The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents met on Tuesday and voted unanimously to fire President Jay Rothman after asking him to either resign or retire.
Rothman had indicated that he would do neither, and the board decided to fire him.
The former president was hired in 2022 and was previously CEO of Foley & Lardner law firm in Milwaukee.
“The Board is grateful for President Rothman’s service and recognizes the meaningful work undertaken during his tenure,” a statement from the Board of Regents said. “Under his leadership, the Universities of Wisconsin took important and often difficult steps to address longstanding structural deficits, putting individual universities on sounder financial footing for the future.
“He worked hard to bring the best to the campuses, students, faculty and staff. Those efforts and that dedication are acknowledged and appreciated. 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.”
Universities of Wisconsin Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton will serve as acting executive-in-charge prior to the appointment of an interim president.
