Her reappointment could raise questions about whether board rifts that opened up during the leadership crisis could reemerge in coming years, whether Sullivan would be able to work with Dragas after all that had transpired and how those dynamics would affect the university’s efforts to face long-term challenges.
McDonnell (R) and Sullivan brushed aside those questions.
“I am . . . concerned that the first female rector seemed to become the sole target of recent criticism,’’ the governor said in a statement. “While there is no doubt that the board made several mistakes in its actions, which it has publicly admitted, this is not a time for recrimination. It’s a time for reconciliation.”
Aside from Dragas, McDonnell largely remade the board Friday when he appointed five new members — nearly a third of the 17-member board that oversees the state’s flagship university.
“Governor McDonnell used great wisdom in appointing these members to the university’s board,” Sullivan said in a statement, “and I am grateful for his understanding of the challenges facing higher education. This is a group of distinguished individuals — from higher education and technology to government and health care — who will be able to hit the ground running.”
Sullivan’s statement did not mention Dragas, but the president sent the rector a bouquet and congratulatory note Friday morning.
Dragas, a Virginia Beach developer, was appointed to the board in 2008 by McDonnell’s Democratic predecessor, Timothy M. Kaine. Many Sullivan supporters
had been demanding that Dragas step down or McDonnell not reappoint her.
McDonnell’s appointments take effect Sunday, but the General Assembly is required to hold a confirmation vote in January. Some lawmakers question whether Dragas could secure enough votes.
Dragas was named rector in 2011, a position the board bestowed on her. She will hold the title for another year.
‘I’m absolutely shocked’
Friday’s announcement drew swift condemnation from some quarters.
“I can’t understand why anybody would think this is a good idea’’ economics professor James Harrigan said. “I can’t understand why Helen Dragas would think this is a good idea.”
“I’m absolutely shocked,” said Joel Voss, 31, a graduate student in politics who helped coordinate the campaign for Sullivan’s reinstatement. “It’s clear that the University of Virginia community does not have confidence in her. . . . I don’t think we can forgive and forget.”
But some of the anger toward Dragas and her allies on the board subsided this week after the board rescinded the forced resignation of Sullivan.
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