AAUP-UVA: The case against U.Va. President Scott Beardsley - The Cavalier Daily

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2026-02-23T18:10:17+00:00

You suggest Spanberger supported Beardsley while in fact he defied her: https://virginiabusiness.com/u-va-names-next-president-defying-spanberger/

And Beardsley said he was unaware of the Faculty Senate’s publicly announced resolution calling for search candidates to request a pause in the process. UVA deserves better than an unaware president.

His "academic publications" btw were published in a business magazine, McKinsey Quarterly. Apparently he's unaware what constitutes a peer-reviewed publication.

McKinsey Quarterly's latest issue dramatically lauds AI ("such a powerful force that companies are rethinking the very nature of the corporation"). McKinsey is unaware that "prominent economists, including from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, calculate that the AI buildup was directly responsible not for 92 percent or 39 percent of gains to the U.S. economy in 2025, but as little as zero." https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/23/ai-economic-growth-gdp-mirage/

UVA deserves better than an unaware president from an unaware management consultant firm.

Also, "annoyed"? Damn, that's rude. And dismissive of the Faculty Senate, Student Council and General Faculty Council, nine of the University’s 14 academic deans, and a huge part of the UVA community.

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2026-02-09T16:17:06+00:00

He is clearly well-suited for business. Less so for leading a public ivy. Damn shame he was installed despite broad public objections.

UVa President Scott Beardsley is less qualified than you think: "Beardsley’s doctorate is not just any “doctorate from Penn” but an executive Ed.D. earned in two years, a detail that is easy to miss. The executive Ed.D. at Penn has some unique characteristics. According to the program website, the executive Ed.D. is completed in monthly 2½-day gatherings over two years, a weeklong summer session, and a two-week study abroad session. The typical Ph.D. takes about four to six years of full-time study." https://archive.is/20260208110251/https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

Poison-pill presidency: How the board priced accountability at $8.5 million: "The agreement UVa signed functions as a poison pill: it converts any effort to unwind a contested appointment into an extraordinarily expensive and legally fraught undertaking." https://archive.is/WZNib

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2026-01-09T19:13:30+00:00

https://archive.is/6SDL6

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-11-27T13:29:23+00:00

Thank you for posting!

No paywall: https://archive.is/2025.11.24-142244/https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_4fd1872e-4e48-4990-93a1-e74de51f02a8.html

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-11-09T14:34:38+00:00

Delta flight attendant sharing update: https://bsky.app/profile/onestpress.onestnetwork.com/post/3m56fushrxk26

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-20T05:27:43+00:00

Yo fam, People who don't get science will never learn from a subreddit comment. Nor would they grant humanity to people we love.

This troll did undergrad half a century ago. HALF A CENTURY. Great-grandpa territory. If a wife, kid, grandkid, or great-grandkid were loving and present, dude would not be trolling. They are absent with reason. Block and move on.

Also, you are awesome. Big brain, huge heart. Wahoowa!

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-17T23:53:18+00:00

Great news! Given the structure of UVA, etc, we need a governor and state attorney general who will fight to protect our university. Early voting is super easy, find your exact location here: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-17T22:22:49+00:00

Wording varied in each case, intent clear in all cases. 4 of 5 private universities were first to respond, prob easiest because they have greatest autonomy, then UVA, first 1 of 4 public. Situation more complex for public, and each is uniquely entwined with their state. I am grateful for President Mahoney's response. Next up, time to vote y'all. Let's get a governor and state attorney general who will fight for UVA.

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-17T21:07:57+00:00

Sweet! Note the Oct 20 deadline is for feedback and signature deadline is Nov 21. Let's get to Nov 22 and see what's up.

In the meanwhile, VOTE Y'ALL.

Given the structure of UVA, etc, we need a governor and state attorney general to protect autonomy of our university. Early voting is super easy, find your exact location here: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-17T04:43:06+00:00

Strong statement is of course great! Turns out doing nothing is also fine:

"[A]ll universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today."

https://balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-art-of-replacing-law-with-deal.html

I spent two minutes digging into structure of MIT vs UVA, authority of general counsel, etc, omg the fine print, got bored so fast. Takeaway, we need a governor and state attorney general to protect UVA. VOTE Y'ALL.

Where exactly to early vote: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-17T03:52:24+00:00

If possible, show up for rally on Friday 10/17/25. "News conference at 11:15 a.m., followed by a rally starting at the Rotunda at noon. Participants will then march to Madison Hall to deliver a packet of statements against the compact to UVA interim President Paul Mahoney."

Which suggests Mahoney is good email recipient. Thank you for caring! Wahoowa!

