The reporting only matters if it reaches the people who can act on it. Here is the honest ranking of what helps, most useful first.
Tell us what you are seeing
Most of what we publish begins with one person on Grounds deciding to say something. A document that seemed unremarkable to the person who received it. A meeting that went differently than the minutes suggest. A policy applied to one student and not another.
You do not need to be certain, and you do not need to have proof. We will do the verifying.
Pass the reporting on
We have no advertising budget and no distribution deal. Every piece that travels does so because someone forwarded it. Sending one article to five UVA alumni who have not heard of us does more than almost anything else on this page.
The archive is public and free. Quote it, republish excerpts with a link, cite it in a letter. You do not need to ask.
Write to the Board of Visitors
Seventeen people appointed by the Governor hold legal authority over the University. They meet a handful of times a year, and they read their mail — in 2025, roughly fifty letters to the Board about a single decision were compiled and circulated to every member.
A short, specific, signed letter from an alumnus carries real weight. Vague outrage does not.
Who they are and how to reach them →
Volunteer
The Council runs on volunteers. What we most need is not general enthusiasm but specific skills:
- Records work — drafting FOIA requests, tracking deadlines, reading what comes back
- Research — budget documents, filings, faculty and staff directories
- Writing and editing — turning documents into pieces people will finish
- Events — hosting, logistics, and getting students into the room
If you are a UVA graduate with any of those and a few hours a month, write to us.
Come to something
We bring speakers to Grounds that the University would not otherwise invite, and the audience matters as much as the speaker. What is coming up →
Give
Records requests carry fees. Events carry costs. Research takes time that eventually has to be paid for. The Council takes no money from UVA and none from the Commonwealth, which is the whole point.