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

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 my resignation.”

It has all been done in secret, until now

The board of regents met behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss personnel matters. But until Rothman’s letters were obtained by the AP on Thursday, there was no inkling that the meeting was about his future.

Rothman said in a letter sent Wednesday to two regents that they told him if he didn’t resign they were prepared to meet over the weekend to fire him.

Who is Jay Rothman?

Rothman spent his career as an attorney, rising to become chairman and CEO of the Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner law firm before being hired as UW president. Foley & Lardner has 1,100 attorneys and 22 offices nationwide.

Regent Karen Walsh, who led the presidential search committee, in 2022 called him a “servant leader” who builds consensus. She declined to comment when contacted Thursday.

Rothman holds a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee and a law degree from Harvard University.

What did he do as UW president?

Rothman’s tenure has been marked by his efforts to increase state funding amid federal cuts, debates over free speech on campus amid pro-Palestinian protests, and declining enrollment leading to eight branch campus closures.

Rothman raised the possibility of resigning in 2023 when the board of regents rejected a deal reached with the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature over diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The board later reversed its vote and approved the deal.

The fight over Rothman’s future comes as the university will need to replace the chancellor of the flagship Madison campus this year. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is leaving to take the job as president of Columbia University.