Kirk departs: Contribs to politicians exceeded gifts to UVA
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Kirk, right, at the marathon June 18 meeting at which several secret votes to reinstate President Teresa Sullivan failed. She was reinstated eight days later.hawes spencer
Billionaire Randal J. Kirk, member of the "Forbes 400" and one of the key opponents of University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan, has left the Board of Visitors with a terse resignation letter submitted to Governor Bob McDonnell.
"I am honored to have served," Kirk tells McDonnell in his October 18 letter. "However, as I now reside in Florida, it is not practical for me to continue in this role."
The resignation was first reported by the Washington Post and subsequently by the Daily Progress, the latter of which revealed that Kirk was in the habit of missing meetings, attending just 9 of the 23 for which he was eligible and demonstrating the lowest attendance rate of any of the panel’s 17 voting members.
Kirk does, however, have a penchant for making money– and then giving chunks of it to governors. While a summertime Freedom of Information request found that Kirk had donated $60,000 to UVA, his donations to governors far surpass that.
According to data from the Virginia Public Access project, Kirk and his companies gave $940,000 to the man who appointed him, Tim Kaine. The data show that he gave $300,000 to McDonnell, who could have reappointed him to a second four-year-term next summer.
A native of southwest Virginia who made a fortune in a company called New River Pharmaceuticals Inc. and who previously served on the board of his undergraduate alma mater, Radford University, Kirk is such a savvy biotech investor that he now has a net worth, according to Forbes, of $2.4 billion, making him the 190th richest person in America.
In a September email to a reporter, Kirk insisted that he was still on the UVA board but simply missed some meetings due to "personal" reasons that he communicated to the Rector.
His communications with Rector Helen Dragas were some of the highlights of the post-reinstatement press cycle. In one email, he denigrated the talents of some unnamed fellow board members as he encouraged the Rector to move forward on the presidential ouster. In another, he credited his own college-age work at selling cars as a precursor to his later success. And he noted that one of his nannies has two UVA degrees. He did not reply to a recent Hook email seeking clarification on such matters.
While the UVA Board has been criticized for conducting too much of its business behind closed doors, and while Kirk's opinions may be hard to find in the official minutes, Dragas reportedly told the Post that Kirk's "candor and intellect were invaluable.”
Kirk Fedexed his resignation letter to the governor just a day before the Board's most recent meeting, and he suggested that his out-of-state move might have made him ineligible.
However, according to interim UVA spokesperson McGregor McCance, the legal maximum on out-of-state Board members is five. Kirk's resignation leaves just three out-of-state members: A. McDonald Caputo of Connecticut, Ed Miller of Maryland, and John Nau of Texas.
The governor's office has made no official statement on a replacement board member. The UVA board next meets in Charlottesville on November 14.
***
After this story went to the printing press at 5pm on Monday the 29th of October, the Washington Post released another report on Kirk, this one letting Kirk make the disputed claim that Sullivan was an interim president and revealing that he took a dim view of her leadership skills while holding a sunny view of Dragas' skills. “The press so rapidly fell victim to the idea that there has to be a hero and a victim in every story,” Kirk is quoted. “There is no victim. And there’s only one hero, and that’s Helen Dragas.”
50 comments
Kirk is a sore loser. Radford evidently did not help him much in the ways of above-board conduct.
May Dragas be the next to depart the BoV. C'mon, General Assembly: do your jobs.
U-Va.’s Sullivan was hired as an interim, ex-member of board says
Washington Post, October 29
University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan was hired as an “interim” president and thus was never fully engaged by the historic school’s governing board before her ouster over the summer, according to a new account of events that preceded the leadership crisis in Charlottesville.
In a lengthy interview with The Washington Post, Randal J. Kirk, who recently stepped down from the board, broke the silence that has hung over U-Va’s board since it forced Sullivan out in June and then reinstated her 18 days later.
“There was an attitude of, ‘Here’s someone who is pretty good and will do for a while,’ ” Kirk said in a telephone interview from his home in Florida. “Teresa Sullivan was sold to this board as an interim. . . . The fact that she was presented to us in this way, we didn’t really engage with her and share what we expected.”
Sullivan’s reports to the board were “facile and lame” activity logs, Kirk said, lacking the strategic vision he expected from a “CEO” overseeing a multibillion-dollar education and health-care enterprise.
