In a 17-0 vote Tuesday evening the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents voted to terminate President Jay Rothman’s contract, effective immediately.
"The Board is grateful for President Rothman’s service and recognizes the meaningful work undertaken during his tenure," the Regents said in a statement immediately following the meeting. "However, despite these accomplishments, based on the annual performance review and subsequent discussions, the Board has lost confidence in President Rothman’s ability to lead the UWs moving forward."
Rothman, the ninth president of the UW System, is the first president to be fired in the system’s history.
Vice President of University Relations Chris Patton will serve as the 'Acting Executive-in-Charge' as the Regents search for both an interim president and the next System President.
Rothman refused to resign last Thursday on principle after he said in letters to the Regents that they requested he resign or retire without cause.
“Since to date you have not provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership,” Rothman wrote on March 26, “I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation.”
Rothman penned two letters, one to Board President Amy Bogost with his initial refusal to resign and another to Regents Ashok Rai and Jack Salzwedel after a Tuesday meeting the three had, with Rai and Salzwedel again urging him to step down in order to ‘preserve his legacy.”
Bogost re-read a statement during the Tuesday meeting that the Regents released Monday casting doubt on Rothman’s claim that the decision came without notice or reason. She cited an annual performance review of Rothman where she had met with Regents, chancellors and other members of the UW community.
“This process consisted of multiple meetings with the full Board of Regents, including direct conversations and clear feedback regarding leadership expectations,” she said. “President Rothman was not without notice, nor was this process sudden. The Board has engaged with President Rothman in good-faith discussions over the past several months.”
Bogost said the decision was about the future of higher education.
“The Universities of Wisconsin must be led with a clear vision that both protects and strengthens our flagship, supports our comprehensive universities and ensures we are meeting the evolving needs of our students, workforce and communities across all 72 counties,” Bogost wrote in a statement Monday.
“It is disappointing that the first I heard any sort of defense of their position was when they communicated with the media,” Rothman said in a Tuesday afternoon statement before the meeting. “I am left to conclude that, at best, this reflects an after-the-fact rationalization of a decision that was previously made.”
Rothman first assumed the position in 2022. Before that he served as chairman and CEO of Foley & Lardner LLP, one of the largest law firms in Wisconsin.
His term has been plagued by administrative turnover and branch campus closures. This year alone, there have been chancellor searches at UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire, with University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin also announcing in late January that she would depart the university to become the president of Columbia University next fall. As of November 2025, six UW System branch campuses have closed in the last three years.
Rothman has also faced opposition from the Legislature — resulting in controversial deals in the last two budget cycles that eliminated DEI positions and increased teacher workloads — and received criticism over his handling of free speech measures, especially as it related to pro-Palestine protests on campuses.
Lawmakers weigh in
In the days since Rothman’s letters, several prominent Republican lawmakers came to Rothman’s defense.
Rep. David Murphy, R-Hortonville, who serves as the chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Colleges and Universities, wrote in a Friday statement that he was “troubled” by reports that Regents provided little reasoning for this decision, adding he worried the decision might be political in nature.
“I am concerned that the push to oust him may actually stem from his strong support for free speech and open inquiry on our campuses—core principles that must be defended in higher education,” Murphy wrote in the statement.
Committee Vice Chair Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, echoed Murphy’s sentiment in a statement to The Daily Cardinal.
“It’s clear that the Board of Regents, made up entirely of Evers appointees, is attempting to push President Rothman out so they can install someone more closely aligned with their progressive agenda—particularly as they look toward selecting the next chancellor of their flagship campus,” Nedweski said. “While I haven’t always agreed with President Rothman on every issue facing the UW System, I have always appreciated his professionalism and his willingness to engage with Republican lawmakers--to listen to our concerns and find areas of compromise. Unfortunately, it appears that this willingness to work with Republicans may have made him incompatible with the Regents’ agenda.”
Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, who chairs the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, decried the situation as “the latest example of backroom politics dictating how the Board of Regents is overseeing the UW System.” Committee vice-chair Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Fox Crossing, agreed, lamenting the lack of transparency by the Regents during the process.
Murphy announced Tuesday afternoon that he plans to hold a public hearing on Rothman's removal with Regents who voted to oust him. Hutton will also hold a Senate hearing on Thursday featuring the ten Regents, including Bogost, who were appointed by Gov. Evers but not confirmed by the Senate. Unconfirmed Regents can be dismissed by a vote.
“As Chairman, I am troubled by the lack of transparency surrounding these reports,” Murphy said. “President Rothman deserves to know exactly why the Board has lost confidence in his leadership. At the hearing, members of the Board of Regents will be called to testify and explain their reasons for pursuing his removal.”
Annika Bereny is the campus news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She previously served as the special pages editor. As a staff writer, she's written in-depth on campus news specializing in protest policy, free speech and historical analysis. She has also written for state and city news. She is a History and Journalism major. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
