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Dragas and Kington ask for Sullivan's resignation
Board of Visitors Rector Helen Dragas and Vice Rector Mark Kington meet with Teresa Sullivan in her Madison Hall office at 5 p.m. They inform her they are not satisfied with her performance and have the Board votes to remove her. They present her with a separation agreement and give her 24 hours to sign it. -
Sullivan agrees to resign
Teresa Sullivan calls Helen Dragas to say she will sign the separation agreement. -
Teresa Sullivan's resignation is announced
Helen Dragas speaks at a press conference just before attending an emergency executive committee BOV meeting where she, Mark Kington and Hunter Craig accept Sullivan's resignation. Earlier that day, an email went out to the University community announcing the resignation. -
McDonnell responds
Governor Bob McDonnell releases a statement thanking Sullivan for her leadership and listing her accomplishments. He goes on to say that he has "great confidence that the Board of Visitors will conduct a thorough and diligent search for the next President of the University and will find the right individual for this prestigious and pivotal post." -
Helen Dragas delivers remarks to U.Va. VPs and deans
Rector Helen Dragas gathers U.Va. deans and vice presidents together to announce that Sullivan has agreed to resign. "The Board feels the need for a bold leader who can help develop, articulate, and implement a concrete and achievable strategic plan to re-elevate the University to its highest potential. We need a leader with a great willingness to adapt the way we deliver our teaching, research, and patient care to the realities of the external environment," she says. -
President Sullivan speaks at Mount Zion First African Baptist Church before resignation is announced
A Darden faculty member's blog post details President Sullivan's visit to Mount Zion First African Baptist Church in Charlottesville, where she spoke just before the email announcing her resignation was sent out. -
Deans send emails
Deans from each school send emails to students, faculty and alumni. The emails are similar in tone, remarking on the suddenness of the decision, praising Sullivan for her accomplishments and reassuring everyone that the university will make it through the transition. -
Faculty Senate releases first statement
The U.Va. Faculty Senate, led by law professor George Cohen, responds to Sullivan's resignation with shock. "We are blindsided by this decision," they write. "We find the Board’s statement inadequate and unsatisfactory." They state that they will meet with the Board as soon as possible to investigate why the decision was made. -
Student Council releases statement
U.Va. Student Council thanks President Sullivan for her service and extends its well wishes to the BOV as they begin their search for a new president. -
Peter Kiernan email leaks
The Richmond Times-Dispatch obtains an email sent by Peter Kiernan, then the chair of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees, to fellow board members and others in the Darden community. The email reveals that Kiernan had worked with Dragas and "two important alums" on the "project" of planning Sullivan's resignation. -
Arts & Sciences department chairs and program directors release statement
The College of Arts & Sciences program chairs and department heads release a statement protesting Sullivan's resignation and requesting clarification from the BOV. "The University of Virginia is first and foremost an institution devoted to the principles of open debate, discussion and deliberation," they write. "We stress the central role of faculty governance in matters of academic programming and curriculum." -
BOV's student representative supports Sullivan's resignation
Fourth-year student Hillary Hurd, the student representative to the Board of Visitors, gives an interview to the Cavalier Daily. “This is a decision which I think will prove in time to have been a wise one, and that it’s hard now, on the Monday after the decision was officially released, to fully appreciate kind of what the Board was considering,” Hurd says. “Students would be best to remember that these Board members are people who know and love U.Va.” -
Petition to reinstate Sullivan begins
An alumnus starts an online petition directed to the Board of Visitors asking for Teresa Sullivan's immediate reinstatement. The petition gets 5,206 signatures before it is closed. -
Facebook group is formed supporting President Sullivan
"Students, Family, & Friends United to Reinstate President Sullivan," a Facebook group, is started by graduate student Suzie McCarthy. "The goal is to get enough members that the Board will have to make a public statement detailing why they decided that Professor Sullivan was not up to the task of leading U.Va.," McCarthy writes. -
President Sullivan's strategic plan released
The Washington Post reveals that Sullivan submitted an academic strategy plan to the Board on May 3, 2012. The plan seems to address many of the concerns Dragas and the BOV raised as their reasons for asking Sullivan to resign. -
Provost Employee Communication Council issues statement
The Provost Employee Communication Council, which facilitates communication between U.Va. staff and the Provost's Office, issues a resolution supporting the Faculty Senate's call for a fuller explanation of President Sullivan's resignation. "[We request that] the Board of Visitors clearly outline their vision and goals so that the University employees may better fulfill the Board's direction and desires," the council writes. -
Peter Kiernan resigns from Darden board
