UW board votes unanimously to fire system president Rothman

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The Universities of Wisconsin board of regents voted unanimously Tuesday to fire system president Jay Rothman, effective immediately, after Rothman declined a request to resign quietly. The move drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, who said the board’s action was politically motivated and pledged steps aimed at regents whose appointments have not yet been confirmed by the state Senate.

Rothman had refused an offer from the board of regents to quietly step down, according to the Associated Press, saying the board did not provide a clear reason for him to do so. Rothman has led the Universities of Wisconsin system, which oversees the state’s four-year public universities including the Madison campus, for nearly four years.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, did not publicly weigh in on the firing decision when asked Monday, saying, “It’s their call,” referring to the board. Republican lawmakers, however, criticized the action and threatened to move against regents who have not yet been confirmed by the state Senate.

“Make no mistake about it, the firing of UW President Rothman is a blatant partisan hatchet job,” Republican Senate President Patrick Testing said in a statement. Testing added that he believed Rothman was fired for “not being liberal enough,” and he said Rothman’s “only crime was his willingness to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get things done.”

The board’s vote to oust Rothman came about five days after the Associated Press reported the regents had asked him 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 Monday that the board had shared results of a performance review with Rothman, describing “direct conversations and clear feedback regarding leadership expectations.” She said the system needs “a clear vision” but did not elaborate on the findings. Bogost repeated the statement Tuesday after a roughly 30-minute closed session meeting of the regents, and no other regents spoke before the vote.

After the firing vote, Rothman said regents repeatedly declined to cite a specific reason for finding no confidence in his leadership. In a statement Tuesday, he said he was never told that an evaluation could lead to termination and 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 declined to comment after the board voted to fire him.

The dispute over Rothman’s future also intersected with pending state Senate action on regents. The Senate’s committee that oversees higher education scheduled a hearing for Thursday for 10 regents whose appointments by Evers have yet to be confirmed. Testing said the Senate should reject all 10, which would mean they could no longer serve as regents, though the Senate is not expected to meet again this year.

Rothman has served as president since June 2022. Before taking the job, he was the former chair and CEO of the Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner and had no prior experience administering higher education, the Associated Press reported. During his tenure, the system president lobbied Republican legislators to increase state aid amid federal cuts, navigated free speech issues linked to pro-Palestinian protests, and dealt with declining enrollment that resulted in eight branch campuses closing. The Associated Press said overall enrollment across the system remained steady during Rothman’s leadership.

The report also said Rothman brokered a deal with Republicans in 2023 involving a freeze on diversity hires and the creation of a conservative-thought position at UW-Madison, in exchange for the Legislature releasing money for employee raises and tens of millions of dollars for construction projects across the system. The regents initially rejected the deal but later approved it in a second vote, and Evers said at the time the deal left him disappointed and frustrated.

The board’s move came as the Madison campus faced other leadership changes, with chancellor Jennifer Mnookin scheduled to leave in May to become president of Columbia University. Rothman’s salary was reported as $600,943 annually, and Wisconsin employment law attorney Tamara Packard said Rothman could be fired for no stated reason and has no appeal rights, according to the Associated Press.