The governing body of the University of Virginia had an unusual start to 2026.
Shortly before taking officer, Governor Abigail Spanberger asked for the resignations of five members of the Board of Visitors who had hired a new president in December despite her request to delay that decision.
Spanberger appointed ten new BOV members and they have so far met twice, slightly deviating from the quarterly schedule. Once was on February 20 for an organizational meeting and the other on March 5 included a session of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
They’ll have another one day meeting on April 16 that begins with the Finance Committee at 8:30 a.m. in the Board Room at the Rotunda for a look at tuition and fees for the 2026-2027 academic year as well as housing and dining rates.
UVA officials are recommending a $152 increase in mandatory fees and part of that is expected to defer the cost of public transportation.
“A $32 increase in the University Transit and Mobility Services fee addresses compensation needs related to minimum wage increases and recruitment of drivers, as well as significant increases related to fleet replacement and accessibility needs,” reads the staff report.
The report on student housing gives a glimpse into the volume of people at UVA.
“The University’s Office of Housing and Residence Life manages 7,620 on-Grounds beds in a variety of traditional, apartment, suite, and program-specific accommodations, serving first-year, upper-class, and graduate students,” reads a staff report. “The fall 2025 occupancy rate is 98 percent compared to 99 percent in fall 2024.”
UVA is proposing a $420 increase in part to help prepare for an increase in the available beds. This would make the rate $8,478 for the nine-month academic year.
About 8,900 UVA students purchased meal plans in 2025-2026. Staff proposed a five percent increase.
There will also be a discussion of a project on the Major Capital Plan.
“The Park, located on the North Grounds, serves as a recreational hub for students, faculty, staff, and the community, but current conditions pose challenges to safety, maintenance, and usability,” reads the staff report.
UVA Recreation proposes to demolish the existing softball park and construct a new maintenance yard and access road. The cost to do all of the work has increased to $10 million, higher than the $8 million authorized in the Major Capital Plan.
The Audit, Risk, and Compliance Report will also meet. The agenda is here and here is the presentation.
The Full Board will get many reports including one on research.
- Meeting packet for the Full Board
- 100 Day report from President Beardsley
- Research report
- List of action items for full Board of Visitors to approve
The Board of Visitors will return to its regular schedule with a meeting June 3 through June 6.
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