Education
Virginia Tech rector refuses to resign after Spanberger’s dismissal

“I intend to fulfill my obligations to the students, faculty, and people of Virginia who depend upon the proper governance of this great university,” Rocovich wrote.

By: Nathaniel Cline - June 2, 2026
5:27 am

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A view from outside of Virginia Tech’s Athletics Facilities on its campus in Blacksburg, Virginia (Photo by 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.

Spanberger removed Rocovich, citing “misconduct” in a letter sent last Wednesday, but the letter did not specify the details of Rocovich’s alleged violations, only stating that the findings provided “sufficient cause” for his removal. Rocovich pushed back on that claim.

“I was appointed to serve a term, I have served that term faithfully, and I intend to fulfill my obligations to the students, faculty, and people of Virginia who depend upon the proper governance of this great university,” Rocovich wrote. “Governor Spanberger’s letter failed to state my specific cause, as the law requires. I am confident she will find no such grounds.”

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Nathaniel Cline
Nathaniel is an award-winning journalist who's been covering news across the country since 2007, including politics at The Loudoun Times-Mirror and The Northern Neck News in Virginia as well as sports for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. He has also hosted podcasts, worked as a television analyst for Spectrum Sports, and appeared as a panelist for conferences and educational programs. A graduate of Bowie State University, Nathaniel grew up in Hawaii and the United Kingdom as a military brat. Five things he must have before leaving home: his cellphone, Black Panther water bottle, hand sanitizer, wedding ring and Philadelphia Eagles keychain.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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