<p>With today's announcement that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has put the University on warning because of the governance fiasco last summer, the Governor should remove Ms. Dragas immediately.</p>
<p>Sorry, I don't know how to post a link to the story.</p>
<p>[Messages</a> from the University of Virginia](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/messages.html]Messages”>http://www.virginia.edu/messages.html)</p>
<p>The General Assembly has the right to not approve her appointment. Send a message to your Delegate via their website and let them know your opinion on this matter. </p>
<p>[Group</a> seeks to quash Dragas’ reappointment - Daily Progress: News](<a href=“http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_27ea2a51-e4e4-528d-a8b2-0bd358dff139.html]Group”>http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_27ea2a51-e4e4-528d-a8b2-0bd358dff139.html)</p>
<p>[The</a> Cavalier Daily :: Bipartisan legislators host town hall to consider Dragas ouster](<a href=“http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2012/10/bipartisan-legislators-host-town-hall-to-consider-dragas-ouster]The”>http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2012/10/bipartisan-legislators-host-town-hall-to-consider-dragas-ouster)</p>
<p>woosah,
Thanks so much for posting these links. Important information for Virginia residents. Our representatives need to hear from us. I’ll save my very colorful thoughts regarding Ms. Dragas for my representative and spare this forum. ;)</p>
<p>Blue, I like you more every time you post. I’m right there with you.</p>
<p>Even if the legislature is not willing to refuse to confirm Dragas, there still is a need to reform the process.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the accredition board is NOT threatening UVa’s accredition, and is NOT proposing anything that will hurt students or faculty. They are publicly rebuking the members of the Board who were in place over the summer, and urging the many new members to push faster to adopt reforms.</p>
<p>Right back at you 89wahoo. 
I was able to link an email to both my state representatives on the General Assembly website and send them message letting them know my feelings on Ms. Dragas’s continued affiliation with the University as well as my thoughts to change the way the BOV’s are appointed. A low man on the totem pole will glance at it long enough to put a checkmark in the ‘one more against’ column, but I’m okay with that.</p>
<p>Charlie, thank you for making these very important points. It is important that people understand what this means, and more importantly what it does not mean. Sadly, many will not make the distinction and that is all the more reason to remove the affiliation with Ms. Dragas.</p>
<p>Good article in the Post this morning. Best holiday gift of all would be for Ms. Dragas to resign. It is past time. </p>
<p>[U-Va</a>. receives warning from accreditors after failed ouster of president in June - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-receives-warning-from-accreditors-after-failed-ouster-of-president-in-june/2012/12/11/3a5553d0-43b1-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html?hpid=z4]U-Va”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-receives-warning-from-accreditors-after-failed-ouster-of-president-in-june/2012/12/11/3a5553d0-43b1-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html?hpid=z4)</p>
<p>Thanks for the link to the Post article. I’m glad to see the accrediting body take this action. There should be consequences for those board members who violated the compliance standards. If they were unaware that such standards existed (hard to believe), or if they couldn’t see that their actions were not in line with those standards (ditto) - well, what are they doing on the governing board of a top university?</p>
<p>If they just didn’t care - same question.</p>
<p>Calling for Dragas’ head is the wrong response that won’t do anything to improve UVA.</p>
<p>The BOV is like Congress – good people but bad system.</p>
<p>The correct and useful response is to fix the system – how people get on the BOV, what kinds of people can/must be on the BOV.</p>
<p>The root problem was that the board overwhelmingly consisted of contributors to VA gubernatorial campaigns because so many of the board seats are earmarked to alumni and VA residents. That’s not the right mix of people and experience to run a world class university as you can easily see if you look at the composition of other leading university boards. </p>
<p>What was most egregiously missing from the BOV were distinguished thought leaders in the higher ed industry, particularly people with experience from universities other than UVA.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s any doubt that the process is flawed. I’d simply note that the vice Rector had the good sense to resign. It is hard for me to fathom how The University BOV can move forward in a real and progressive manner so long as Ms. Dragas remains a member. I plan to write my legislators and request they vote against her reappointment.</p>
