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yesterday

Universities of Wisconsin Regents Fire System President Jay Rothman After Closed-Door Vote

The ouster signals a push for new direction during a turbulent period for the state’s public universities.

FILE - Graduates listen to the commencement address during graduation at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., May 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman speaks during a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, at Waunakee Community High School in Waunakee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman speaks during a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, at Waunakee Community High School in Waunakee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
FILE - 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. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)

Overview

  • The Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday to remove Jay Rothman after a closed session, then recorded the decision in open session.
  • Regent President Amy Bogost said the board lost confidence in his leadership based on his annual performance review and months of discussions.
  • Rothman had refused to resign, saying in letters that he would not leave without being told what he had done wrong.
  • His contract allows termination without a stated reason and offers no appeal, and it requires six months’ notice, according to a Wisconsin employment lawyer.
  • The board named Chris Patton as acting executive-in-charge and Republican lawmakers blasted the secrecy, with one senator calling the move a partisan hatchet job.