The chairperson of the committee searching for the next Universities of Wisconsin president did his homework.
Regents Vice President Ashok Rai said he studied up on the past two presidential searches, both of which faced criticism and one of which ended in failure. He’s adjusted the search process accordingly.
The UW Board of Regents fired President Jay Rothman this spring, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership. Rothman said he was given no substantive reason for his ouster.
Here’s how this search will be run differently, and how the public can get involved:
Larger search committee named
Rai named a 25-person search committee to ensure broad representation across the 13 universities. The committee includes six regents, four chancellors, two students and three professors, among others.
In 2022, when Rothman was hired, the search committee included 19 people.
In a 2020 search, a nine-person search committee lacked any faculty or staff. It included just one student who already served on the UW Board of Regents.
Every search committee member gets a vote
In previous searches, the search committee offered input to a special regent committee of board members who then selected the finalists that went to the full board for a vote. Rai eliminated the special regent committee, ensuring each person on the search committee gets a vote in who moves forward in the process.
“We’ve really tried to broaden the input,” Rai told reporters in a June 5 call. “That’s how you get to 25 (search committee members). But making sure that everybody’s voice counts as well.”
Conducting a thorough search with ample opportunity for input is important, according to executive search firm AGB Search, which is leading the search. The firm’s website said it can be tempting for boards to limit the number of voices in the process but seeking robust feedback can ease the new president’s transition and minimize early criticism.
Naming one finalist became issue when that finalist dropped out
The memory of the failed presidential search in 2020 looms large for UW regents.
Just one finalist was named in the search, and he withdrew before the job was offered to him, citing “process issues.” His decision came after a tough public forum where some UW system faculty found his comments underwhelming. The failed search cost about $216,000.
Rai declined to commit to naming multiple finalists but said that was the goal.
Finalists to participate in public forums
The board learned from the 2020 search and named two finalists in 2022. But it faced criticism for lacking any public forums.
Rothman and the other finalist answered questions from regents, chancellors, a select group of faculty and staff and a handful of media outlets, including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But others were disappointed the search committee held no public interviews.
Rai said finalists this time will participate in public forums, likely this fall. He aims for the new president to be named in mid to late fall.
The UW-Madison chancellor search that also recently launched will likely conclude a bit later, he said. The hope is to name someone by the end of 2026.
Listening sessions scheduled
Listening sessions will be held at five of the 13 campuses for students, staff and the broader community to explain what they want to see in the next UW system president.
The sessions are scheduled at:
Can’t make it in person? The sessions will also be streamed online at bit.ly/UWpresidentListeningSessions. The public can also offer feedback in a survey at bit.ly/UWPresidentSurvey.
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: UW system criticized for past president searches. Will this time be different?
Reporting by Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
