Teresa A. Sullivan

Teresa A. Sullivan
MLK Community Celebration, January 2012
8th President of the University of Virginia
Incumbent
Assumed office August 1, 2010
Preceded by	John T. Casteen III
Provost of the University of Michigan
In office June 1, 2006 – July 1, 2010
Preceded by	Paul N. Courant
Succeeded by	Philip J. Hanlon
Personal details
Born	Teresa Ann Sullivan July 9, 1949 Kewanee, Illinois[1]
Height	Template:5ft,4in
Spouse(s)	Douglas Laycock (m. 1971–present)[1]
Alma mater	Michigan State University University of Chicago
Profession	Sociologist, Professor
Website	Office of the President, U.Va.

Teresa Ann "Terry" Sullivan (born July 9, 1949) is an American sociologist and university administrator. She serves as the President of the University of Virginia, a position to which she was elected in 2010.^[2]

Early life

Teresa Sullivan was born on July 9, 1949.^[1] She received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University's James Madison College, where she was asked to stay on as an intern in the office of the president by Clifton R. Wharton, Jr., then the president. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.

Career

She joined the faculty of the University of Texas as an instructor in sociology. At Texas, she held a variety of academic and administrative posts, including the chair of the sociology department, vice provost, and vice president and dean of graduate studies.^[3] She then served as the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan.

She has written or cowritten six books and over 80 scholarly articles in sociology.^[4]

Presidency of the University of Virginia

Sullivan was unanimously elected on January 11, 2010, and became the University's first female president on August 1, 2010.^[3] However, on June 10, 2012, it was announced to the University that Sullivan would step down from her position on August 15, 2012, after serving only two years of a five-year contract. Leaders of the university’s governing board decided to remove Sullivan, "largely because of her unwillingness to consider dramatic program cuts in the face of dwindling resources and for her perceived reluctance to approach the school with the bottom-line mentality of a corporate chief executive".^[5] Other sources presented the dispute as being more about differing view of the academic culture and future direction of the university than immediate financial concerns; whether less popular traditional-classical academic studies should be cut, with funding refocussed on more profitable and business-oriented courses and programs. Later news reports presented the resignation as an "ouster" organized by Helen Dragas, rector of the university's Board of Visitors; with strong suggestions of Dragas' conflicting views of the future of the university, and personal ambitions playing a role in her actions.^[5] Although a formal meeting and vote of the full board was not held at the time, Sullivan was presented with the news of her loss of majority support within the board, and given the 'opportunity' to resign.

The announcement of her resignation was communicated via an email by Dragas on behalf of the Board of Visitors. The message quoted from Sullivan's resignation letter and cited "philosophical differences" on how the University was to be run.^[2] Large-scale protest against the action, and support for Sullivan from students, faculty, alumni, as well as the national academic community, resulted, including a faculty senate demand for the removal of the Board of Visitors leaders - Rector Helen Dragas and Vice Rector Mark J. Kington^[6] - and demands from the student government for an explanation for the ouster.^[7] In the face of this pressure, including a statement from Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell that he would remove the entire board if they failed to resolve the issue at their June 26 meeting,^[8] the board unanimously voted to reinstate Sullivan as president.^{[9] [10]}

Personal life

She is married to legal scholar Douglas Laycock.^[1][11]

References

1. "President Sullivan Ushers In a New Era at U.Va.". UVA Today. 2010-08-01. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
2. "Teresa Sullivan to Step Down as President of UVa". NBC 29. 2012-06-10.
3. "Teresa A. Sullivan, Extraordinary Leader and Respected Scholar, to Become Eighth President of U.Va.". UVa Today. 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
4. De Vise, Daniel (2010-01-11). "University of Virginia picks its first female president". Washington Post.
5. Daniel de Vise and Anita Kumar, "U-Va. Faculty Senate to meet in emergency session Sunday over Teresa Sullivan’s ouster", Washington Post, 17 June 2012
6. Associated Press (June 18, 2012). "University of Virginia asks rector, vice rector to resign after president’s ouster". Retrieved June 19, 2012.
7. Karin Kapsidelis (June 15, 2012). "U.Va. Student Council seeks full explanation of ouster". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
8. Anita Kumar and Jenna Johnson (June 22, 2012). "McDonnell tells U-Va. board to resolve leadership crisis, or he will remove members". Washington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
9. Sara Hebel, Jack Stripling, and Robin Wilson (June 26, 2012). "U. of Virginia Board Votes to Reinstate Sullivan". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
10. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (June 26, 2012). "University of Virginia Board Reinstates President". The New York Times. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
11. Colleen Flaherty, Transparency vs. Censorship, Inside Higher Ed, May 29, 2014

External links