Kirk said he and other board members grew increasingly frustrated, and this spring decided that Sullivan needed to leave before her five-year contract was up. At least 15 of the 16 board members firmly backed that position, he said.
“All of us felt the university needed a better president,” Kirk said. “That was for sure.”
“The press so rapidly fell victim to the idea that there has to be a hero and a victim in every story,” Kirk said. “There is no victim. And there’s only one hero, and that’s Helen Dragas.”
Kirk said that most faculty — who as a group have vocally supported Sullivan — don’t understand the role of the board, rushed to unfair conclusions about what had happened and are now doing “as many victory dances as they can.” He said the faculty acted like Sullivan was a “union employee” who was demanding to know which “violation of the shop rules” had warranted her firing.
“I just disagree with that philosophy,” he said. “Why wasn’t there ever a presumption that you had a board that wanted better? Why didn’t this ever pass anyone’s mind?”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-vas-sullivan-was-hired-a...
Good Riddance! Maybe you can buy your way onto Univ of FL's board....
Kirk's rationale as reported in The Post is all well & good -- and he is, of course, entitled to an opinion. However, it is not only the ousting of UVa's president that sparked ire. As much as anything, it was the way in which the BoV went about their sneaky business that spurred an outrage that continues unabated to this day. Why all the star chamber nonsense, Kirk? Did you have to quit the BoV to grow a pair of cajones so you could finally say something? Too little, too late.
Had Kirk not ponied up a lot of green money to assorted governors he likely would have never slithered his way onto the BoV.
I reiterate my call to the GA: do your jobs and oust Helen Dragas. She deserves nothing more.
One thing Kirk says is intreresting -- that the press and public in June instantly latched onto heroes and villains. That is true, and it is kind of funny how the faculty chose sides. Probably the bogus process is what tipped them more than anything. After all, the sainted Prez was making 10 times what most faculty make annually, and hadn't given an across the board raise to faculty or staff since her arrival. Then she forced onto them a cookie-cutter budget model that really doesn't work for the so-called "obscure" programs like Classics and German that have no practical ability to pay their own way, which rasied suspicions that she was setting them up for some future cutting when they failed to deliver the $. And now she is trying to force down their throats a "peer review" staff performance evaluation system that many claim threatens academic freedom and the perceived sanctity of tenure. This is who the masses rose up for, just because a craven capitalistic board duped the Prez into resigning without "consulting" a faculty that doesn't actually have any managerial role regarding executive hires? Goes to show just how offensive the BOV's prcess was, when faculty and staff chose sides with someone who has not yet, in her short time here, worked much in their interest. Then, post-crisis,the BOV compounds its idiocy by at one meeting telling the faculty senate chair to stop asking reasonable questions, and then letting a quitting member sound off in the press about the "reasons" for dumping Sully that the remaining BOV still refuses to provide. You'd think they would have persuaded Kirk to keep his yap shut -- sounds like maybe the relationships within the BOV are just as strained as those the BOV has with everyone else. So, right, Kirk, there are no heroes and villains here, just a full set of stooges. Nyuk nyuk nyuk.
"Kirk Out" would have been a better headline.
“There was an attitude of, ‘Here’s someone who is pretty good and will do for a while,’ ” Kirk said in a telephone interview from his home in Florida. “Teresa Sullivan was sold to this board as an interim. . . . The fact that she was presented to us in this way, we didn’t really engage with her and share what we expected.”
so he gave it to the press that the BOV is incompetent and failed to do their job? Priceless. The accreditation folks are gonna love that one. Resign Dragas - the house of cards is crumbling.
@Cotton: You are right. That would have been a much better headline!--hawes spencer
"...we didn’t really engage with [Sullivan] and share what we expected.” Well, if Kirk felt so strongly that Sullivan was the wrong choice, why did he vote to reinstate her? Remember it was a unanimous vote to reinstate Sullivan. UVA's BoV are a bunch of weak lemmings following behind Dragas. The BoV is responsible for UVA's honor code; apparently they, led by Dragas have the honor policy of "Do as I say, not as I do."
