University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan faced the media Tuesday afternoon for the first time since her forced resignation and reinstatement.
She opened Tuesday's news conference with remarks concerning the beginning of the school year, calling the class of 2016 the brightest ever.
Once the floor was opened to reporters for questions, the topics covered this summer's events, about which, she stated bluntly, "Nobody should ever feel bulletproof, because no one is."
She also commented on the future of UVA. "It's an opportunity for us to be a national leader, and I know that our faculty and staff and our alumni and friends are ready to rise to this challenge and seize the opportunity. And I expect Mr. Jefferson would expect no less from us."
When President Sullivan was forced to resign in June, much of the UVA community came to her defense. Thousands took to the lawn in protest, which made her decision to be reinstated just weeks later an easy choice.
"I felt I still had work to do here. I was more than ready, and besides, I just have to say the outpouring of support that I had from all the stakeholder groups persuaded me that I would be successful at UVA, that people shared my goals for the institution," she said.
Sullivan says she is ready to put this summer's controversy behind her. She plans to make communication with the board of visitors, which was vilified by many during the upheaval, a certain priority.
"I do think it's important for me and the board to work on our communication patterns with each other," she commented.
However, she says one thing is for certain, UVA will be under the microscope. "It's a mistake not to think everyone is watching."
President Sullivan also told the media Governor McDonnell called her just before she was reinstated. She said the governor told her he found out about her forced resignation from the board just two days before she was asked to resign.
