Democracy Dies in Darkness
Higher Education

Conservative backlash brews over DEI efforts of U-Va.’s next president

Some conservatives criticized the Republican-led board for picking as its next president someone who has overseen diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

5 min
Make us preferred on Google
Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business since 2015, was unanimously approved as U-Va.’s 10th president last week. (Cal Cary/The Daily Progress/AP)
By

Scott C. Beardsley’s public CV once highlighted that he hired a chief diversity officer, launched a racial equity and inclusion group, and oversaw initiatives that increased the share of women and minorities as dean of the University of Virginia’s business school.

Get concise answers to your questions. Try Ask The Post AI.

What readers are saying

The comments reflect a strong divide in opinions regarding Scott C. Beardsley's CV changes related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Many commenters express frustration with the backlash against DEI, viewing it as essential for fairness and progress, while... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
By
Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff is a reporter on The Washington Post's Local Education team, where he covers higher education and youth culture in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. He previously covered national and international breaking news. He started at The Post in 2021 as a summer intern covering crime and criminal justice on the Metro desk. danrosziff
Already a subscriber? Sign in
END OF YEAR SALE

2026 savings start here

Unlock The Post for just 50¢ USD a week.
  • Unlimited access on the web and in our apps
  • 24/7 live news updates
One week
$5 USD
one-time payment
Monthly
50¢ USD
a week
Yearly
$29 USD
for the first year
Monthly billed as $2 USD every four weeks for first six months.
Cancel anytime.
paypal
Card
View more offers