In a letter to the U.Va. community, Peter Kiernan announces that he is stepping down as chair of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees and resigning from the board. "No one from Darden — not the dean, nor the faculty, nor the administration, nor the Foundation board — was involved. The conversations about President Sullivan’s transition that I referred to in my e-mail were conducted through my own personal relationships and not in any official capacity," he writes. -
Faculty Senate declares lack of confidence in the Board
George Cohen, chair of the Faculty Senate, issues a resolution reached unanimously that morning. The Faculty Senate, he writes, "expresses its strong support of President Sullivan" and "expresses its lack of confidence in the Rector, the Vice Rector, and the Board of Visitors." -
Simon and Strine issue a statement
Provost John Simon and COO Michael Strine send a joint statement to the University community. "The Board of Visitors' action is resolute and authoritative," they write. "We encourage all of us, even as we adjust and absorb this change, to focus constructively forward in preparing the institution for its next stage of leadership and our shared commitment to quality and excellence in teaching, discovery and patient care." -
Helen Dragas responds to faculty
Rector Dragas issues a statement responding to the Faculty Senate and College department chairs and program directors asking for greater transparency about the resignation decision. "Consistent with sound employment practices, it is the policy of the Board to keep confidential matters of disagreement and those relating to evaluation of progress against mutually agreed upon goals," she writes. -
Student Council asks for greater transparency
Student Council members issue a statement to the Board of Visitors. "Above all else, we belong to an institution of honor and honesty, of openness and respect. And it is under these values that we deem the current state of information on President Sullivan’s departure wholly untenable. The University of Virginia community is entitled to more information," they write. -
College of Arts & Sciences Steering Committee issues response
The College of Arts & Sciences faculty issues a resolution to the Board of Visitors: "The Faculty of Arts and Sciences expresses its high respect and deep appreciation to President Sullivan for her contributions to the academic programs of the University and to the spirit of the University community; and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has no confidence in the Rector, the Vice-Rector and the Board of Visitors as a whole," they write. -
Alumni Association solicits comments from alumni for the BOV
The U.Va. Alumni Association sends an email to all alumni. "Clearly, most alumni are concerned, angry and confused about the recent developments at our beloved university," writes Tom Faulders, president of the association. "We have created an official repository in which alumni can share their concerns, questions and comments with the Board of Visitors." The association's servers crash soon after the email goes out, due to the large amount of comments submitted. -
AAUP issues statement
The American Association of University Professors issues a statement on Sullivan's resignation: "We join in the Senate Executive Council's dismay that due process for President Sullivan and the legitimate interests of the U.Va. faculty have been ignored in the precipitate action taken by the Board of Visitors. We join in calling upon the board to reconsider its decision," they write. -
Honor Committee issues statement
The U.Va. Honor Committee issues a statement saying the Board's actions have been "unsettling to our Community of Trust." The committee notes that while they do not deny the Board's authority, "the lack of a clear and full explanation has created an environment that is inconsistent with the value of trust that runs through the very fabric of our University." -
Faculty Senate holds emergency meeting
The Faculty Senate meets to ratify its earlier resolution declaring no confidence in the Board. 800 people attend the meeting, and Provost John Simon addresses the crowd, decisively speaking out against the Board's actions. -
Major donor states she will withhold funds
The Washington Post publishes an article in which Hunter Smith, a major donor to U.Va. with her husband Carl W. Smith, says she "will not donate until changes to the governing board are made." Jane Batten, whose family has given over $170 million to U.Va., is concerned about the way President Sullivan's resignation was handled. -
Paul Tudor Jones publishes op-ed in support of the Board
Paul Tudor Jones, a major donor to the University, publishes an op-ed in the Daily Progress supporting Sullivan's resignation as well as the Board's actions. "Change is never easy and often quite messy," he writes. "The spirit of Thomas Jefferson, the first rector of the University of Virginia, is cheering this action by the Board of Visitors." Jones and his wife Sonia recently gave a $12 million pledge to U.Va. to build a contemplative sciences center. -
BOV holds special meeting
The Board holds a special meeting to determine an interim president. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people gather outside on the Lawn to rally in support of President Sullivan. -
Student BOV member address the Board
Hillary Hurd, the student member of the BOV, addresses the Board near the start of the special meeting. "I ask that there be more openness and better communication between the Board and students, both of whom care so much about this great University," she says. -
Dragas addresses U.Va. community at BOV meeting
Rector Dragas makes a statement to the University community. "While our actions in this matter were firmly grounded in what we believe to be in the very best and long-term interests of the University, and our students, faculty, staff and alumni, we want to express our sincere regret for the pain, anger and confusion they have caused among many in our U.Va. family," she says. -