The final paragraph of The Post article is priceless:
"He also added that the wave of faculty, alumni and student support that erupted for Sullivan this summer was unexpected: 'Obviously she’s a stronger leader than we initially believed.'”
The arrogance and ignorance of several of these board members, as revealed in their pre-firing emails, is grounds for removal.
UVa will never reach it's potential with board members in the "Kirk Mold ".
UVa deserves better and it is imperative that the General Assembly vote Helen Dragas off the Board.
what an a... hole. The more these bov members talk, the more they reveal themselves to be pack of weasels. Left to their own devices they will eventually devour themselves.
UVA BoV is clearly dysfunctional. Kirk and Dragas should have resigned in June 2012. Remove those BoV who have displayed any lack of support for UVA and President Sullivan.
Dr. Sullivan is moving the U in a positive direction. Rankings, graduation rates, enrollment, and online education have moved UVA up the ranks. That's leadership! President Sullivan has the UVA community in her corner. Dragas and the board do not!
Kirk was not a devoted board member. Kirk is clearly representing just how dysfunctional the BoV has become under McDonnell's governorship and Dragas' rectorship. The general assembly must act and remove Dragas in order to restore the BoV's integrity before the UVA accreditation becomes a broader issue in December, 2012.
Should the General Assembly not act to remove Dragas, and the U's accreditation is placed on probation, that will ruin the reps of many others on the BoV. To say nothing of the domino affect...
Kirk's comments: “There was an attitude of, ‘Here’s someone who is pretty good and will do for a while,’ ” Kirk said in a telephone interview from his home in Florida. “Teresa Sullivan was sold to this board as an interim. . . . The fact that she was presented to us in this way, we didn’t really engage with her and share what we expected.”
I hope the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools hammers UVA board of visitors and place the U on probation.
There is clearly a lack of leadership and this is very disruptive to the UVA community. Transparency BoV's!
From the UVA home page:
UVA BoV "Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee shall consider all matters referred to it by the Rector or the President and shall, in the interim between meetings of the Board, be vested with the powers and authority of the full Board and shall take such action on all matters that may be referred to it as in its judgment is required. All such actions taken by the Executive Committee in the interim between meetings of the Board shall be reported to the Board at the next regular meeting and shall, if confirmation is required, be confirmed and approved by the Board at that time.
Members:
Helen E. Dragas, Chair
George Keith Martin
Marvin W. Gilliam Jr.
Victoria D. Harker
John L. Nau III
Timothy B. Roberston"
I don't see how Dragas' coup of 3 could have legally brought down President Sullivan. There is something very wrong with the BoV.
@NancyDrew - "UVa will never reach it's potential with board members in the "Kirk Mold " -- Seems the "Kirk Mold" has finally broken! Thank you for your insight. The UVa BoV must be scrutinized and Dragas must resign for the benefit of the UVA. Dragas is not leadership; she is crisis(ship). One crisis after another...
Virginia General Assembly: Please vote the entire UVA Board of Visitors out! They lack leadership and do not support the president. Resignation after resignation from the BoV spells T.R.O.U.B.L.E. Please GA, act on behalf of the UVA community and the Virginia taxpayer(s).
To the General Assembly: have you forgotten your constituents?
FB/Twitter UVA community: assembly 'en mas' please! I love surprises.
Randal Kirk is one of those people who seeks opportunity for himself at every turn, sort of like Mitt Romney, for whom he'll almost certainly vote. And like Romney, Kirk has a very difficult time with the truth.
Kirk has given a LOT of money to both parties. But in the last several years, Kirk has donated almost exclusively to Republicans, with 75 percent going to GOP candidates and PACS since 2009, and 100 percent of his cash going to Republicans in 2011.
And who did KIrk donate to? To conservatives like Bob McDonnell. And flaky Jeff Frederick. And hard-core right-winger Mark Obenshain. And nut job Richard Black. And Tea Party state Senate candidates Adam Light and Ben Loyola. And fascist Tom Garrett.
It's a good thing that Kirk resigned from the UVa Board....but he's already helped do serious damage to the University's reputation and to its administrative functioning.
But, as I've noted perviously, this isn't JUST about UVa.
