President

The University of Virginia and its Special Committee seek a president who can lead this iconic public university into its third century of excellence during a transformative time.

The University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, is a unique institution with a rich history and limitless potential. UVA has been one of the top public universities in the United States for generations and earned a distinguished global reputation for impact. It embodies Jefferson’s vision of educating the leadership of civic society and it combines the residential experience and commitment to undergraduate teaching of the best liberal arts colleges with the ambition of an elite research university.

It succeeds admirably. It has a 97% retention rate and the highest four-year graduation rate (92%) of all U.S. public universities. Its success is widely recognized. It attracted 64,000 applicants for the class of 2029. Its law and business schools rank among the very best institutions, public or private, in the country. Its historic Grounds are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, identified by the American Institute of Architects as the greatest achievement of the first 200 years of American architecture, and undeniably one of the most beautiful university campuses in the entire world. Charlottesville is regarded as one of the most appealing college towns in the country. The University has an extraordinarily successful athletics program, winning dozens of national championships (including men’s basketball in 2019 and a running five-peat in women’s swimming and diving) and a medal count in the Paris Olympics that would have placed 16th among participating nations.

At a time of fiscal and other challenges across higher education, UVA is on extremely sound footing. The alumni base is fiercely devoted and generous, making the University one of a small set of institutions capable of generating philanthropy at extraordinary scale. Endowment and related investments currently exceed $16 billion, after a recent capital campaign that raised more than $6 billion and exceeded its goal by more than 20%. UVA is one of a handful of universities nationwide to hold the highest possible AAA credit rating from all three major credit rating agencies.

A long history of success has positioned the University with significant opportunities for growth and even greater success. Sponsored research has been growing rapidly but, at approximately $570M last year, it should grow substantially. UVA has impressive financial resources, considerable strength in the biological sciences, a strong and well-positioned health system, and an excellent faculty to build upon. With the right strategy and support it will deliver exceptional results. Exciting new investments, such as the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, are about to be realized. The University’s academic medical center and health system enjoys an exceptional reputation and excellent positioning in the Commonwealth of Virginia and regionally. It has wide-open growth opportunities and could, with the right investments and strategy, become even more of a national hub for clinical excellence and catalyze the University’s research expansion.

The University’s unique history, proximity to Washington, and Karsh Institute of Democracy also position it well to play a leading role in our nation’s civic life and the cultivation of a new generation of leaders. The upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence provides a remarkable opportunity to highlight UVA’s special place in American democracy.

The University also has remained relatively small and extremely selective. There are significant opportunities for strategic growth while safeguarding what has made the student experience so remarkably successful.

The University’s stated ambitions begin, and always will, with being the finest public university in the United States. There are no structural reasons why that ambition should be unrealistic. UVA also has a strong senior leadership team with a few key vacancies that the president can fill. These are, without question, challenging times for higher education. The University of Virginia was dedicated by its founder to the illimitable freedom of the human mind, and to the proposition that here we are unafraid to tolerate error so long as reason is left free to combat it. The community is strongly committed to institutional neutrality, free expression, and free inquiry and fosters an environment in which all views, beliefs, and perspectives deserve to be articulated and heard free from interference. For a leader who is willing to take appropriate risks and able to build consensus around a bold vision for the next decade, there is an extraordinary opportunity to make a mark not just on the University of Virginia but on the nation, and the world.