Questions Swirl Over Virginia Tech’s Presidential Exit

On the surface, the resignation of Virginia Tech President Tim Sands seems unremarkable.

Sands, who has been president of the public university for 12 years, announced Thursday that he plans to step down in the near future. A university news release touted his accomplishments and offered glowing remarks about his time at the helm of Virginia Tech.

But a Thursday night message from Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has raised questions about Sands’ resignation.

“I’m deeply troubled by the sudden departure of President Tim Sands at Virginia Tech,” Kaine wrote in a statement shared with Inside Higher Ed hours after the announcement was made. Like the university, Kaine noted his accomplishments. But he also suggested malfeasance.

“This action has the earmarks of previous well-publicized efforts to oust Presidents at other Virginia public universities—[Virginia Military Institute, University of Virginia, George Mason University]. I urge Governor Spanberger to get to the bottom of this latest attack on Virginia higher education and take all necessary action to insulate university leadership from politically-motivated schemes,” Kaine wrote.

The senator did not specify what he was referring to, and his office did not respond to a request from Inside Higher Ed for additional details. But his comment suggests that he sees Sands’ departure as fitting a pattern established by other public boards in the state.

In the case of VMI, the Board of Visitors voted last March not to renew the contract of then Superintendent Cedric Wins, who had publicly clashed with alumni over diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the college amid efforts to overhaul a culture criticized as racist and sexist.

At UVA, then-President Jim Ryan stepped down in June amid a federal investigation into DEI programs at the university. He would later reveal he was pressured by the board to resign and accused them of being dishonest about the circumstances of his exit and the investigation. Following his exit, UVA reached an agreement with the federal government over DEI concerns.

And at GMU, the board repeatedly clashed with President Gregory Washington over DEI efforts, among other issues. While many expected Washington to be fired last summer, with students and faculty showed up to protest the anticipated move; the board instead voted to retain Washington—and gave him a raise to boot, despite long-simmering tensions behind the scenes.

In each of those cases, presidents were pushed out or pressured by boards appointed by former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who regularly named conservative operatives and donors to those roles. While his successor, Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger, has moved quickly to reshape governing boards across the commonwealth, 13 of the 14 Virginia Tech board members were appointed by Youngkin, though one was selected by former Democratic Governor Ralph Northam and later reappointed by Youngkin. (The 14th member is an ex officio and not chosen by the governor.) While Youngkin donors are among the 14 members, the board is not comprised of a significant number of political activists or former Republican officials, like many other university boards in Virginia.

If there is a controversy, as Kaine hinted at in his cryptic message, it’s a well-kept secret. Virginia Tech did not address Kaine’s unusual statement when contacted Thursday night by Inside Higher Ed.

“President Sands’ leadership and commitment to Virginia Tech’s mission and vision have been transformational for the university, the commonwealth, and public higher education,” Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski wrote in an emailed statement to Inside Higher Ed.

Asked to address the statement specifically, Owczarski did not respond.

Sands said in his departure announcement that it was the right time to step down and allow the next president to “take the baton at full stride.” Though the announcement did not specify an exact timeline, Sands wrote that he would “serve until my successor is in place.” The university news release indicated he would “step down in the coming months.” However, presidential searches can often take a year.

Speaking anonymously, one source familiar with the situation told Inside Higher Ed that Spanberger had been in touch with Virginia Tech Rector John Rocovich and the two had spoken directly about the need for her appointees, who will be named in July, to be involved with the search.

“The two have spoken candidly about the need for the president to be selected through a transparent and thorough process that does not undermine public trust in university leadership,” they said.