What to know about attempts to force out the Universities of Wisconsin president

University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman speaks during a meeting of the UW Board of Regents on the campus of UW-Madison in Madison, Wis., on Dec. 7, 2023.

At center right is Regent President Karen Walsh. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) 2026-04-02T21:29:34Z MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The president of the 165,000-student University of Wisconsin system is fighting attempts by the board of regents to force him to retire or face being fired.

The surprise effort to remove Jay Rothman from the post he has held since 2022 was detailed in letters Rothman sent to regents over the past week that were obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

Here is what to know about the situation: What’s the president’s job?

The president of the Universities of Wisconsin oversees the entire university system, which includes the flagship Madison campus, 12 other universities and several other branch campuses.

The president reports to the 18-member board of regents.

Vice presidents and chancellors who run the campuses, including the main one in Madison, report to the president.

The president also oversees staffing at the system’s administrative offices and directs work done there.

Rothman is the eighth president of the UW System, which was created in 1971 by the state Legislature.

Why is this happening?

It came as a surprise that the board of regents wanted to remove Rothman.

Details emerged in two separate letters Rothman sent to regents he met with.

No concerns had been aired publicly by regents about Rothman’s performance.

According to Rothman, no regent has explained to him why they want him out. “When I asked you to articulate reasons for the Board’s conclusion and apparent lack of confidence in me, you merely noted that each Regent has his or her own perspective on the matter,” Rothman wrote in a March 26 letter to the board president. “You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination.” The AP contacted all 18 board members on Thursday, and they either did not respond to emails or had no comment.

Can the board do this?

It is unclear whether the board can fire the president without cause.

A spokesperson for the university was checking on what the law allows.

Rothman said in his letter to the board president that he had not been “provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership.” Because of that, Rothman said, “I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit m

原文链接: AP News