UVA board affirms Scott Beardsley as president, orders review of hiring process

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors has ordered a “rigorous” review of the presidential search that brought Scott Beardsley to office, responding to widespread concerns about how the selection unfolded. At the same time, the newly reconstituted board moved to settle questions about Beardsley’s future, voting to affirm him as the university’s 10th president.

In a March 5 directive, the board asked its Audit Committee to take a close look at how the search was conducted, who was responsible for which parts and how decisions were made. The review will measure UVA’s methods against best practices at peer public research universities and the university’s own past presidential searches.

Rector Carlos Brown (Col class of ’96, Law class of ’99) said the BOV is prepared to work with Beardsley on shared goals, including “increasing affordability, endowing financial aid and improving accessibility” for all UVA students. But the board must also focus on rebuilding trust on Grounds.

“Given the significant challenges the university has faced over the past year, we have an added responsibility to check our work, to answer as many questions from the community as we can, and to make absolutely certain that our recruitment practices and procedures enable us to identify and attract the best possible candidates for key positions going forward,” he said.

The university’s previous board voted to install Beardsley as president during a special meeting Dec. 19—the final day of exams—despite mounting appeals to halt the search, which was led by a search committee convened on Aug. 22. The 62-year-old Darden School of Business dean was awarded a 5-and-a-half year contract with a base pay of $1.3 million that began Jan. 1.

The board acted despite an appeal from Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (Col class of ’01), to suspend the process until she was inaugurated Jan. 17. At the time, the board was entirely composed of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees. Similar calls to pause the search came from the Faculty Senate, a group of nine deans (not including Beardsley), and demonstrators with the United Campus Workers of Virginia and the American Association of University Professors.

Beardsley’s hiring concluded a turbulent year at the university. UVA’s ninth president, Jim Ryan (Law class of ’92), resigned abruptly in June amid pressure from the Trump administration’s Department of Justice. Two months later, former Law School Dean Paul Mahoney was appointed interim president and negotiated a deal with the DOJ that paused five open investigations on the condition that UVA adhere to the administration’s interpretation of antidiscrimination laws.

Jeri Seidman, who chairs the Faculty Senate, said the group was encouraged by the board’s decision to conduct a thorough review of the presidential search. Members have also discussed urging the BOV to separately examine the events that led to Ryan’s forced resignation.

“They are hopeful,” Seidman said, citing ongoing conversations with Rector Brown and a positive response from the Audit Committee chair to her request that the Faculty Senate be included in the review. “That is tempering their response, because they are seeing this might be a positive working relationship.”

Seidman said she is also compiling suggestions for how the BOV can rebuild credibility with faculty, including establishing regular communication, either in person or in writing.

If the BOV had moved to terminate Beardsley’s contract without cause, he would have been owed 12 months’ salary and 12 months’ sabbatical leave, plus sabbatical time already vested. He also would have been entitled to remain on the Darden faculty for 10 years at 60 percent of his annual salary as president or an amount equal to the salary of the Darden dean, whichever is less.

The new president said in a statement after the vote that he’s committed to leading with “transparency, engagement and constant improvement.”

“After a challenging period for our community,” Beardsley said, “restoring trust begins with listening and answering as many questions as possible and making certain that we are in the strongest possible position moving forward.”

UVA’s Chief Audit Executive Carolyn Saint and her staff will assist the Audit Committee, which will provide an update on its key findings before or during its June meeting, according to the university.