President Debbie L. Sydow and her team at Richard Bland College had operated for years without a governing board until last year, when the school gained independence from its parent university, William & Mary. 

So when state legislators recently rejected all nine governing board nominations at Richard Bland, Sydow assured the public that the institution remains on “solid footing” with an experienced leadership team. 

Last year, the state legislature passed a measure that triggered the development of Richard Bland’s first governing board.

In total, lawmakers rejected 14 nominations by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin at three institutions in the commonwealth this month: Richard Bland College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Old Dominion University.

Virginia governors are responsible for nominating members, but their decisions must be confirmed or rejected by the General Assembly. Over the past year, the process was called into question after the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee rejected 22 nominations made by Youngkin, whose administration unsuccessfully challenged the decision," reports Virginia Mercury.

Photo: The Virginia state Capitol building on Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)