UW System President Jay Rothman fired; regents vote unanimously

MADISON, Wis. - The Universities of Wisconsin system president was fired after a closed-door regents meeting Tuesday evening, April 7. 

Unanimous vote

What we know:

The Board of Regents voted unanimously, 17-0, to fire Jay Rothman, the leader of the state's four-year colleges. Rothman has served a little more than four years in the top leadership post.

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A news release from the Board of Regents said it is "grateful for President Rothman’s service and recognizes the meaningful work undertaken during his tenure. Under his leadership, the Universities of Wisconsin took important and often difficult steps to address longstanding structural deficits, putting individual universities on sounder financial footing for the future. He worked hard to bring the best to the campuses, students, faculty, and staff. Those efforts and that dedication are acknowledged and appreciated. 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."

Universities of Wisconsin Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton will serve as Acting Executive-in-Charge Prior to Appointment of Interim President.

The Board has immediately moved forward in its work to identify the successor. Further details regarding that process will be shared in the coming weeks.

Reaction

What they're saying:

Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), chairman of Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue

"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. Instead of focusing on major structural and curriculum reforms throughout the entire system, the Regents seem determined to stray into backroom maneuvering that further diminishes the reputation of the UW brand and undermines its long-term mission of preparing our students for an ever-changing marketplace.

"It’s disappointing that Governor Evers has chosen to shrug his shoulders and sit idly by as his own Regents act against the best interests of the UW System.

"The Regents owe the Wisconsin citizens, employers, and students who rely on a strong, stable UW System an explanation for why they chose to throw the System into turmoil."

Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)

"Make no mistake about it, the firing of UW President Rothman is a blatant partisan hatchet job. Despite his efforts to enact meaningful reforms to move our world-class institutions forward, members of the Board of Regents apparently believe President Rothman should be punished for not being liberal enough. His only crime was his willingness to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get things done. Because the Board of Regents decided to remove President Rothman without just cause, I am calling on the Senate to reject every single one of their confirmations. As they say, actions have consequences."

Rothman would not leave voluntarily

The backstory:

The vote came just five days after The Associated Press first reported that the regents asked Rothman to either resign or be fired. Rothman said in two letters to the regents that he would not leave voluntarily without knowing what he did wrong.

Regent President Amy Bogost said in a statement Monday that the board has shared results of a performance review with Rothman, with "direct conversations and clear feedback regarding leadership expectations." She said the system needs "a clear vision" but did not elaborate on the review's findings.

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Rothman countered Tuesday with his own statement insisting regents repeatedly declined to cite a specific reason for finding no confidence in his leadership. No one ever indicated to him that an evaluation could lead to termination, he said, adding that Bogost called his review "overwhelmingly positive."

"It is disappointing that the first I heard any sort of defense of their position was when they communicated with the media," Rothman said. "I am left to conclude that, at best, this reflects an after-the-fact rationalization of a decision that was previously made."

Rothman has served as president of the 165,000-student, multicampus system since January 2022. The former chair and CEO of the Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner law firm, Rothman had no prior experience administering higher education.

Rothman brokered a deal with Republicans in 2023 that called for freezing diversity hires and creating a position at UW-Madison focused on conservative thought in exchange for the Legislature releasing money for UW employee raises and tens of millions of dollars for construction projects across the system.

The regents initially rejected the deal only to approve it in a second vote held just days later.

Rothman makes $600,943 annually as UW president. He can be fired for no stated reason and he has no appeal rights, said Wisconsin employment law attorney Tamara Packard, who reviewed Rothman’s contract at the AP’s request.

Under the contract, Rothman would have to be given six-months’ notice of his termination. In practice, what usually happens is the person is told to focus on transitioning their duties and not actually work in the office any longer, Packard said.

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