p. Flat Hat: What did you think of President Nichol’s e-mail?

p. Powell: He begins his e-mail with three or four points that are about policy, not politics, and they are policy that the students care about, the faculty care about, but most importantly, so does the Board of Visitors. We are as deeply committed to the agenda on diversity as anybody, and we have no intention for those efforts to stall or not be advanced. We believe in civic engagement and internationalization in the Gateway program. I think we are even looking at putting it on stronger financial footing by coming up with an endowment for it. So a lot of the e-mail talks about progressive policies that I would say are College policies, not just the policies of one person.

p. FH: So the three to four policies he listed had nothing to do with the decision?

p. They did not have anything to do with our decision, and I think that is demonstrated by the fact that we are saying in our statement quite clearly that we actually embrace and commend him for them. We now need to continue to insist on and promote them. We never had a disagreement about the values of diversity at the College of William and Mary. The board itself developed the College’s first diversity statement last year. We’ve been celebrating and providing resources and support for the efforts to improve finding bigger pools of students of color and hiring more faculty. I personally have been involved at least one major decision about hiring somebody at this to improve our diversity base. It’s important for all of us—the students in particular—to understand that no one should expect any changes in those policies.

p. I know that there are ideologically-based criticisms of the president. Some of them are quite despicable personal attacks, and I mean that word sincerely. And I know that there are also unflinching supporters. I’ve tried to make clear for the better part of this year that the board will not make decisions premised on those kinds of considerations. We don’t believe our decision was based on his ideology, and we don’t believe our decision was based on his policies. And we don’t believe that the board somehow, being threatened or pressured by any element, was the source of the decision. And we know because we were there for the deliberations that those were not the basis [of the decision]. So, to the extent that there’s a suggestion that that’s all that happened here, that sells to board a little short, and it would be wrong for our students and our direct family to think that what’s running the school is some sort of struggle over politics or ideological considerations. That’s not true. …

p. FH: What was the board’s decision based on?

p. P: It was based principally on an objective and very thorough review of performance as an executive. The job of chief executive of an institution as big as William and Mary has many, many facets, and that’s why it has taken us so long and been so thorough. I think President Nichol in certain aspects is the best I’ve ever seen. I think his energy and enthusiasm and his standing with the faculty are A-plus and extraordinary. But being a public advocator and intellectual or a visionary is only one of the subsets of the total job. It’s also a job where the train has to run, and all kind of other things have to happen for this school to be successful. Those were the areas we most focused on. Recognizing and giving him credit for strength in the one dimension, we looked at strengths in other dimensions….

p. We looked at the challenges for William and Mary. The challenges are severe financially…. We found that the weaknesses we found in executive skills were costing us and were continue to cost us, and the efforts to try to find ways around those issues, working with him and working on structure, but regrettably at the end of the day we felt that we couldn’t make enough progress without making a change.

p. FH: What was the economic incentive Nichol referred to in his e-mail?

p. P: I’m not going to give the details, but it’s completely customary for the board and the chief executive to offer a transition package as a way of recognizing their service as a way to make the transition easy, graceful and dignified. I think that the board, particularly because we care about him personally, tried to put together what we thought was a very generous and gracious package, and he alludes to that slightly. However that’s interpreted as something more than what it was, and I’m not really at liberty to publicly explain the specifics, but it was basically a package that would allow him to transition from the position and hopefully find really rewarding and great future employment, which he deserves. But he doesn’t have to take it, and he chose not to.

p. FH: Do you think that he characterized it unfairly?
p. P: I don’t really want to get in direct dispute with anything he says. I will only say that it was not the board’s intention to censure him or unfairly restrict him. We were hopeful that we would work together toward a mutual, agreeable public explanation and in a manner that was harming the school as little as possible and harming him personally as little as possible. So, yes, we had that objective, but I don’t think that was censorship, I think that’s a responsible commitment for people to try to, as gracefully as they can, let the institution move forward. And to me there’s nothing whatsoever illicit inappropriate about attempting to do that. If the board didn’t try to do that, they’re not doing their job. He preferred this course.

