The Virginia General Assembly has confirmed Helen Dragas’ reappointment to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
Dragas, the board’s rector since July 2011, led an unsuccessful attempt to force out U.Va. President Teresa Sullivan last June. The ouster attempt threw the Charlottesville campus into turmoil until Sullivan was reinstated 16 days later.
Dragas, the head of a family-owned home construction company in Virginia Beach, was reappointed to the board by Gov. Bob McDonald in July despite vocal opposition from many people connected to U.Va. All board appointments, however, have to be confirmed by the General Assembly.
One Tuesday, the House of Delegates voted 63-33 to give her a second, four-year term. The state Senate had voted in Dragas’ favor earlier in the session.
Thank you General Assembly! The Rector, the BOV and President Sullivan have tried to stay forward focused, and now hopefully everyone else can too. There’s serious questions to look at when it comes to UVAs future- getting it’s first ever long term financial plan in place, figuring out how to keep up academic quality when professors start retiring, and looking at different options for more Virginians to obtain an education from UVA. Dragas is the right person for the job- she raised the tough questions early on, and she’s clearly able to work with President Sullivan in getting the process moving.
--Watchinguva
Jan. 30, 2013 at 03:26 PM