President Sullivan addresses the Board as well as her supporters
Sullivan walks up the Lawn to the Rotunda through a cheering crowd. She delivers a statement to the Board and then addresses her supporters on the steps of the Rotunda. -
Faculty Senate members meet with Helen Dragas
The Faculty Senate Executive Council meets with Rector Dragas in an undisclosed location to discuss Sullivan's resignation. The council makes the following requests: 1) That the Board delay the naming of any interim president to provide an opportunity for shared governance; 2) that President Sullivan be reinstated; 3) that the Board recommend representation by UVA faculty on the Board as voting members; and 4) that the Rector and Vice Rector resign in the best interests of the University. -
Rotunda is vandalized
Someone spray paints "GREEED" on the north-side columns of the Rotunda. Police investigate but no one has yet been found responsible. -
"Strategic Transparency" on Beta Bridge
"Strategic Transparency" is painted on Beta Bridge, a spin on "strategic dynamism," a term that became infamous through Peter Kiernan's email. -
Cavalier Daily tweets emails between Dragas and Kington
The Cavalier Daily is the first media outlet to request emails through the Freedom of Information Act. On June 19, editors began tweeting snippets from emails between Helen Dragas, Mark Kington and others. Later they publish PDFs of all the emails they received. -
BOV names Carl P. Zeithaml as interim president of the University
After meeting in closed session for nearly 12 hours, the BOV names Carl Zeithaml, dean of the McIntire School of Commerce, as interim president. "Carl Zeithaml is the perfect choice to serve as interim president while we undertake a national search for a new president," Dragas says. -
Vice Rector Mark Kington resigns
Kington resigns from his post via a letter to Governor McDonnell. "In order to better serve this university which I love and respect, and to help bring about new leadership on the board of visitors at this critical time, I am resigning my position as vice rector and as a board member effective immediately. I believe that this is the right thing to do and I hope that it will begin a needed healing process at the University," he writes. -
Professor resigns in protest
Computer science professor William Wulf resigns in protest of the BOV's actions. "I do not wish to be associated with an institution being as badly run as the current U.Va. A BOV that so poorly understands U.Va, and academic culture more generally, is going to make a lot more dumb decisions, so the University is headed for disaster, and I don’t want to be any part of that," he writes in his resignation letter. -
The Virginian-Pilot says Dragas should resign
The Virginian-Pilot, Helen Dragas's hometown newspaper, runs an editorial stating she should resign from the Board. -
Carl Zeithaml holds a press conference
Carl Zeithaml meets with the media to discuss his interim presidency appointment. "My number one goal in all of this is to try to make sure that step by step, day by day, meeting by meeting, conversation by conversation, we're going to rebuild . . . trust. I'm committed to trying to do that," he says. -
Faculty holds silent vigil on the Lawn
About 1,000 people turn out for a faculty-run vigil on the Lawn in support of President Sullivan. When alerting the U.Va. community about the vigil, George Cohen writes: "The Faculty Senate calls on all faculty, students, and staff to attend a silent vigil in support of the reinstatement of President Sullivan at 5 PM TODAY at the steps of the Rotunda facing the Lawn. Please come if at all possible. Tell everyone you can. This is not over. FILL THE LAWN" -
Rector Dragas issues statement
Rector Dragas issues a statement to the University community. "While the UVA student experience remains premiere, though our faculty creates dynamic new knowledge every day, and despite the enduring magic of Mr. Jefferson's University, the bottom line is the days of incremental decision-making in higher education are over, or should be," she writes. She lays out 10 strategic issues the University faces. -
BOV plans to meet on June 26
News breaks on Twitter that the "UVA BOV will meet Tues. [June 26] to discuss possible changes in President Sullivan's employment contract." For those supporting Sullivan's reinstatement, this news is greeted with joy. -
Alumni faculty members write to Governor McDonnell
Fifteen faculty members who are also alumni write to Governor McDonnell asking for Dragas's resignation and Sullivan's reinstatement. "As members of the faculty who are also loyal alumni of the University, our role as stewards gives us a special obligation to speak out when we believe this institution’s core values are at risk . . . We call upon the Board of Visitors, our fellow alumni, and the people of the Commonwealth to restore the values that define our great University," they write. -
Deans ask BOV to reinstate Sullivan
The deans of nearly every school at U.Va. sign a letter to the Board asking for Sullivan's reinstatement. "It is clear after nearly two week of outrage, indignation, upset, threats of withdrawal of support and loyalty, that the people of the University of Virginia, and their ideas, which together comprise the University much more than buildings or landscapes, regard the decision as a mistake made in the absence of open discourse and courtesy," they write. -
Marcus Martin speaks in support of President Sullivan
Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity Marcus Martin releases a statement in support of Sullivan. He is the first U.Va. vice president to do so. "Teresa Sullivan has laid a strong foundation for the University of Virginia to continue on the path toward a more diverse and inclusive workforce, curriculum, and culture," he says. -
President Sullivan speaks out on civility
Sullivan sends an email to the U.Va. community acknowledging that debate is an important part of University life. But, she notes, "there is no excuse for abusing anyone with whom you disagree . . . In particular, Carl Zeithaml has been an exemplary member of the University community, and he and his family in no way deserve abusive language. The Board of Visitors is made up of dedicated volunteers, and abusive behavior toward them or anyone else is destructive of our community's values." -
Alumni Association delivers alumni comments to the BOV
Tom Faulders, president of the U.Va. Alumni Association, delivers a printout of the more than 5,500 comments the association received from alumni regarding Sullivan's resignation to the BOV office in the Rotunda. -
Carl Zeithaml suspends interim presidency negotiations
Carl Zeithaml sends an email to the U.Va. community saying he will suspend negotiations with the Board regarding his interim presidency in light of the "enormous groundswell of support for Terry Sullivan's reinstatement as our president." Later that day he meets with the media again. -
Dragas responds to Governor's letter
Rector Dragas issues a statement to the U.Va. community in response to Governor McDonnell's letter. "I look forward to a respectful and dignified meeting on Tuesday, and to an important discussion of the implications of any decision we make on the ability of future Boards to lead the University," she writes. -
McDonnell sends letter to the BOV
Governor McDonnell sends a letter to the Board of Visitors addressing the Sullivan resignation and subsequent outcry. He states that he will not dictate how the Board should govern personnel decisions. However, he writes, "I want final action by the Board on Tuesday. If you fail to do so, I will ask for the resignation of the entire Board on Wednesday." McDonnell also issues a statement to the U.Va. community. -
U.Va. officials respond to erroneous Wall Street Journal editorial
University Spokeswoman Carol Wood and Dean of the Darden School Bob Bruner each respond to a Wall Street Journal editorial that contains numerous factual errors about the situation at U.Va. -
Thousands turn out for the "Rally For Honor"
An estimated 2,000-3,000 people rally on the Lawn in support of Sullivan's reinstatement. The rally, which was organized by graduate student Suzie McCarthy, features numerous faculty speakers. -
Numerous U.Va. foundations support Sullivan's reinstatement
The College Foundation, School of Architecture Foundation Board of Trustees, the Trustees of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Trustees of the Darden School Foundation, the Curry School of Education Foundation, the Trustees of the Law School Foundation, the U.Va. Health Foundation Trustees, the Executive Committee of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, the Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation all write to the Board in support of Sullivan's reinstatement. -
"Fill the Lawn with Grace and Dignity"
George Cohen sends an email to the U.Va. community asking people to gather on the Lawn the following day for the Board meeting. "We intend to be a silent force of support for President Sullivan, as well as for members of the Board," he writes. -
Board votes to reinstate Sullivan
After Sullivan and Dragas walk to the Rotunda from Carr's Hill together, the Board meeting begins at 3 p.m. Heywood Fralin, former rector and the one Board member to vote against Carl Zeithaml's interim presidency, offers the resolution to reinstate Sullivan. The Board votes unanimously in favor, 15-0. -
McDonnell makes statement
Governor McDonnell makes a statement in support of the Board's decision. "Today, in settling this disagreement within the family, the University of Virginia has taken another step forward towards reconciliation and the pursuit of excellence. I ask all concerned Virginians, no matter which side they may have taken over the past few weeks, to now take that step forward as well," he says. -
Dragas and Sullivan address Board
After Sullivan's reinstatement, Heywood Fralin makes a motion in support of Helen Dragas. "There has never been any question about her integrity," he says. The Board votes unanimously in support of the motion. Dragas says she is humbled by their support. Sullivan speaks to the Board, thanking them for renewing their confidence in her. "All of us seek only one thing: what is best for our University," she says. -
Sullivan addresses crowd from Rotunda steps
After her reinstatement, President Sullivan addresses the crowd from the steps of the Rotunda. "I am grateful to the Visitors for this renewed opportunity, but more than that, I am grateful to them for the example they have given us in reconsidering and reversing their previous action. This is not a sign of weakness on their part, but a sign of strength and deliberation, and a good example to each of us," she says. After her speech, the administrators and the crowd sing the "Good Old Song." -
Reactions to BOV appointments
President Sullivan, Rector Dragas and the Faculty Senate all release statements in response to the Board appointments. -
Dragas reappointed to Board
Governor McDonnell announces six new BOV appointments, including the reappointment of Helen Dragas. "Just as I was disappointed to see the lack of transparency and communication surrounding the request for the resignation of the first female president of U.Va., I am also concerned that the first female rector seemed to become the sole target of recent criticism," he says.
