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Rothman Refuses to Resign as UW President
The president of the University of Wisconsin is apparently fighting over his job.
President Jay Rothman said in a letter to university regents that he is not planning to resign.
“Since to date you have not provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership, I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation,” Rothman said in a letter first reported on by the Associated Press.
The internal strife is a surprise to people outside the university, but reportedly has been building for a while.
“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 said in the letter. “You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination.”
Rothman simply added that he sees no reason to step aside at this point.
“I do not believe my resignation at this time is in the best interests of either the Universities of Wisconsin or the state of Wisconsin,” Rothman said.
The AP said that Rothman has been told to resign or be fired.
UW Regents held an emergency, closed-door meeting Wednesday.
Rothman has led the university since 2022, and has overseen both an increase in freshman enrollment at some campuses, and an enrollment decline that has seen the UW close some of its two-year campuses. Rothman has also been in charge during a drop in research funding for the UW-Madison campus.
There were also broad and headline grabbing pro-Palestinian protests at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee in 2024.
Rothman has not yet commented on his letter, or any of the apparent calls for him to resign.
The regents’ president told the AP that they don’t comment on board decisions or personnel matters.
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