p. FH: When did the board plan to release the decision?

p. P: There was no specific timetable for that. We hoped that the best course was for him to remain president through the end of his term.

p. FH: And you made the decision on Friday?

p. P: We’ve been discussing this for months of course. We reached our final view about this over the course of the last week, and as soon as we did we felt an obligation to let him know. We did let him know a day or so ago, and had hoped that we’d work through it.

p. FH: Was the BOV’s vote unanimous?

p. P: I think it’s fair to say that it was unanimous, yes.

p. FH: Why was Taylor Reveley chosen as the interim?

p. P: As you recall, Taylor was a finalist for the presidency himself. He’s an extraordinarily gifted leader or he wouldn’t have been in the final three a few years ago. Taylor has a remarkable history of outstanding executive and managerial skills….He has run the law school beautifully, and he knows the place. We don’t think it’s a time where we need to have a lot of confusion. We need a smooth transition. We need somebody who can go to work on day one, who could work with the students, the faculty, the vice presidents, the administration and the board. We had other possible candidates, but we ultimately believe he was the very, very best choice, and the fact is he’s somebody that can be more than just a caretaker—we don’t have the luxury at William and Mary to tread water. It’s a school that’s got challenges and needs to move forward….

p. FH: When will the search for a new president begin and how long will it take?

p. P: It’s essentially begun. We will not waste one second in beginning to organize it….It will take as long as it takes to get a powerful and important leader for this school….

p. FH: If Nichol had not made the decision in 2006 to remove the Wren cross, do you think there still would have been controversy and do you think we’d still be facing his resignation right now?

p. P: There have been other controversies. The cross doesn’t necessarily stand alone. Controversies are to be expected at any major university. The bigger question for executive leadership is when there are controversies, how do we get them handled? How do we get them quieted down and turned into positive energy and move the school forward? I would tell you that I think the pattern of things that concerned us would have been evident to us even if the cross had never happened because, even for a very long time, we have not thought the cross was a significant part of our concern. That’s why I tried to go out of my way in my statement to say that the compromise stands, and we are not entertaining [reversing] that decision. People can say [the cross] was the beginning of things, but a lot has happened in between, and I think even if it weren’t for the cross, this things would have come to a head a long time ago.

p. Dear Members of the College of William and Mary Community,

p. President Nichol has announced he will not serve the remainder of his term. We had hoped that he would and regret his decision. The Board of Visitors decision not to renew his contract after his current agreement expires on June 30th was extremely difficult. President Nichol achieved some outstanding things during his tenure. His energy and passion is legendary. He is a truly inspirational figure who has enjoyed the affection of many. After an exhaustive review, however, the Board believed there were a number of problems that were keeping the College from reaching its full potential and concluded that those issues could not be effectively remedied without a change of leadership.

p. It is critical to explain that this decision was not in any way based on ideology or any single public controversy. To suggest such a motivation for the Board is flatly wrong. Indeed, the Board has been repulsed by the personal attacks on the President and his family. The uncharitable personal assaults are unworthy of anyone who professes to care about the College and there should be no joy when things do not work out between good

p. Many policies championed by President Nichol are fully embraced by the Board. We agree unflinchingly with the President’s efforts to make William and Mary a more diverse educational environment. His achievements in this area will be the most enduring part of his legacy. We will continue the pursuit with vigor and will insist that all future presidents of the College do as well. We strongly support the Gateway program and will work to put it on sound financial footing by building an endowment that will allow it to blossom. Equally, we continue to see the enormous value that attends to the efforts of internationalization and civic engagement. And, so there is no doubt, the Board will not allow any change in the compromise reached on the placement of the Wren Cross

p. The Board is cognizant that its decision will be deeply disappointing to many, especially members of our faculty and student body. Our sacred stewardship and full insight into the affairs of the College convinced us change was necessary to advance the best interests of the College. We understand the sense of loss and will work hard to heal all

p. But it is important to remember that William and Mary is stronger and more enduring than any one person or any one board. It will continue to rise and thrive through the ages. She is the Alma Matter [sic] of a Nation and the vibrancy of our students coupled with the wisdom and dedication of our masterful faculty will keep the College shining more brightly than any star in the constellation of higher education.

