The University of Virginia’s governing board is widely expected to name its next president this Friday, advancing the leadership transition at the flagship public institution amid sustained calls from key stakeholders to delay the decision until early next year.

The Board of Visitors meeting in Charlottesville is anticipated to result in the selection of Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business, as the University’s tenth president, capping a search process that has drawn intense attention from state officials, faculty and alumni.

The search was launched following the resignation of President James E. Ryan, who stepped down in the summer after federal scrutiny over the University’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies and discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The board’s special committee has reviewed dozens of candidates and reportedly identified up to four finalists, with Beardsley emerging as the leading candidate.

He has led Darden through sustained growth in programs, enrollment and fundraising, including securing over six hundred million dollars in gifts, and did not sign a faculty letter urging a pause in the process.

In recent weeks, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, an alumna of the University, publicly urged the board to defer its appointment until she can take office in January and appoint new board members who would then be confirmed by the General Assembly.

Spanberger argued that decisions made by the current board, which lacks full membership due to unconfirmed appointees, could undermine confidence in the search’s legitimacy and transparency.

Nine of the University’s fourteen academic deans and the Faculty Senate have echoed these concerns, calling for a temporary pause to ensure broader trust in the outcome.

Board supporters, including current Rector Rachel Sheridan and supporters of the ongoing search, have defended the process as robust and thorough.

They note that the search committee’s work has followed established procedures and that the finalists represent highly qualified leaders poised to guide the University’s mission.

The anticipated vote comes as the University seeks stable leadership following a turbulent period of federal negotiations and internal debate over governance and institutional direction.

As the board prepares to act, tensions between outgoing and incoming state leadership have underscored broader debates over university governance and timing of major decisions.

The Friday meeting and projected appointment mark a pivotal moment in the University of Virginia’s stewardship and the shaping of its leadership amid competing calls for continuity and caution.