What Bob McDonnell plans for UVa is not much different that what he (and Republican nominee MItt Romney) intend for public education in general. For K-12 education, as Diane Ravitch describes it, it’s “a rehash of Republican education ideas from the past 30 years...subsidizing parents who want to send their child to a private or religious school, encouraging the private sector to operate schools, putting commercial banks in charge of the federal student loan program, holding teachers and schools accountable for students' test scores, and lowering entrance requirements for new teachers.” It’s “support for using taxpayer money to pay for private-school vouchers, privately-managed charters, for-profit online schools, and almost every other alternative to public schools.”
For higher education, the emphasis is on "innovation and skill attainment" and more degrees. As Ravitch notes, the (misguided) belief is that “ higher education will become more affordable when more students enroll in online universities, most of which are low-cost and for-profit. Of course, online universities are cheaper; they have no capital costs, no library, no facilities, and minimal staff. Some are under investigation for fraud because of their methods of recruiting students; they have fended off federal regulation by a heavy (and bipartisan) investment in lobbying.”
The whole sordid Teresa Sullivan-ouster affair is not just about UVa, though there are many who’d like to believe that. It’s about the future of public education in Virginia and in the country.
When I heard of the Kirk resignation, already knowing about his lack of contribution of any type to the University, his dismal attendance record, his slavish devotion to the unwise coup attempted by Rector Dragas last summer, and to the Rector, herself, I was pleased. Of course, there is simply no option but for Ms. Dragas to follow him out the door. She should have resigned at the time her other cohort, Mr. Kingston did. I do not understand whose idea it was to turn the University's Board of Visitors into a spoiled, dysfunctional, untalented, rich kids' club. This seems to be the result of the politicians Kaine and McDonnell, taking the money of these people for their own use, and disregarding whether they have anything positive to add to the University's governance. Kirk's post-quitting statement regarding the Board's having hired Dr. Sullivan as an evidentally secret "interim" president, and having disregarded their obligation to keep the president in the loop regarding their loopy policies, is nonsensical. It is also telling to see how paltry have been the financial contributions of these enormously rich, unwise, Board members, in light of their vaunted personal wealth and the amount they throw away to influence dysfunctional politicians who give them positions requiring much more than these people have, simply to make their benefactors happy. My goodness, when I see that I, personally, have donated more to the University than either the wealthy developer, Ms. Dragas, or the billionaire, Mr. Kirk, without ever demanding anything in return (other than expecting the University to continue to pursue excellence, it makes me sick to see what they have done to the institution they laughably claim to "love". I agree with every sentiment expressed by the previous commenters, except Weekend Reader's wish for probation and Curious's factual misstatement about responsibility for the University's Honor Code. With respect to Weekend Reader's wish, my opposing wish is that the accreditation determination is based on the true mettle of the University of Virginia, without regard to the dysfunction of a few Richmond politicians and their wrongheaded, rich benefactors, whose time has run.
Dragas is not going to resign. She will have be dragged away kicking and screaming in a final show of dishonor. Our elected officials in Richmond will be the ones who will need to oust this irritating remnant of the June debacle.
The BoV and the President face accreditation issues and an ongoing investigation by the Dept of Education's Office of Civil Rights, not to mention this latest victim who has come out on FB. What is going on?????????????????
http://www.facebook.com/wendymurphylaw/posts/10151119026212705
non-smoker,
I am very sorry for you in light of your terrible experience, and in your experience penned elsewhere as "moi". However, as I am sure you recognize, it is not possibe for the University to correct serious and sensitive issues such as yours and to give women like you therespect, care, treatment and justice you so fundamentally deserve, until the Rector, Helen Dragas, is gone and her poisonous paralysis is removed from the University's governance.
Non-smoker: Why was a panel of deans hearing a case alleging rape? Isn't that a police/justice matter?
Elizabeth, probably the deans were hearing it because the case was handled under the University's administrative systems rather than as a police case. There is a conflict of interest in the system. Students turn to administrators for advice on how to handle a case, and the student hears (intentional or not) that following that system is going to be easier for the victim than going the police/court route.
To put it in the best light, the administrator they talk with may really believe that it is easiest. To put it in the worst, it's a ham-handed move to avoid a PR hit.
I haven't had enough experience to know which of those to versions is closest to the truth, but victims who speak out publicly do, and most feel abused by the University.
Dragas must resign. She has discredited UVA long enough. The GA must act and remove her.
