College presidents are acutely aware of the tensions that can arise when their goals differ from those of the board. During two tumultuous weeks in 2012, Teresa Sullivan, president of the University of Virginia, was exiled by the board, and subsequently reinstated. At the heart of the conflict was a disagreement about the pace of change at UVA, which came to a head when the institution's rector led a campaign to oust Sullivan.
Two board members pressured Sullivan to resign in a private meeting
— she did, citing a "philosophical difference of opinion." Yet two weeks later, after faculty members, students, and alumni rallied to defend Sullivan, she was reinstated as president.
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