Ousted Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman cast the UW Board of Regents as dysfunctional and called for changes, such as fewer and better-educated board members.
“The change must start at the top with the Board of Regents,” he wrote in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel op-ed.
Rothman lost his job April 7 when the board unanimously voted to fire him. Board President Amy Bogost cited a loss of confidence in his leadership, and later elaborated to a legislative committee that Rothman’s controlling management style and lack of urgency in addressing key priorities were among their concerns.
Rothman was taken aback by the board’s termination. He said he was told to step down by board leaders without being given a significant explanation, and he refused on principle. He will remain on the payroll through Oct. 8 and has 90 days to vacate the state-owned home he lived in as part of the job, according to his termination letter.
Rothman has given a handful of media interviews since his termination, but his op-ed offers new insight on what he believes drove the dustup. He didn’t outright blame the board but rather implied it is falling short by outlining how he believes a well-functioning board should operate.
“To be functional, the board must provide clear direction to the leadership of UW Administration, which, in turn, requires strong and decisive board leadership,” Rothman wrote. “Each of the 18 regents cannot be providing directives to system leadership about what they individually would like to see accomplished. Board leadership must build a consensus among the regents and only then provide direction to system leadership.”
Bogost declined to respond to Rothman’s suggestions. UW system spokesperson Mark Pitsch said the board was “united, forward looking, and focused on results.”
In the op-ed, Rothman said board members need to be better informed on the nuances of the UW system.
“Regents must invest the time to learn the complexities of higher education, which is impossible to master by merely attending periodic board meetings and perusing pre-meeting materials,” he said. “Any assertion that service on the board for several years alone positions a regent to be fully informed in making major decisions is simply misplaced.”
He said the 18-member board was “far too unwieldy to be effective.” He advocated for nine or 12 regents, and potentially compensating them for the job.
Regents currently serve as unpaid volunteers but can log significant hours dealing with university matters. Those who served on the UW-Eau Claire chancellor search committee, for example, spent four days on the Eau Claire campus in mid-April listening to chancellor finalists present their visions for the university.
Rothman said a regent serving for another purpose, such as notoriety or self-aggrandizement, would be unacceptable.
It’s unclear whether Rothman thinks any current board member is serving in bad faith. He declined the Journal Sentinel’s interview request.
Rothman also proposed the board conduct annual self-assessments led by a third-party facilitator and support the system president when they make tough decisions.
“Leadership is not a popularity contest and, given the decisions that the next several years will bring, there is no way that the board will satisfy all stakeholders,” he wrote. “It must not be driven by political expediency; rather, the regents must exercise the fortitude to make decisions based solely on what is in the best long-term interests of the system.”
Kelly Meyerhofer has covered higher education in Wisconsin since 2018. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ousted UW president implies UW regents are to blame for dysfunction
Reporting by Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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