<p>northwesty - I do not disagree at all that the appointment process as it is leads to an unbalanced agenda on the BOV that does not serve a university such as UVa. I alluded to this in my post above, and included this in my communication to my representatives. I feel strongly that a more diverse representation on the BOV is necessary. I do feel however that the BOV can not be led effectively at this point by Ms Dragas. We don’t have to agree on everything to respect each others viewpoints.</p>
<p>Fair enough.</p>
<p>But the systemic changes are more important imo. If the system is unchanged, Dragas just gets replaced by more of the same – another person whose primary BOV qualification is gubernatorial campaign contributions. Having a bad system undermines the quality and credibility of any decisions the BOV makes. I don’t have any confidence in the decision to remove Sullivan, but I also don’t have all that much confidence in the decision to keep her either frankly.</p>
<p>Since UVA runs a big health care operation, the legislature earmarked a special BOV seat for that expertise. That seat is now held by a doctor and dean of the JHU med school. Not a UVA alum or a gubernatorial campaign contributor or a VA resident. But exactly the kind of person who should be on the BOV. More of that please!!</p>
<p>The other structural reform to be considered is modifying the open meeting law requirements. Transparency is good, but the Sullivan fiasco was due, in part, to how the BOVs had to constantly work around that law. I doubt the whole thing would have happened if all the BOVs could have simply gotten in a room or on a conference call and discussed the matter on the front end.</p>
<p>Part of the public relations fiasco was because Dragas and her co-conspirators didn’t trust UVa’s excellent communications staff (who were understandably loyal to Pres. Sullivan). Instead, Dragas went through 3 different public relations firms in one month. Fortunately, a billionaire boardmember paid for the huge cost, instead of it coming from the U. One snarky person said - I hope they asked for itemized receipts.</p>
<p>As Blueiguana suggested, I wrote to my Delegate. Received a nice reply in the mail today. Here are some excerpts…</p>
<p>“I am a UVA graduate as well, so I am likewise concerned.”</p>
<p>“We will give her an opportunity to tell us why she and her fellow members tried to fire the President.”</p>
<p>“If there were good reasons (i.e. the President refused to make necessary cuts, or refused to expand in-state enrollment), then my guess is she will stay. If there were no legitimate reasons, then she will not be re-appointed.”</p>
<p>“I also want to hear about the process, or lack thereof, that she used.”</p>
<p>A number of Va. legislators have recently come out against her confirmation. Keep up the pressure, guys. Her supporters are trying to hide her confirmation in with hundreds of others in one standard rubber stamp vote, while other legislators will seek a separate vote on just her.</p>
<p>[Blue</a> Virginia:: Sen. Janet Howell vows to vote against Helen Dragas’ confirmation to UVA Board of Visitors](<a href=“http://www.bluevirginia.us/diary/8362/sen-janet-howell-vows-to-vote-against-helen-dragas-confirmation-to-uva-board-of-visitors]Blue”>Sen. Janet Howell vows to vote against Helen Dragas’ confirmation to UVA Board of Visitors | Blue Virginia)</p>
<p>Very well thought out statement on Dragas by Senator Janet Howell</p>
<p>Senator Howell’s statement is awesome and to the point. For those who haven’t seen the Change.org petition asking the VA Legislature not to confirm Dragas, here it is: </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.change.org/petitions/the-virginia-general-assembly-block-the-confirmation-of-helen-dragas[/url]”>http://www.change.org/petitions/the-virginia-general-assembly-block-the-confirmation-of-helen-dragas</a></p>
<p>I suggest the pressure be continued. </p>
<p>[UVA</a> Rector Under Fire Lobbying to Keep Position - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather](<a href=“http://www.nbc29.com/story/20392570/uva-rector-under-fire-lobbying-to-keep-position]UVA”>http://www.nbc29.com/story/20392570/uva-rector-under-fire-lobbying-to-keep-position)</p>
<p>[Two</a> Local Lawmakers Say They Will Vote to Not Confirm Dragas](<a href=“http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Two-Local-Lawmakers-Say-They-Will-Vote-to-Not-Confirm-Dragas-184194441.html]Two”>http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Two-Local-Lawmakers-Say-They-Will-Vote-to-Not-Confirm-Dragas-184194441.html)</p>
<p>Thanks for posting the petition Globalist. I forwarded it on to UVa parents and alumni I know.</p>