p. The College will begin a search for a new president immediately. In the interim, the Board will appoint Dean W. Taylor Reveley effective immediately to serve as President until a permanent leader is found.

p. Michael K. Powell ‘85
p.Rector, Board of Visitors

p. Dear Members of the William and Mary Community:

p. I was informed by the Rector on Sunday, after our Charter Day celebrations, that my contract will not be renewed in July. Appropriately, serving the College in the wake of such a decision is beyond my imagining. Accordingly, I have advised the Rector, and announce today, effective immediately, my resignation as president of the College of William and Mary. I return to the faculty of the school of law to resume teaching and writing.

p. I have made four decisions, or sets of decisions, during my tenure that have stirred ample controversy.

p. First, as is widely known, I altered the way a Christian cross was displayed in a public facility, on a public university campus, in a chapel used regularly for secular College events — both voluntary and mandatory — in order to help Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other religious minorities feel more meaningfully included as members of our broad community. The decision was likely required by any effective notion of separation of church and state. And it was certainly motivated by the desire to extend the College’s welcome more generously to all. We are charged, as state actors, to respect and accommodate all religions, and to endorse none. The decision did no more.

p. Second, I have refused, now on two occasions, to ban from the campus a program funded by our student-fee-based, and student-governed, speaker series. To stop the production because I found it offensive, or unappealing, would have violated both the First Amendment and the traditions of openness and inquiry that sustain great universities. It would have been a knowing, intentional denial of the constitutional rights of our students. It is perhaps worth recalling that my very first act as president of the College was to swear on oath not to do so.

p. Third, in my early months here, recognizing that we likely had fewer poor, or Pell eligible, students than any public university in America, and that our record was getting worse, I introduced an aggressive Gateway scholarship program for Virginians demonstrating the strongest financial need. Under its terms, resident students from families earning $40,000 a year or less have 100 percent of their need met, without loans. Gateway has increased our Pell eligible students by 20 percent in the past two years.

p. Fourth, from the outset of my presidency, I have made it clear that if the College is to reach its aspirations of leadership, it is essential that it become a more diverse, less homogeneous institution. In the past two and a half years we have proceeded, with surprising success, to assure that is so. Our last two entering classes have been, by good measure, the most diverse in the College’s history. We have, in the past two and a half years, more than doubled our number of faculty members of color. And we have more effectively integrated the administrative leadership of William and Mary. It is no longer the case, as it was when I arrived, that we could host a leadership retreat inviting the 35 senior administrators of the College and see, around the table, no persons of color.

p. As the result of these decisions, the last 16 months have been challenging ones for me and my family. A committed, relentless, frequently untruthful and vicious campaign — on the internet and in the press — has been waged against me, my wife and my daughters. It has been joined, occasionally, by members of the Virginia House of Delegates — including last week’s steps by the Privileges and Elections Committee to effectively threaten Board appointees if I were not fired over decisions concerning the Wren cross and the Sex Workers’ Art Show. That campaign has now been rendered successful. And those same voices will no doubt claim victory today.

p. It is fair to say that, over the course of the past year, I have, more than once, considered either resigning my post or abandoning the positions I have taken on these matters — which I believe crucial to the College’s future. But as I did so, I thought of other persons as well.

p. I thought of those students, staff, faculty, and alumni, not of the religious majority, who have told me of the power of even small steps, like the decision over display of the Wren Cross, to recognize that they, too, are full members of this inspiring community.

p. I have thought of those students, faculty and staff who, in the past three years, have joined us with explicit hopes and assurances that the College could become more effectively opened to those of different races, backgrounds and economic circumstances — and I have thought of my own unwillingness to voluntarily abandon their efforts, and their prospects, in mid-stream.

