Jim Ryan, the President of the University of Virginia, is a leader who says what he means and has pushed the institution he leads to be “great and good.” Who could take issue with such an aspiration?
Yet, his presidency is apparently the necessary ransom to keep UVA from losing research funding and the jobs attached to it. (Fingers crossed that his sacrifice will make the difference he and the Board of Visitors hope it will.)
Here at the Coalition for Carolina, we have our doubts. After all, we’ve seen previews of this movie for years in our home state. To be sure, the ante has been upped but the consequences are the same. The freedom to teach and to discover, activities which by their very nature are central to an informed citizenry and a vibrant society full of innovation and vigor, are at stake. The only way this mayhem stops is by faculties, alumni, students, and university staff across the country banding together and saying “no” to their elected representatives.
To our Cavalier friends and to Jim Ryan we offer our support and solidarity during a sad moment.