University of Virginia President James Ryan announced his resignation, amid pressure from the Trump administration to end the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
In a letter addressed to the head of the university board on Thursday, Ryan said his resignation would be effective no later than Aug. 15, The New York Times reported.
In another letter, addressed to the university community on Friday, Ryan shared his reasons for stepping down.
“I am writing, with a very heavy heart, to let you know that I have submitted my resignation as President of the University of Virginia,” Ryan said.
“To make a long story short, I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University. But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job.
“To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld,” he wrote.
— Jim Ryan (@presjimryan) June 27, 2025
Ryan added