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Jay Rothman, who has been at the helm of a vast university system serving 165,000 students across multiple campuses since 2022, revealed in a letter dated March 26 that he is uncertain about the reasons behind the Board of Regents’ decision to seek his departure. The letter was addressed to the board’s head.
Rothman expressed that he was given two choices: either to resign or retire. He further noted that if he refused to take either of these paths, the board was ready to terminate his employment, despite the achievements under his leadership.
The Board of Regents convened an emergency closed-door meeting on Wednesday evening to deliberate on personnel issues.
Amy Bogost, the board’s president, issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying, “The Board is tasked with overseeing the leadership of the Universities of Wisconsin and is currently engaged in discussions regarding its future.” She added, “We do not comment on personnel matters.”
When contacted via email on Thursday, Rothman chose not to provide any further comments.
“I believe my letter speaks for itself,” he said.
In the letter addressed to Bogost, Rothman said he had not been “provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership.”
Because of that, Rothman said, “I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation.”
Rothman also refused to resign in a second letter sent to two other regents on Wednesday after he said they urged him to step down during a Tuesday meeting. Rothman said the regents told him if he didn’t resign, the board was prepared to meet this weekend to fire him.
Rothman said those regents also could not give a reason for them wanting him to resign or be fired.
“I find this process to be nearly (if not completely) indefensible,” Rothman wrote.
Rothman said he asked for an opportunity to discuss the situation with the board and was told that would not happen.
Rothman’s tenure has been marked by his efforts to increase state funding amid federal cuts, debates over free speech on campus amid pro-Palestinian protests, and declining enrollment leading to eight branch campus closures.
Rothman raised the possibility of resigning in 2023 when the Board of Regents rejected a deal reached with the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature over diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The board later reversed its vote and approved the deal.
Rothman noted in the March letter that “among so many other things,” the university will need to replace the chancellor of the flagship Madison campus this year. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is leaving to take the job as president of Columbia University.
“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.
Rothman said in the letter that he has devoted his “heart and soul to the mission of the Universities of Wisconsin” and that he was surprised when told “an unidentified majority of the Board of Regents had lost confidence” in his leadership.
“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 wrote. “You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination.”
Rothman, the former chair and CEO of the Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner law firm, was chosen as UW president in 2022. He had no prior experience administering higher education.
The Universities of Wisconsin consists of 13 universities and several other branch campuses.