James E. Ryan, former president of the University of Virginia, says he faced an ultimatum that ended his tenure after federal pressure mounted over diversity and civil-rights probes. In a detailed account released to the Faculty Senate, Ryan described a four-hour window in which he was told resignation would avert the loss of millions in federal research funding. The episode centers on board maneuvers, political actors and federal investigators pressing the university to dismantle DEI infrastructure. The case highlights how federal scrutiny of campus programs can produce abrupt leadership changes and force trustees, presidents and research offices into high-stakes trade-offs.