Kaine questions Virginia Tech president’s exit

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine is concerned Virginia Tech President Tim Sands may have been forced to step down so that a new president could be selected before Gov. Abigail Spanberger fills seats on the university’s board, he said during a press conference Friday morning.

Spanberger will have five board vacancies to fill on July 1, according to Kaine, Virginia’s junior senator. The current board is composed almost solely of former Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s appointees.

“I think there is a desire by certain members on that board to force him out,” Kaine said, “even though he doesn’t deserve to be treated like that, so that the board can pick a president before Gov. Spanberger is able to put this administration’s stamp on the Virginia Tech board. And so, I urge Gov. Spanberger to get to the bottom of this and to not allow yet again a Virginia public university to be politicized with political schemes used to oust qualified leadership.”

Neither the governor’s office nor Virginia Tech Rector John Rocovich immediately responded to requests for comment Friday afternoon.

Virginia State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said Friday that the rector, a Roanoke attorney, was “forcing” Sands’ resignation to attempt to hire a new president before four Youngkin appointees rotate off the Tech Board of Visitors at the end of June.

“I think that President Sands has done an excellent job over the past 13 years,” Surovell said. “I’m not a Hokie, but I know he’s extraordinarily popular within Hokie Nation.”

The online publication Inside Higher Ed reported Friday that Spanberger and Rocovich “had spoken directly about the need for [Spanberger’s] appointees, who will be named in July, to be involved with the search” for Sands’ successor.

Surovell often spoke critically of the Republican Youngkin administration during its 2025 legal battle against Senate Democrats on the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee, who refused to confirm more than two dozen university board appointments made by Youngkin, saying that the governor was trying to influence university governance through his picks, some of whom were people connected with the Trump White House and the Heritage Foundation, a powerful conservative think tank.

Ultimately, Democrats won their fight in court, blocking George Mason University, the University of Virginia and Virginia Military Institute boards from seating the unconfirmed appointees, and Spanberger was allowed to make 27 board appointments on the first day of her term in January.

However, Virginia Tech’s board and other universities’ boards are still dominated by Youngkin appointees.

“The [Virginia Tech] board of visitors needs to take its time, or the legislature will have to get involved,” Surovell said Friday.

On Friday, Virginia Tech alum and Octo founder Mehul Sanghani was listed as a member of Virginia Tech’s board on the Board of Visitors website, which noted he was appointed by Spanberger Friday. Sanghani replaces Sandra Davis, the board’s vice rector, who died on March 17. Youngkin appointed her to the board in 2022.

The terms of Sanghani and board members Rosa Atkins, Edward H. Baine, Ryan D. McCarthy and Margaret Ann Smith will expire June 30, according to the site.

When asked about Kaine’s comments, Virginia Tech Spokesman Mark Owczarski said in a statement, “President Sands’ leadership and commitment to Virginia Tech’s mission and vision have been transformational for the university, the commonwealth and public higher education.”

After a dozen years leading Virginia Tech, Sands announced Thursday in a letter addressed “to Hokies everywhere” that he intends to step down in the coming months.

Sands plans to stay in the role until his successor is in place to ensure a smooth transition, according to Virginia Tech.

During the press conference, Kaine said that when states allow politics to push out capable higher education leaders it damages the reputation of that state’s higher education system.

In a statement Thursday, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner praised Sands for ushering in a “period of major growth and transformation at Virginia Tech, positioning the university as a more competitive global research institution.”

“He strengthened Virginia Tech by prioritizing research and innovation, expanding enrollment while maintaining university competitiveness and building lasting industry partnerships,” Warner said of Sands in a statement. “As a result, Virginia Tech graduates are better prepared to meet the needs of a dynamic and rapidly changing workforce. In the time we have worked together, I have appreciated his candor, his drive and his focus on expansion.”

Warner also encouraged Virginia Tech to take time to conduct “a thoughtful and thorough” presidential search. “One that reflects the institution’s stature and ensures it secures a world-class president to build on this strong foundation.”

On Friday, Democratic state Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Virginia Tech alum and chair of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, which votes on gubernatorial appointments to Virginia universities’ boards of visitors, also issued a statement about Sands’ departure.

“I’m grateful for President Tim Sands’ years of service to Virginia Tech and for his friendship, and I was shocked to see his departure during a continued period of tremendous growth for the university. I am eager to learn more about the reasons for this decision,” Rouse said. “As chair of the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, we will continue to support and strengthen Virginia higher education and take all necessary action to protect the independence of our institutions. Boards of visitors play a critical role in governing our public colleges and universities, setting policy, overseeing leadership, and safeguarding academic independence, and we must ensure the next president has the tools and support necessary to lead Virginia Tech forward.”