Former Hoos—Make Your Voices Heard!

Dear Fellow Wahoos:

As the summer winds down, we celebrate the familiar rituals of students coming back to the Grounds, faculty returning to classrooms and laboratories to resume enriching young minds and researching, and fans revving up for a new football season with hope and high expectations.  At the start of this new academic year, we want to bring your attention to three important issues.

1. Your Opportunity to Participate
   As always, we want to hear from you and we welcome your feedback.  In addition to that feedback, you can assist us in achieving our mission by donating to Wahoos4UVA by going to the following link: found here.  
   Please note that Wahoos4UVA Inc. is a 501(c)(4) and not a 501(c)(3) as we have always been transparent about our role as an advocacy organization and not a charity, Accordingly, donations to Wahoos4UVA are not tax deductible.  However, your donations will go a long way toward helping us to continue our work and to making sure that your voice is heard. We ask that if you would like to give more than $500 that you contact us so that we can receive your contribution without the fee that our giving platform takes to process gifts. Just email Ann at ann.brown@wahoos4uva.com for other options.
   
2. President Beardsley has chartered a committee of students, staff, members of the Board of Visitors, faculty members and alumni to assist him in developing a long-term strategic plan for the University.  In concert with the creation of that plan, President Beardsley has asked members of the University community to participate in a survey to gather information about their aspirations for UVA.  The link to the survey is found here.  We implore members of the Wahoos4UVA community to fill out the survey and let your voices be heard about your thoughts for the future of our University.  Note that the survey closes on Sunday, August 30.
   
3. Wahoos4UVA Mission Statement
   
   After a couple of years of outside political threats to UVA, and a series of unsettling events and concerning governance actions by the former Board of Visitors that led to the ouster of President Ryan and the rapid appointment of his successor, President Beardsley, we at Wahoos4UVA are hopeful that the coming academic year will be one of calm, reconciliation, a return to shared governance and continued academic freedom for all members of the University community.  
   We, however, cannot ignore that the University continues to live under the threat of the agreement it signed with the Department of Justice and the fact that we have yet to receive a full accounting of the events that led to President Ryan’s ouster.  Because of that, Wahoos4UVA continues to keep its eye on ensuring that the UVA community maintains proper governing principles that are in keeping with the values upon which the University was founded.  
4. Accordingly, we at Wahoos4UVA have adopted the following guiding principles that will govern our actions and communications as we step into the next phase of our organization:
   
   I. Preamble
   Founded to advance knowledge and prepare leaders for a constitutional republic, the University of Virginia is not merely an academic institution—it is a public trust. Guided by Jefferson’s belief in reason, liberty, and self-governance, Wahoos4UVA affirms that the University must remain accountable to the Commonwealth, faithful to the rule of law, and steadfast in its commitment to honor, truth, and human dignity.
   
   II. Unwavering Stewardship of the Public Trust
   As a public institution, UVA bears fiduciary, legal, and moral obligations to the people of Virginia, the nation, and the world. We will actively monitor governance practices—particularly those of the Board of Visitors—to ensure transparency, lawful conduct, and ethical leadership. When actions fall short of these standards, we will speak clearly and publicly, calling out conduct that undermines the University’s integrity or violates its responsibilities.
   
   III. Vigilant Defense of Institutional Integrity in Public Policy
   Jefferson understood that education safeguards democracy. We will educate our community about legislative initiatives in the Commonwealth that affect UVA and will advocate for policies that preserve institutional independence, academic excellence, and responsible self-governance. When legislation threatens the University’s mission or autonomy, we will oppose it with informed and principled engagement.
   IV. Relentless Commitment to Truth and Civil Reason
   The health of a university—and of a republic—depends upon an informed public. We will challenge misinformation, distortion, and propaganda wherever they arise, responding with verified facts, intellectual rigor, and disciplined reasoning. We reject manipulation and fear-based narratives that erode public confidence in the University.
   
   V. Firm Protection of Free Expression and Academic Freedom
   The University must remain a forum for the robust exchange of ideas. We defend the full spectrum of lawful free speech within the University community and stand resolutely for the academic freedom of faculty and researchers. Political pressure, ideological coercion, or viewpoint suppression have no place in the academical village.
   
   VI. Equal Opportunity in Service of the Common Good
   Jefferson envisioned education as a means of elevating human potential and strengthening the republic. We support lawful, non-discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that expand access, foster belonging, and enhance retention of students, staff, and faculty from varied backgrounds. We will advocate for inclusive excellence that advances merit, fairness, and opportunity—without compromising constitutional principles.

With enduring respect and resolve,

Ann Brown (College ’74, Law ’77) and Chris Ford (Engineering ’87)

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