NEWS FROM THE JEFFERSON COUNCIL NETWORK
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An Open Letter to Governor Youngkin: Pick Fighters for the UVA Board
Nominate individuals who will have the grit to fight for the university, its history, its legacy, and its students.
TJC Mention: Welcome to the Silencing of Dissenters
Americans need to begin to consider whether reorganization and reform of established academic institutions, including one founded by Thomas Jefferson, may be necessary.
Taking a Bold Stand for Intellectual Diversity and Civil Dialogue at UVA
Since the advent of anti-Israel / anti-Jewish rhetoric and behaviors of questionable legality on Grounds, our goal to promote a culture of civil dialogue at the University of Virginia has been brought into clear focus.
Why are You So Mad?
University presidents must reclaim their roles as impartial administrators rather than advocates of progressive causes, ensuring that institutions of higher learning return to their core teaching and research missions. Guest contributor Alan C. Stam offers his thoughts.
UVA Grad Students Urge Withholding of Year-End Grades
The United Campus Workers of Virginia at the University of Virginia has launched a campaign urging faculty and graduate students to withhold grades until the Ryan administration capitulates to its demands of amnesty for people arrested during the crackdown on the pro-Palestinian “liberation zone.”
Faculty Senate Votes for Review of Encampment Shutdown
The University of Virginia Faculty Senate voted to call for an "independent and external" review of the use of police force to shut down the pro-Palestinian "liberation zone." TJC contributing editor Jim Bacon offers his thoughts.
Board of Visitors Meets in Special Closed Session, Takes No Action
Watch this recording of a special closed session of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors regarding the UVA Encampment for Palestine.
So Much for Empathetic Listening
Students and faculty at the University of Virginia often talk about having "hard conversations" about the tragic realities. But do they have any interest in confronting discomfiting truths themselves? TJC contributing editor Jim Bacon writes.
The Revolution Consumes Its Own
Like the Bolsheviks of yore, UVA militants have turned upon Ryan and Baucom with a vengeance. TJC contributing editor Jim Bacon weighs in.
UVA Soft on Nazis but Brutal to Students?
The 2017 Unite the Right tragedy forced the University to think through issues it had not confronted in its recent history. The reforms created processes and protocols that were applied in 2024, TJC contributing editor Jim Back writes.
Critics Don't Buy Ryan's Tent-Takedown Rationale
From professors to Lawn residents, members of the University of Virginia community continue to criticize senior UVA leadership for shutting down the UVA Encampment for Gaza "liberated zone."
Team Ryan Defends Shutdown of Tent Encampment
The University of Virginia called in the Virginia State Police to disperse "UVA Encampment for Gaza" protesters, said President Jim Ryan, University Police Chief Tim Longo, and other University leaders in a virtual town hall.
With the Tents Down, the Blowback Begins
“It is good to know that the University of Virginia set boundaries and enforced them, unlike other universities and states.“
Pro-Palestinian Protestors to Jim Ryan Administration: BS
Pro-Palestinian protestors erected tents last night at their "liberation zone for Gaza" near the University of Virginia chapel in defiance of orders to take them down. The administration's immediate response: engage in dialogue.
Pro-Palestinian Protests are Petering Out
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the Grounds of the University of Virginia showed signs of losing enthusiasm, even as organizers demanded that the administration divest investments from Israel and cut off all ties with Israeli universities.
At UVA, One Pro-Palestinian Protest Disperses, a Second Persists
While the Grounds remained orderly, there were some darker undercurrents.
Amid Arrests on Other Campuses, Tensions Mount at UVA
Virginia Governer Youngkin: "We’re not going to have encampments and tents put up and yes, we will protect the ability to peacefully express yourself, but we’re not going to have the kind of hate speech and intimidation we’re seeing across the country in Virginia."
Not the UVA I Remember
Alumnus to TJC after UVA tour: “No history lesson of the Grounds, its architecture, or its purpose. No homage to TJ and his vision for the advancement of an enlightened society. No fabled stories about the secret societies, or traditions at the sporting events or around Grounds. Nothing.”
Virginia Tech Cleans Up Encampment, UVA Faces Similar Test
Virginia Tech arrested two dozen or more students Sunday night while dispersing an "encampment" similar to other anti-Israeli protests spreading around the country, according to media reports. University of Virginia President Jim Ryan likely will face a similar test.
What Would Thomas Jefferson Say About Disruptions on the Grounds?
Perhaps Ryan could draw spine-stiffening inspiration from the University's founder Thomas Jefferson, who dealt with student riots in 1825.