On Tuesday, April 7, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents held a closed-door discussion and unanimously voted to fire President Jay Rothman, effective immediately. The vote marks the first time in state history that a UW System president has been terminated.
Prior to the vote, regents suggested Rothman retire or resign from his position. In a letter responding to the request, Rothman said he had not been given a reason why the regents wanted him to step down, ultimately leading him to decline their request.
Less than a week after news broke that regents had recommended Rothman end his tenure as UW System president, they unanimously voted to remove him.
“Absolutely I was blindsided,” Rothman told the Associated Press. “I asked for reasons why. They were not able to articulate any.”
Board President Amy Bogost said Rothman’s removal was about the future of higher education. “The Universities of Wisconsin must be led with a clear vision that both protects and strengthens our flagship, supports our comprehensive universities and ensures we are meeting the evolving needs of our students, workforce and communities across all 72 counties,” Bogost wrote in a statement Monday.
The Board of Regents is made up of 18 members—16 of which were appointed by the governor and two others who are UW system students, one traditional and one nontraditional. When asked for a comment, Governor Tony Evers said that Rothman’s dismissal was ultimately the decision of the regents.
Wisconsin Republicans were quick to comment on Rothman’s dismissal, saying Evers’ appointees are punishing Rothman for being too conservative. Robin Vos, speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, praised Rothman’s time as president, saying, “Rothman has done a good job negotiating.”
Amanda Nedweski, a Republican from Pleasant Prairie, serves as the vice chair of the Committee on Colleges and Universities. Nedweski told the Daily Cardinal, “It’s clear that the Board of Regents, made up entirely of Evers appointees, is attempting to push President Rothman out so they can install someone more closely aligned with their progressive agenda–particularly as they look toward selecting the next chancellor of their flagship campus.”
The current chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin’s flagship campus, Jennifer Mnookin announced earlier this year that she would be leaving Madison after accepting a position as president of Columbia University. Her departure leaves Wisconsinites wondering if the search for a new chancellor played a role in Rothman’s removal. But Mnookin’s departure is not the only factor that could have played a role in Rothman’s firing.
In 2023 Wisconsin Republicans withheld state funding from universities in an attempt to restrain diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campuses. In return for the release of previously budgeted funds, regents agreed to freeze hiring for all diversity positions through 2026, shift at least 43 diversity positions to focus on “student success” and eliminate any statements supporting diversity on student applications.
Aside from Mnookin’s departure and the negotiations he’s led between regents and Wisconsin Republicans, other factors could include debates over free speech amid pro-Palestinian protests, efforts to increase state funding with the federal government continues to cut education costs and declining enrollment that led to the closure of eight branch campuses. Rothman said on Wednesday that he was unsure which could’ve contributed to his firing, but admitted it could be any.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrat Jodi Emerson said, “Our public universities in Wisconsin are a source of pride and excellence in our state. Supporting our universities should be a bipartisan and unifying issue,” she said. “I am disappointed in some of my colleagues across the aisle who are blaming President Rothman’s termination on extreme partisanship, before knowing all the details. We need to stop partisan finger-pointing and focus on what Wisconsinites really care about, which is supporting the future of the UW System.”
Prior to being hired as the UW System president in 2022, Rothman worked as CEO of the Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner law firm. Despite coming from one of Wisconsin’s largest law firms, Rothman said he is unlikely to sue over his termination.
