One month has passed since the death of openthebooks.com founder and CEO Adam Andrzejewski who The Jefferson Council will remember as the very definition of William Wordsworth’s Happy Warrior.

The controversy over an allegedly toxic work environment at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and UVA Health System reached escape velocity. “I can stand here before you honestly and claim these statements to be categorically false.”

If such bullying behavior is shown to be the norm for some types of students and not others, UVA has a very big problem.

The mechanics of the high-tuition, high-aid financial model are complex and, as long as I have been attending UVA Board meetings, have never been fully explained. President Ryan owes the Board more than feel-good stories of generous donors like the Stephensons. He owes a full accounting.

Who makes up the UVA Board of Visitors "Executive Committee"? What is their role? And how are they potentially stacking the deck for another year of status quo?

A group of UVA medical-school faculty members aired their allegations against the University’s medical leadership after trying fruitlessly to work within the system. As usual, Board of Visitors proceedings lacked transparency.

Just how bad is administrative overhead at the University of Virginia? It’s difficult to say. Hard numbers are difficult to come by. But a revealing statistic surfaced in a document shared Friday with the Board of Visitors.

The University of Virginia adopted a resolution on September 13, backing a statement of institutional neutrality on events taking place outside the University.

Militant groups at the University of Virginia tried to organize a “sit-in” at the Board of Visitors meeting on September 12. Are their demands realistic?

The University of Virginia has adopted a high-tuition, high-aid business model, similar to that of Ivy League schools. A clear understanding of how all the pieces work creates an opportunity.

The University of Virginia Honor System is governed by students, but the Board of Visitors is enjoined by its mission statement to support and uphold the Honor System. Here's what the Board can do to strengthen the culture of Honor at UVA without infringing upon student sovereignty.

The University of Virginia's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs fail to contribute to, even undermine, the University’s educational mission. We call upon the Board of Visitors to defund the vast DEI infrastructure and redirect such resources toward mission-critical activities.

The Board of Visitors and President of the University have a duty to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia to preserve the beauty and dignity of the Academical Village as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The current regulations have proven inadequate and unenforceable.

Read The Jefferson Council President Tom Neale's letter to the UVA Board of Visitors, included in TJC's Fall 2024 BOV Welcome Brief.

A letter from 128 physicians to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors has urged the Board to uphold academic freedom, free speech and patient safety by replacing UVA Health Systems CEO Craig Kent and medical school Dean Melina Kibbe.

As an organization committed to those Jeffersonian principles which formed UVA 205 years ago, The Jefferson Council is prepared to serve as an independent source of information and analysis for the new Board of Visitors.

The Daily Progress' Jason Armesto quotes The Jefferson Council President Tom Neale: "The tragedy is that hundreds if not thousands of parents and prospective students elected not to attend UVA as a result of this not being rectified earlier."

NBC News' David K. Li quotes The Jefferson Council President Tom Neale: "We raised the issue and now that they have 13 (appointees) ... all of them looked at this and said this has to change."

The New York Times' Stephanie Saul quotes The Jefferson Council President Tom Neale: "If we can get balanced tours, which is your first blush for many coming to U.Va., that’s all we want."

While we applaud national recognitions of our beloved alma mater, recent rankings do not paint a full picture of the “affordability” of a UVA education. UVA is not cost competitive. Expenses must be drastically reduced.