I hope Hook requests FOIA documents regarding Kirk's comments. We need to know what's going on regarding the President's position at UVA. We have Ed Miller, Carl Zeithaml stating that they were tapped as 'interim' presidents. Define interim...
What happened to this thread?
Hook allowed the topic to transverse to rapes on campus. Sadly, rape occurs.
This thread is about the governing board of 'visitors' at UVA.
The rape posters here have been PAID OFF by Hill & Knowlton in order to disrupt the attacks on the terrible and non-existent BoV leadership. Check you MAP software for influencers at UVA...
Very sad documentary on the way crisis is handled at UVA. IMO.
"you" should be "YOUR" - DRAGAS MUST NOT BE CONFIRMED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY!
check your MAP influencers and klout ratings for legitimate posts. The "rape" topic is a disguise! Only when Dragas resigns will there be legitimate leadership at UVA.
Do you all understand "klout" ratings and tracking of your social media posts"? Do you understand that Hill & Knowlton know and understand your moves on the internet based on you historic pasts?
Really?
How come they didn't show the Charlie Brown halloween special!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why? Why?
Courtney's Mom,
It is, indeed, interesting to see how these discussions about the unsufferable leadership of Ms. Dragas (and her inexplicable reappointment by the politician occupying the Commonwealth's highest elective office at the moment) are invariably thrown off track by comments that are so far off point. I certainly hope you are wrong that these distracting commenters, who employ fundamentally serious, sensitive and disturbing -- but off-topic -- subjects are paid or otherwise encouraged by the public relations firm that has been employed by and for Ms. Dragas, and paid by Mr. Nau on her behalf. The Dragas leadership is harmful enough to the University. But, if what you suggest is really going on, it seems to me that her behavior is more than destructive, and is actually criminal in nature. As an American living overseas, I really have no influence over Virginia elections, but it seems to me that Virginia voters really need to pressure their representatives in the General Assembly to rid the University and the Commonwealth of this scourge.
"UVA BoV is clearly dysfunctional. Kirk and Dragas should have resigned in June 2012. Remove those BoV who have displayed any lack of support for UVA and President Sullivan." I agree.
Dragas' resignation is pending...seems non-smoker and moi have quieted down since they have been busted. Their posts were paid for by Hill & Knowlton & thus paid for by Nau and Dragas consent.
Hill and Knowlton should be ashamed at their tactics.
Dragas will resign because this is borderline criminal activity. @Dragas: how do your children feel about your illegal activity? IMO failure!
"On Monday, the university's Faculty Senate, after meeting with Helen E. Dragas, the board's rector, called for both Dragas and Kington to resign." And, why hasn't Dragas resigned?
Lack of Dragas' leadership is more to the point: thanks for your comments.
"Eurohoo October 31st, 2012 | 6:10am
"When I heard of the Kirk resignation, already knowing about his lack of contribution of any type to the University, his dismal attendance record, his slavish devotion to the unwise coup attempted by Rector Dragas last summer, and to the Rector, herself, I was pleased. Of course, there is simply no option but for Ms. Dragas to follow him out the door. She should have resigned at the time her other cohort, Mr. Kingston did. I do not understand whose idea it was to turn the University's Board of Visitors into a spoiled, dysfunctional, untalented, rich kids' club. This seems to be the result of the politicians Kaine and McDonnell, taking the money of these people for their own use, and disregarding whether they have anything positive to add to the University's governance. Kirk's post-quitting statement regarding the Board's having hired Dr. Sullivan as an evidentally secret "interim" president, and having disregarded their obligation to keep the president in the loop regarding their loopy policies, is nonsensical. It is also telling to see how paltry have been the financial contributions of these enormously rich, unwise, Board members, in light of their vaunted personal wealth and the amount they throw away to influence dysfunctional politicians who give them positions requiring much more than these people have, simply to make their benefactors happy. My goodness, when I see that I, personally, have donated more to the University than either the wealthy developer, Ms. Dragas, or the billionaire, Mr. Kirk, without ever demanding anything in return (other than expecting the University to continue to pursue excellence, it makes me sick to see what they have done to the institution they laughably claim to "love". I agree with every sentiment expressed by the previous commenters, except Weekend Reader's wish for probation and Curious's factual misstatement about responsibility for the University's Honor Code. With respect to Weekend Reader's wish, my opposing wish is that the accreditation determination is based on the true mettle of the University of Virginia, without regard to the dysfunction of a few Richmond politicians and their wrongheaded, rich benefactors, whose time has run."
