Virginia Tech rector refuses to resign after Spanberger’s dismissal

Nathaniel Cline June 02, 2026 1 min read

Virginia Tech rector refuses to resign after Spanberger’s dismissal

Nathaniel Cline
Virginia Mercury 

Virginia Tech governing board member John Rocovich has refused to resign after Gov. Abigail Spanberger removed him last week after 16 years. Rocovich stated in a four-page letter addressed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth that he will not resign before his term ends on June 30, 2027. There was no sign of him at the board’s committee meetings on Monday in Blacksburg.

Spanberger’s decision is the latest effort by her administration to shake up governing boards at Virginia’s colleges and universities, amid concerns within the higher education community about the politicization of public university governing bodies. She recently appointed four new members to Tech’s governing board.

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