CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, the University of Virginia’s chief operating officer, will serve as the institutions acting president following the resignation of Jim Ryan, the school announced Monday.
In a joint letter to the UVA community, outgoing rector Robert Hardie, whose term ended Monday, and incoming rector Rachel Sheridan, whose first day is Tuesday, praised Ryan and said Davis’s appointment is part of the school’s “Continuity of Operations Plan.”
“We share the sentiments of so many members of the University community who have expressed their sorrow about President Ryan’s resignation and their appreciation for his remarkable service to the institution,” the letter said. “Based on his outstanding record as president, it should come as no surprise that one of Jim’s last acts in office put the needs of the University ahead of his own.”
Ryan resigned Friday under pressure from the Trump Administration for failing to confirm that UVA is in compliance with orders to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and other initiatives the federal government now believe are violations of federal law.
Davis will remain in the acting president’s role into the university names an interim president. Ryan has not announced when his final day will be, although he has said it will be no later than Aug. 15.
The letter outlined those next steps, reading, “When the office of the presidency becomes vacant, the Board manual requires that the Rector promptly form and convene a search committee that will identify and recommend a new president to the Board. The search process will include input from a full range of stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, and alumni. This process will commence shortly, and we will continue to keep the community informed.”
