The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors on Friday appointed Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business, to be UVA’s next president, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The unanimous vote came as the board faces criticism from state Democrats, the incoming governor and segments of the campus community over the search process and the board’s legitimacy. Beardsley, a longtime Darden dean and former McKinsey partner, inherits a campus divided after the resignation of the previous president under federal pressure tied to diversity and civil-rights enforcement. Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed the current board; Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger had asked the board to pause the search until she could fill open seats. The selection sets up an early test of relations between the new president, the outgoing board, and the incoming state administration. University leaders framed the hire as a move for stability and managerial competence; critics warned the timing risks further politicizing UVA governance. Beardsley will face immediate challenges on faculty trust, compliance with federal civil-rights agreements and a skeptical legislature.