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.
Those references were quietly removed from an updated version of his curriculum vitae this year, months before the Republican-led U-Va. governing board appointedBeardsley as the university’s next president. An earlier section called “Global DEI” was replaced with a trimmed-down one with the header “Global Excellence,” and nine explicit references to diversity were gone, a review of the two documents found.
In response to an email to Beardsley, the board’s rector and the university press office, a spokesperson said the changes came as part of a review of policies after a 2023 Supreme Court ruling overturning race-conscious college admissions, as well as Trump administration guidance that said any consideration of race — including in initiatives that expand access for underrepresented groups — is illegal. In March, U-Va.’s board votedto dismantle its stand-alone DEI office.
“That review is ongoing, and we will continue to make changes as necessary,” U-Va. spokesperson Bethanie Glover said in a statement.
The U-Va. board has faced criticism in recent days from some conservatives who argue that the board replaced James E. Ryan, the former president who resignedthis summer amid pressure from the Trump administration over DEI policies, with another leader they see as a champion of those initiatives. The board, composed entirely of appointees of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), also has faced criticism from some students, faculty, alumni and state Democratic leaders, who had urged the board to delay an appointment until Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) takes office next month.
“It defies belief that Governor Youngkin and his board would elevate a DEI ideologue like Scott Beardsley,” said Stu Smith, an analyst for the City Journal, a publication of the conservative Manhattan Institute, in a statement. “The installation of President Beardsley suggests UVA protects DEI ideology over people and process.”
He also posted a thread on X with a video compilation of Beardsley speaking about the value of diversity. Smith said Youngkin and the board failed Virginia with the pick.
It’s the latest turn in a year of turmoil for the flagship university in Charlottesville, as state and federal conservatives targeted the school while the Trump administration sought to reshape American higher education. Interim U-Va. president Paul Mahoney struck a deal in October with the Trump administration to pause several investigations launched this springinto the school’s DEI policies. As part of the resolution, the school must submit quarterly reports about its compliance with Justice Department guidance on civil rights law.
Asked about criticism of Beardsley’s past support of diversity initiatives, Glover said U-Va. had initiated a review of policies and made changes to “make absolutely clear” that the school does not discriminate and that programs are open to everyone.
She added that the board is confident in Beardsley and referred to a statement from Frank Sands, the immediate past chair of the Darden School Foundation and CEO of Sands Capital, calling Beardsley a “visionary leader” who has transformed Darden for the better.
Earlier this year, America First Legal, co-founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, urgedthe Justice Department to take enforcement action against the business school, among other colleges at U-Va., alleging it had rebranded DEI initiatives while continuing to offer scholarships to underrepresented students and partnering with outside organizations to support LGBTQ+ students. America First Legal did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
James A. Bacon, a conservative political blogger and former executive director of the Jefferson Council, a group of conservative alumni, praised Beardsley for knowing the zeitgeist of U-Va. but said in an interview that he was “baffled” by his selection as president. He called the longtime business school dean a “key implementer of DEI” at the university.
“The Board of Visitors has acted to shut down diversity, equity and inclusion at U-Va., at least the bureaucracy,” he said, referencing the board’s March resolution to dissolve DEI offices. “But then they approved this selection of someone who enthusiastically put DEI in place at Darden.”
Bacon said he expected Beardsley to abide by the Justice Department agreement but worried that he’d do “the absolute minimum to comply.”
The Jefferson Council’s current president, though, defended Beardsley. Joel Gardner said Ryan directed all his deans to implement DEI policies, and that Beardsley was simply doing what he had to do to keep the job.
“You probably had to do it to survive,” he said in an interview.
Gardner, whose group had called for Ryan’s removal, said he was happy the board picked an internal candidate. He said the council is hoping for an apolitical president, which Beardsley has pledged to be.
“We’re in wait-and-see mode,” he said.
In a video released by the university over the weekend, Beardsley played up his business bona fides. A 26-year veteran of the consulting firm McKinsey and Company, Beardsley said he loved working with people during his time living in Belgium.
He was named dean of the year by Poets and Quants for Executives in 2020 and last year was appointed to a record third term leading the Darden school.
He’ll begin as U-Va. president on Jan. 1.
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