"If I Remain as President, the University Will Suffer"
Federal Government Intervention Expands to Public Universities
James E. Ryan, President of the University of Virginia (UVA), a prestigious public university in the United States, has announced his intention to resign under pressure from the Trump administration, which is demanding the withdrawal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. This case is being interpreted as evidence that the Trump camp is expanding its influence beyond private universities and into public institutions.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets such as the New York Times on the 27th (local time), President Ryan recently informed the UVA Board of Visitors of his voluntary resignation. In a message to members of the university community, he stated that remaining in his position as president under the current circumstances could actually result in disadvantages for students and faculty. He expressed particular concern that maintaining DEI policies could lead to the loss of federal funding, which would have a devastating impact on research grants, scholarships, student visas, and the university as a whole.
President Ryan has strongly promoted DEI policies since taking the helm at UVA in 2018. Before his presidency, he served as the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and has been regarded as a prominent advocate of progressive academic environments in American higher education.
The Trump administration has previously demanded that Ivy League private universities such as Harvard and Columbia reduce their DEI programs and take strong action against antisemitism. Recently, this stance has been extended to public universities, with the administration increasing the level of pressure.
In fact, according to the New York Times, on the 17th, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a warning letter to the UVA Board of Visitors, stating that the university's DEI policies do not comply with federal guidelines. Subsequently, some board members reportedly raised the possibility of a suspension of federal funding and demanded President Ryan's resignation.
UVA is a historic public university founded by Thomas Jefferson, the drafter of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and is consistently ranked among the top universities nationwide. The university has expanded campus diversity through DEI programs that embrace students from various racial and socio-economic backgrounds.
The Trump administration is demanding institutional changes from universities, arguing that DEI indoctrinates certain ideologies or infringes on academic freedom. Some private universities, including Harvard, have strongly opposed these demands and have signaled their intention to pursue legal action.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