@democracy - Dragas must resign; what a terrible situation she has placed UVA's leadership...your points are well taken;
your quotes:
"Randal Kirk is one of those people who seeks opportunity for himself at every turn, sort of like Mitt Romney, for whom he'll almost certainly vote. And like Romney, Kirk has a very difficult time with the truth.
Kirk has given a LOT of money to both parties. But in the last several years, Kirk has donated almost exclusively to Republicans, with 75 percent going to GOP candidates and PACS since 2009, and 100 percent of his cash going to Republicans in 2011.
And who did KIrk donate to? To conservatives like Bob McDonnell. And flaky Jeff Frederick. And hard-core right-winger Mark Obenshain. And nut job Richard Black. And Tea Party state Senate candidates Adam Light and Ben Loyola. And fascist Tom Garrett.
It's a good thing that Kirk resigned from the UVa Board....but he's already helped do serious damage to the University's reputation and to its administrative functioning.
But, as I've noted perviously, this isn't JUST about UVa.
What Bob McDonnell plans for UVa is not much different that what he (and Republican nominee MItt Romney) intend for public education in general. For K-12 education, as Diane Ravitch describes it, it’s “a rehash of Republican education ideas from the past 30 years...subsidizing parents who want to send their child to a private or religious school, encouraging the private sector to operate schools, putting commercial banks in charge of the federal student loan program, holding teachers and schools accountable for students' test scores, and lowering entrance requirements for new teachers.” It’s “support for using taxpayer money to pay for private-school vouchers, privately-managed charters, for-profit online schools, and almost every other alternative to public schools.”
For higher education, the emphasis is on "innovation and skill attainment" and more degrees. As Ravitch notes, the (misguided) belief is that “ higher education will become more affordable when more students enroll in online universities, most of which are low-cost and for-profit. Of course, online universities are cheaper; they have no capital costs, no library, no facilities, and minimal staff. Some are under investigation for fraud because of their methods of recruiting students; they have fended off federal regulation by a heavy (and bipartisan) investment in lobbying.”
The whole sordid Teresa Sullivan-ouster affair is not just about UVa, though there are many who’d like to believe that. It’s about the future of public education in Virginia and in the country."
Nancy Drew says: "The arrogance and ignorance of several of these board members, as revealed in their pre-firing emails, is grounds for removal.
UVa will never reach it's potential with board members in the "Kirk Mold ".
UVa deserves better and it is imperative that the General Assembly vote Helen Dragas off the Board."
I agree!
and, from another post:
From the UVA home page:
UVA BoV "Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee shall consider all matters referred to it by the Rector or the President and shall, in the interim between meetings of the Board, be vested with the powers and authority of the full Board and shall take such action on all matters that may be referred to it as in its judgment is required. All such actions taken by the Executive Committee in the interim between meetings of the Board shall be reported to the Board at the next regular meeting and shall, if confirmation is required, be confirmed and approved by the Board at that time.
Members:
Helen E. Dragas, Chair
George Keith Martin
Marvin W. Gilliam Jr.
Victoria D. Harker
John L. Nau III
Timothy B. Roberston"
I don't see how Dragas' coup of 3 could have legally brought down President Sullivan. There is something very wrong with the BoV.
@Week-end Reader
I'm so flattered that you missed me. Dragas is what her name says and as for Sullivan, I think she's in over her head. You may not agree but she lacks the management skills required to run this large institution. I'm not going to question her integrity because I don't know her. As for her role in covering up rapes at UVA, the jury is still out.
As for Hill & Knowlton, why did you have to insult me? Have I offended you because because I think UVA deserves better than these two women plus the rest of the BoV. I'm not impressed by any of them and don't have any horse in this race. I'd like to see a healthy academic and social environment and some real transparency. Way too much to ask in C'Ville.
Busted? I don't think so.
@ Moi aka non-smoker; Dragas is in way over her head! And, yes we track what and who is posting to subvert the subject at hand. Your posts come up repeatedly.