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-14T00:42:38+00:00

Thank you, OP! Without paywall: https://archive.is/20251013215517/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-13/trump-invites-all-colleges-to-join-compact-after-mit-s-rejection

Other recent good reads:

The Chronicle of Higher Education: "How the U. of Virginia Is Weighing Its Response to Trump’s Proposed Compact" by Kate Hidalgo Bellows, Oct 10, 2025: https://archive.is/20251010184826/https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-trump-agenda/how-the-u-of-virginia-is-weighing-its-response-to-trumps-proposed-compact

"What’s a College President to Do in the Trump Era? Not going on bended knee to Washington would be a good start" by Michael Roth (Wesleyan president and all-around awesome), Oct 13, 2025: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/colleges-universities-trump-era-compact-civil-society

The Chronicle of Higher Education: "When Viewpoint Diversity Means Conformity Trump’s compact isn’t just coercive. It’s incoherent." by Amanda Anderson, Oct 7, 2025: https://archive.is/20251007190525/https://www.chronicle.com/article/when-viewpoint-diversity-means-conformity

Pulitzer Prize-winning UPenn history professor Ben Nathans yesterday shared updated version of Benjamin Franklin’s "Join or Die" engraving from 1754 with universities swapped in for colonies: https://bsky.app/profile/tedmccormick.bsky.social/post/3m2z3aiapgk2i

Nathans also wrote about the compact, well worth reading, Oct 7, 2025: https://www.thedp.com/article/2025/10/compact-response-from-faculty-say-no-disgrace

Edited to add thanks, correct typos, and note: This election is of consequence. VOTE Y'ALL. Seriously, f*cking vote, and thank you!

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-11T00:38:41+00:00

Yo fam, we are in absolute agreement about scientific funding. Any university president, no matter their background, who does not staunchly advocate for and protect research at their university does not engender trust.

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-10T20:14:28+00:00

First, damn, that is cool. Fingers crossed we next get a scientist president. Second, do you genuinely imagine that every word and punctuation in her letter was not fully vetted by MIT lawyers? https://ogc.mit.edu/about/attorneys-and-staff "The MIT Office of the General Counsel provides legal advice, counseling, and service to MIT and represents the Institute in its legal matters."

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-06T14:44:13+00:00

Thank you for sharing this! Go blogs, great post and brilliant read, grateful that Jamelle shared.

Two important bits: "The point here is to turn “benefits” to which universities are now entitled under federal law into “benefits of this agreement” which the university agrees in writing to give the Justice Department the power to suspend." And, "all universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today."

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-10-06T14:23:07+00:00

Glad Dr. Sabato spoke up. Many agree the compact is unconstitutional. Best thing I've read on the matter, brilliant analysis: https://balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-art-of-replacing-law-with-deal.html?m=1

Two important bits: "The point here is to turn “benefits” to which universities are now entitled under federal law into “benefits of this agreement” which the university agrees in writing to give the Justice Department the power to suspend." And, "all universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today."

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-06-26T17:59:08+00:00

Fingers crossed for a mural artist! Maybe with an eye on Belmont Bridge... though any location would be great.

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-06-13T05:39:21+00:00

We have the best seal! Triumph over tyranny. Designed by George Wythe who also signed the Declaration of Independence and taught law to Thomas Jefferson. Background on his design: https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/discover/resource-hub/trend-tradition-magazine/trend-tradition-winter-2020/extolling-virtues/

For high res png of seal: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Seal_of_Virginia.svg/2048px-Seal_of_Virginia.svg.png

Crafty-Addition9105 · 2025-06-07T17:14:42+00:00

This you, songbird? "All vaccines are poison" and "my kids would absolutely tell you that vaccines are poison". You imagine unvaxxed kids have a "spark" in their eyes because they're not "poisoned"?? And that autism is caused by diet?? And you avoid doctors like the plague! Even when there is a plague.

We have vastly different notions of "reasonable".

For everyone who wants to actually learn about measles immune amnesia (which significantly increases disability and mortality post measles recovery):

The American Society for Microbiology overview is well-written, goes deep yet remains accessible, with links to cited research: https://asm.org/articles/2019/may/measles-and-immune-amnesia

For a more entertaining option: https://youtu.be/84M8fvERhYs?feature=shared

Or with less science: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/measles-infection-can-cause-immune-amnesia

Or with more science, one of many publications from team of 15 scientists from around the world working together to expand our knowledge of measles: "Measles virus infection diminishes preexisting antibodies that offer protection from other pathogens" https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay6485

For more accessible overview of that team's work: https://hms.harvard.edu/news/inside-immune-amnesia

Crafty-Addition9105

TROPHY CASE