UW System President Jay Rothman fired, "blindsided" by the decision
UW System President Jay Rothman fired
UW System Board of Regents members are being called before a Senate committee on Thursday, April 9 in the wake of voting to fire system president Jay Rothman.
MILWAUKEE - UW System Board of Regents members are being called before a Senate committee on Thursday, April 9 in the wake of voting to fire system president Jay Rothman.
Rothman fired
What we know:
When reached by phone, Rothman declined to comment further about his firing. However, in an interview with The Associated Press, Rothman said he was "blindsided" by the decision.
Jay Rothman
On Tuesday, April 7, the Board of Regents voted 17-0 to fire Rothman.
Rothman has been the head of the Universities of Wisconsin System since 2022. He was in charge of the system's four-year colleges across the state, including the flagship campus in Madison and more than 164,000 students. However, Rothman's tenure has been marked by declining enrollment, loss of federal funding, and debates over free speech on campus.
Board of Regents statement
What they're saying:
Following Tuesday's vote, the Board of Regents in a statement thanked Rothman for his service, taking important and difficult steps to address funding and financial footing. The statement goes on to say the following:
"He worked hard to bring the best to the campuses, students, faculty, and staff…However, despite these accomplishments, based on the annual performance review and subsequent discussions, the Board has lost confidence in President Rothman’s ability to lead the UWs moving forward."
Jay Rothman
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UW System Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton will serve as an acting executive until an interim president is appointed.
Reaction to firing
What they're saying:
State Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) called Rothman's firing a "blatant partisan political hatchet job." Testin added, "The Board of Regents once again appears to be distracted by politics and unable to concentrate on addressing the big picture challenges the UW System faces."
State Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) is the chair of the Senate's Universities and Technical Colleges Committee. He said the Regents are distracted by politics and unable to concentrate on the challenges the Universities of Wisconsin System faces.
UW System President Jay Rothman fired; regents vote unanimously
Jay Rothman, the Universities of Wisconsin system president, was fired after a closed-door UW regents meeting on Tuesday evening, April 7.
Rothman's tenure
Local perspective:
In the lead-up to Rothman's firing, he was asked to resign or be fired. In two letters sent by Rothman, he said he would not leave voluntarily without being given a reason.
During Rothman's tenure, he froze diversity hires and created a conservative position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a deal with Republican lawmakers for employee raises and construction project funding.
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Rothman also came under fire during campus pro-Palestinian protests and declining enrollment closing branch campuses.
The Source: Information in this post was provided, in part, by previous FOX6 News coverage and The Associated Press.