- Podcasts
Podcasts - Videos
Videos - Policy Issues
Policy Issues - About
About
Ouster of UW President Rothman Advances
There is growing frustration with the apparent move to oust the president of the University of Wisconsin.
UW Regents are set to meet late Tuesday afternoon to decide the fate of UW President Jay Rothman.
Rothman last week said he’s been told to either resign or be fired. He’s refusing to resign, and said in a letter to UW Regents that they have not given him a reason as to why they want to fire him.
“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. You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination," Rothman wrote.
UW Regents have not offered any explanation for their apparent move to oust Rothman.
That is not sitting well with some Wisconsin lawmakers. State Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, took to X on Tuesday to criticize the way UW Regents are running the Universities of Wisconsin.
"So let’s get this straight. The Regents basically ran Gov. Thompson out of town and now they want to run Mr. Rothman out. The similarities between these two fine gentlemen are that regardless of political parties, they can work with both sides and get things done," Kurtz wrote on X.
It’s not just lawmakers who are rallying behind Rothman. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business group, on Tuesday also publicly declared its support for Rothman.
“WMC has also appreciated [Rothman’s] vision, which includes focusing on the workforce needs of Wisconsin employers, delivering a world-class education to students, providing value to taxpayers, and enhancing the reputation of the Universities of Wisconsin,” WMC’s Kurt Bauer said in a statement. “However, that reputation will be severely tarnished by the Board of Regents if it votes to remove [Rothman] from his position without justification.”
Interested in the content of this Article?
Reach out to the MacIver Institute to aquire more information