Just in case you don't understand, Dragas is in over her head.
and moi, your klout rating declines each time you post about rape. Give yourself a break or not. We really care about the UVA. We care about the whole picture!
No one takes 'moi' seriously anymore. Dragas is a loser and she must resign!
@moi - I agree. Dragas must resign due to lack of leadership. Absolutely, DRAGAS must resign!
@moi, who do you represent? I don't get your posts. Sorry, I understand rape happens, and that is so awful; but I don't get your intermittent posts.
@moi - I believe President Sullivan is exactly where UVA needs her! Dr. Sullivan is an exemplary representative of the University of Virginia. She has sound judgement and has proven to be an excellent leader!
@Atlantic - I beg to differ.
Moi and A-P,
I am perfectly ok with a healthy discussion and difference of opinion on whether Dr. Sullivan is the best university president in history. From my distance across the Atlantic (which occasionally -- and recently -- telescopes into discussions in the parking lot at Scott Stadium) it is simply too early for me to tell the kind of job she does. However, I have not encountered either information about anything she does wrong, nor have I had discussions with people who are severly critical of her performance or stewardship to date. I recall the same discussion about the late Edgar Shannon, who masterfully led the University through some extremely challenging times. These are always valid discussions in which peoples' viewpoints differ. However, the current discussion should focus squarely upon the one person upon whose effectiveness nobody who is thoughtful, or who cares at all about the great institution, has any disagreement -- the Rector, Helen Dragas. It is unimaginable that she retains her cold, dysfunctional, inept and harmful grip upon the position. She obviously doesn't understand that she does herself no credit by remaining, and obviously doesn't get that she brings nothing positive to the University. I, and every one of the many, many proud alums in every walk of life and on various continents, with whom I have had discussions on the subject, look forward to the day when she leaves and thereby enables the work of the great University of Virginia to continue. Although I own real estate in Virginia and pay taxes there, I vote elsewhere and have limited influence upon members of the General Assembly who must rise to the task. If you vote in Virginia, please do not be shy about contacting them, as they will hear you and depend upon your support. Your governor simply blew it when he re-appointed her. The GA can help him in correcting his error.
Where is the downside in Dragas making her exit? I can think of no gain anywhere. Once we answer the question of who or what gains the puzzle will be solved.
why,
seems to me that only the delusional Ms. Dragas, herself, will feel compromised when she leaves. Every other constituent and passing interest in the University will be delighted. Then, of course, there are the two theories regarding the governor. One says that she (Dragas) will blow the whistle on his pretending to not know anything about the ridiculous, failed, coup while he was prancing around in Europe, as he pretended that the BoV acted without his consent or prior knowledge -- such that the revelation of truth would politically embarrass him. The other suggests that powerful, corporate interests who wanted to do a takeover of the University (then, the rest of the only "best in show" export we have anymore -- post-secondary education) to monetize for their own benefit, huge university endowments and the overwhelming, but tradable, student debt that America has generated, and they want their stooges (Dragas and McDonnell) to remain in place for when they try it again. I have no clue whether there is a grain of truth to either theory, and really don't care. I just want the University to regain its legs, and move forward with the important mission directed by its founder. That can only begin once the insufferable Ms. Dragas leaves or is removed. Meanwhile, Tony Bennett has his biggest fan and supporter here in Europe. Go 'Hoos!
@Eurohoo - I agree with your comments. IMO, Ms. Dragas must be removed. Any questionable leadership that continues to taint the U should be removed.
@Eurohoo & AP - I agree with you. Dragas cannot redeem herself regardless of political party. She really must consider resignation or a straight jacket.
Leadership begins and ends with the BoV, and Dragas must end her toil and trouble at UVA. She has proven to be a thorn in the faculty side and has everyone related to the UVA on pins and needles. Why should UVA tenured faculty be reviewing their thrice recruit letters and such from vultures outside the UVA? We will probably sacrifice 20% of tenured profs and 25 non-tenured who have been with UVA longer than 7 years. Why would UVA allow this to happen? Because of one stupid ill-thought person on the BoV at UVA? Really?
This of course, will result in further resignations and of course accreditation issues are still pending at UVA.
