Ousted UVA President Picked as Graduation Weekend Speaker

Less than a year after resigning under federal pressure, former University of Virginia president Jim Ryan will return to campus as a graduation speaker.

Ryan will headline the Class of 2026 Valedictory Exercises on May 15, the university announced Tuesday. Students in the graduating class selected the speakers for the Valedictory Exercises ceremony. The former president led UVA from August 2018 until his abrupt resignation in June amid a Department of Justice investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which ultimately ended in a settlement agreement.

Although he stepped down as president, Ryan is expected to join the faculty ranks after a sabbatical.

Ryan’s return comes after a sweeping overhaul of the board that played a role in his departure. In November, Ryan questioned whether the board was truthful in its claims that the DOJ sought his resignation in order to close the investigation or if it was a scheme by trustees to oust him.

As part of a leadership change at the Virginia statehouse, UVA now has an almost entirely new Board of Governors. Three board members appointed by former Republican governor Glenn Youngkin resigned under pressure in January, shortly before Democratic governor Abigail Spanberger was set to take office. Several other Youngkin appointees were denied confirmation by state lawmakers, allowing Spanberger to reshape UVA’s governance on her first day in office, naming 10 new members to those seats.

While other headliners for the Valedictory Exercises were quoted in a university news release about their speaking roles, the former president was not. But in a video posted on the official UVA Class of 2026 Instagram page, which is student-led, Ryan told viewers, “I will see you soon.”