The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday to end President Jay Rothman’s tenure effective immediately, abruptly cutting short his time at the helm and handing the keys to Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton as acting executive-in-charge while they search for an interim president. Regents said the move followed their annual performance review of Rothman and stressed that day-to-day operations across the system’s 13 universities will carry on during the transition.
Board announcement and next steps
In a press release published via Urban Milwaukee, the Universities of Wisconsin said the Board "has lost confidence in President Rothman’s ability to lead the UWs moving forward" and announced that "Chris Patton will serve as Acting Executive-in-Charge Prior to Appointment of Interim President." The release says Regents have begun work to identify a successor and will roll out more details on the search and interim appointment in the coming weeks.
Political fallout and Rothman’s response
The decision did not stay on campus for long. It drew immediate pushback from Republican lawmakers, along with promises to challenge regent confirmations, and state leaders labeled the firing a partisan move, as reported by AP. AP also reported that Rothman had earlier refused an ultimatum from Regents to resign, saying he would not step down because he had not been given a clear explanation for the board’s lack of confidence.
Rothman’s tenure under pressure
Rothman, who took office in 2022, led the 13-campus system through budget fights with the Legislature, campus free-speech controversies and a stretch of declining enrollment that contributed to branch campus closures, reporting by WPR and others show. His time in office also featured a 2023 compromise over diversity hiring and state funding that drew sustained attention from lawmakers and other stakeholders.
Patton named acting executive-in-charge
Chris Patton, who joined the Universities of Wisconsin leadership last year as the senior official for university relations and previously served as vice chancellor for administration and finance at UW-Platteville and as a deputy secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Administration, will now handle day-to-day duties, according to the Universities of Wisconsin. The system’s release reiterates that Patton will lead during the transition while the Regents name an interim president and carry out the broader search for Rothman’s successor.
Contract terms and governance stakes
Employment experts told AP that Rothman’s contract gives the Board broad authority to terminate the president without stating a cause and offers limited appeal rights, with notice and transition typically handled through administrative procedures. Regents said the action followed an annual performance review and months of discussions with stakeholders, framing the decision as part of their fiduciary duty to the system.
What to watch
The state Senate’s higher-education committee has scheduled a hearing this week for unconfirmed regents, and several Republican leaders have signaled they may use confirmations as leverage in the fallout, reporting by Wisconsin Watch shows. For now, Patton will oversee operations while the Regents move quickly to name an interim leader, and the universities say campus work will continue without interruption.
