The following statement by the University of Virginia Faculty Senate Executive Council was supported by a unanimous vote of the faculty members present at today’s Faculty Senate meeting.

“We were disheartened to read the article in Saturday’s Washington Post. We understand that the newspaper story may not fully convey the substance or context of the situation. Nevertheless, based on the information presented in this article, we find regrettable Rector Dragas’s actions as well as the statements in her e-mail and in her interview. 

“Rector Dragas’s reported conduct does not embody the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation that we expected to follow the reinstatement of President Sullivan. Unfortunately, it raises the very concerns about minority control that led UVA’s accrediting agency to put us on warning last fall, and suggests that Rector Dragas has not yet learned the governance lessons from last summer’s crisis. This kind of behavior must end.

“Fortunately, the Board of Visitors at its meeting last week approved President Sullivan’s proposal to increase faculty salaries, which Rector Dragas reportedly had deleted from her list of goals. The Board also apparently approved a more reasonable set of presidential goals than the ones detailed by Rector Dragas. The Board continues to take steps to improve its internal governance processes. We applaud the Board’s efforts and are eager to continue working with the Board in mutual commitment to the University’s excellence.”