p. I have thought of faculty and staff members here who have, for decades, believed that the College has, unlike many of its competitors, failed to place the challenge of becoming an effectively diverse institution center stage — and who, as a result, have been strongly encouraged by the progress of the last two years.

p. I have thought of the students who define and personify the College’s belief in community, in service, in openness, in idealism — those who make William and Mary a unique repository of the American promise. And I have believed it unworthy, regardless of burden, to break our bonds of partnership.

p. And I have thought, perhaps most acutely, of my wife and three remarkable daughters. I’ve believed it vital to understand, with them, that though defeat may at times come, it is crucial not to surrender to the loud and the vitriolic and the angry — just because they are loud and vitriolic and angry. Recalling the old Methodist hymn that commands us “not to be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,” nor “afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.” So I have sought not to yield. The Board’s decision, of course, changes that.

p. To my faculty colleagues, who have here created a distinctive culture of engaged, student-centered teaching and research, I will remember your strong and steadfast support until the end of my days.

p. To those staff members and alumni of this accomplished and heartening community, who have struggled to make the William & Mary of the future worthy of its distinctive past, I regret that I will no longer be part of that uplifting cause. But I have little doubt where the course of history lies.

p. And, finally, to the life-changing and soul-inspiring students of the College, the largest surprise of my professional life, those who have created in me a surpassing faith not only in an institution, but in a generation, I have not words to touch my affections. My belief in your promise has been the central and defining focus of my presidency. The too-quick ending of our work together is among the most profound and wrenching disappointments in my life. Your support, particularly of the past few weeks and days, will remain the strongest balm I’ve known. I am confident of the triumphs and contributions the future holds for women and men of such power and commitment.

p. I add only that, on Sunday, the Board of Visitors offered both my wife and me substantial economic incentives if we would agree “not to characterize [the non-renewal decision] as based on ideological grounds” or make any other statement about my departure without their approval. Some members may have intended this as a gesture of generosity to ease my transition. But the stipulation of censorship made it seem like something else entirely. We, of course, rejected the offer. It would have required that I make statements I believe to be untrue and that I believe most would find non-credible. I’ve said before that the values of the College are not for sale. Neither are ours.

p. Mine, to be sure, has not been a perfect presidency. I have sometimes moved too swiftly, and perhaps paid insufficient attention to the processes and practices of a strong and complex university. A wiser leader would likely have done otherwise. But I have believed, and attempted to explain, from even before my arrival on the campus, that an emboldened future for the College of William and Mary requires wider horizons, more fully opened doors, a broader membership, and a more engaging clash of perspectives than the sometimes narrowed gauges of the past have allowed. I step down today believing it still.

p. I have also hoped that this noble College might one day claim not only Thomas Jefferson’s pedigree, but his political philosophy as well. It was Jefferson who argued for a “wall of separation between church and state” — putting all religious sects “on an equal footing.” He expressly rejected the claim that speech should be suppressed because “it might influence others to do evil,” insisting instead that “we have nothing to fear from the demoralizing reasonings of some if others are left free to demonstrate their errors.” And he averred powerfully that “worth and genius” should “be sought from every condition” of society.

p. The College of William and Mary is a singular place of invention, rigor, commitment, character, and heart. I have been proud that even in a short term we have engaged a marvelous new Chancellor, successfully concluded a hugely-promising capital campaign, secured surprising support for a cutting-edge school of education and other essential physical facilities, seen the most vibrant applicant pools in our history, fostered path-breaking achievements in undergraduate research, more potently internationalized our programs and opportunities, led the nation in an explosion of civic engagement, invigorated the fruitful marriage of athletics and academics, lifted the salaries of our lowest-paid employees, and even hosted a queen. None of this compares, though, to the magic and the inspiration of the people — young and older — who Glenn and I have come to know here. You will remain always and forever at the center of our hearts.

Go Tribe. And hark upon the gale.

Gene Nichol