CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In the face of pauses urged by the Governor-elect and nine of its 14 deans, the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors’ Special Committee for Selection of the President has set two additional meetings, following Thursday’s session.

The group will now also meet Dec. 19 and Jan. 6 to discuss candidates, an apparent sign that it is pressing on with the search for the next president despite five unfilled seats and growing campus mistrust in the process.

The last time the committee met was Nov. 3. Since then, it has received a letter by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger urging a pause until after her inauguration and the sitting of five new Board of Visitors members.

That was met by a response by Gov. Glenn Youngkin accusing Spanberger of overreaching by inserting herself into University affairs before she takes office in January.

Also in November, the Faculty Senate called for the hiring process to be paused and for Rector Rachel Sheridan and vice rector Porter Wilkinson to resign.

Former Pres. Jim Ryan, who was forced to resign under pressure from the Trump administration and threats of withholding federal funding, sent a letter to the Faculty Senate outlining how he believed Sheridan and Wilkinson – not yet the rector and vice rector at the time – worked behind the scenes and without board approval to orchestrate his ouster.

Then, earlier this month, the nine deans, including a former committee member who resigned due to health reasons, submitted their letter to the Board of Visitors urging a pause and questioning the wisdom of the current Board of Visitors selecting a President, and how “a cloud” would be looming over that selection.

The Governor-elect questioned the legitimacy of any decision the board makes with the five vacancies. Spanberger will be able to fill the vacancies and potentially replace current board members after she assumes office.