Department of Education (DOE) invites UVA and eight other institutions to join what it calls a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” for preferential funding.
Oct. 17
Through a letter from interim President Mahoney, UVA becomes the fifth school to decline to sign on to the Trump DOE compact .
Oct. 22
Interim President Mahoney signs a deal with the DOJ that pauses the five remaining investigations and assures compliance with the July 29 guidance from the U.S. attorney general.
Oct. 24
The Faculty Senate adopts a resolution expressing grave concerns regarding the Oct. 22 agreement with the DOJ and calls on Rector Sheridan and interim President Mahoney to clarify the circumstances and negotiations that led to the agreement and what it will require of UVA.
Nov. 3
At a meeting of the presidential search committee, Sheridan gives notice that the committee would hold closed meetings at undisclosed locations within 15 days to interview candidates.
Nov. 12
In a letter, Gov. -elect Abigail Spanberger (Col class of ’01) urges BOV Rector Sheridan and Vice Rector Wilkinson to refrain from selecting finalists for the president until she can appoint members to fill the final five vacancies to the board after she is inaugurated Jan. 17.
Nov. 13
Outgoing Gov. Youngkin responds to Gov. -elect Spanberger’s letter, criticizing her and defending the search process.
Nov. 13
In a letter to the Faculty Senate, Rector Sheridan outlines her view of the events that led to President Ryan’s resignation.
Nov. 14
The Faculty Senate adopts a resolution requesting that the presidential search be ceased until the BOV is at a full confirmed complement and calls for Rector Sheridan and Vice Rector Wilkinson to resign.
Nov. 14
In response to Rector Sheridan’s letter, former President Ryan sends a letter to the Faculty Senate outlining his view of the events that led to his resignation and his remaining questions.
Nov. 21
The presidential search committee and the external search firm release statements defending their work and stating that they would continue on their initial timeline but were not yet at the point of selecting finalists.
Nov. 21
Former student Christopher Darnell Jones is sentenced to five life sentences in the fatal 2022 shootings on Grounds .
Dec. 1
Nine of 14 academic deans send a letter to the BOV recommending it postpone the selection of a president.
Dec. 1
BOV member Paul Manning sends a letter to the BOV and the Faculty Senate detailing his account of the events leading up to President Ryan’s resignation.
Dec. 11
At a presidential search committee meeting, Sheridan announces that the committee will be conducting closed meetings at undisclosed locations over the next 15 days to conduct further interviews.
Dec. 12
The Faculty Senate adopts a resolution that any UVA president elected by a BOV without its full 17-member complement will not assume the position with the body’s confidence.
Dec. 19
Academic class exams end. At a special meeting, the BOV unanimously elects Darden Dean Scott Beardsley as UVA’s 10th president , effective Jan. 1, 2026, for five years and six months.