Silence does not represent agreement. Silence represents fear. Dragas is fear to the nth degree. I hope the accreditation committee understands the fear among professors, researchers, staffers, et al.
The issue is the uber-rich have bought their way into control of public universities with the help of both Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell who represent the 1%. These people have let their money and power go to their heads and are drunk with power. They are out of touch with reality. The real problem is that the legislature allows this system of rewarding the rich with control of public entities like the Port Authority. Any reform of UVA BOV appointments should address the class conflict the current system promotes. This was not a personality squabble, It is class war and KIrk as much as admits it with his union framing. It is a public university, it belongs to the people of VA, and its board should reflect the values of all demographics in the commonwealth nit jyst the ultra wealthy. Get the rich off the BOV. The problem was constructed in a bi-partisan manner and it will take a non-partisan approach to get us out.
Secondly, the Kirk revelations indicate there is significant politics and conflict on the BOV. If he is half right the whole interim thing is a breach of fiduciary responsibility. They should all be dismissed. There was a minority that tried to pull a fast one on the whole BOV and Dragas led it. But hey, the longer she stays in the more we understand what happened, and the more time we have to get at the root of the class conflict behind the whole deal. The more time for the Legislature to do its thing, if we push them.
Glad Kirk is gone but who will McDonnell replace him with? Someone worse probably.
I think it's time for a Virginia-wide University Public Interest Research Group to raise money and lobby in Richmond. This problem is not going away and will rear its ugly head at other publics in VA. Time to get out in front and organized. In the mean time press your legislator to change the way in which the BOV is appointed, recent press indicates Toscano is losing his nerve for a Legislative solution and casting it as a personality problem and that is beyond legislation. Wrong. This won't be over when Dragas is removed one way or another it will be solved with the ultra rich don't control our University.
In the mean time we also have to be careful about Sullivan's response. She has some corporate-like initiatives like the new budget model and the peer-review salary process and technology initiatives that need careful watch. Is she really improving faculty shared governance? Some of the Deans are going full speed ahead with their competition-based schemes to garner more undergraduate enrollment. The University can only grow in size to a limited extent. Faculty and schools will be competing for the same undergrads and the competition model doesn't work in Higher Ed but some of the Deans have not received the memo yet. Again the solution is for Sullivan and the BOV to go back and demand the Legislators raise corporate taxes and pay for UVA and other publics at 100% of operating costs. We can't use the endowment.
Citizen Party,
As has ben established in the past, you and I have some fundamental differences (e.g., I have no problem with the University moving as far away from today's politicians as possible -- and away from dependency upon state money, I do not fear people simply because of their wealth, and I believe that the University was intended by its founder to be an elite institution of higher learning, and not an open door for every unqualified and needy student wannabe who happened to grow up in Virginia). However, we have the most important thing (in these discussions) in common -- a true love for, and interest in the success and well-being of, Mr. Jefferson's University. I also believe you make some very interesting and important points to consider. Although we disagree that the current issues are (as I see them) or are not (as you see them), the result of some dysfunctional personalities -- especially, and fundamentally, Ms. Dragas, we both agree that she must go. There is simply no valid purpose that is, or can be served by her continued clinging onto the position. She has harmed the University beyond descrition, and her damage continues as long as she remains in office. While I do not believe, as you do, that the University's problems are the result of class warfare, I certainly agree that the Governor is waging a class war to pander to the interests you fear, and I share your concern about his appointees. There could be no better example than the unbelievable Bobbi Kilberg, whose first order of business upon being appointed to the BoV, was to publicly stiffle free expression by the newly-reinstated President of the University. Kirk is gone. Thank Goodness. Being rich does not make someone who is a nitwit any smarter. We should not be distracted by his union rant, as he clearly speaks only for himself and is a one-man admirer of the equally limited thinker, Ms. Dragas. What is important, however, is the point of Mr. Spencer's article. We should be very concerned and suspicious of any BoV appointee whose contributions to the campaigns of the Governor appointing them so outweigh their contributions to the University. It is astonishing how little has been donated by the uber rich Dragas, the billionaire Kirk and the influential thug, Kilberg, when one considers their vast wealth and the amount they have given to their politician puppets in Richmond. While it is difficult to see what is inside someone's heart, this disparity in giving is certainly a sign.