MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The president of the 25-campus University of Wisconsin said in a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press that he was told to either resign or be fired, but no reason was given and he will not withdraw from the 165,000-student system.
Jay Rothman, who has served as president of the university system since 2022, said in a March 26 letter to the board president that the board had not given him any reason to want him to leave.
Rothman said he was told his options were to resign or retire and that if he didn’t do so, the board was “prepared to terminate my employment despite all that has been accomplished.”
The board held a closed emergency meeting Wednesday night to discuss personnel matters.
“The Board of Trustees is responsible for the leadership of the University of Wisconsin and is discussing its future,” Board Chair Amy Bogost said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We do not comment on personnel matters.”
Rothman declined to comment when reached via email Thursday.
“I believe my letter speaks for itself,” he said.
Rothman’s tenure has been marked by his efforts to increase state funding amid federal funding cuts, sparking debate over free speech on campus amid pro-Palestinian protests and declining enrollment that led to the closure of eight campuses.
“To date, you have not provided any substantive reason or rationale why the board does not have confidence in my leadership, and as a matter of principle I am not prepared to submit my resignation,” Rothman wrote to Bogost.
Rothman’s letter noted that “among other things,” the university will need to replace the president of its Madison flagship campus this year. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is stepping down to become president of Columbia University.
“I do not believe it is in the best interest of the University of Wisconsin or the state of Wisconsin for me to resign at this time,” Rothman said.
Rothman said in the letter that he was “wholeheartedly committed to the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison” and that he was surprised to learn that “an unidentified majority of members of the Board of Trustees have lost confidence in his leadership.”
“When I asked you to articulate the reasons for the board’s conclusions and apparent lack of confidence in me, you simply pointed out that each regent has his or her own opinion on the matter,” Rothman wrote. “You failed to provide any tangible justification for the board’s decision.”
Rothman, the former chairman and CEO of the Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner, was elected president of the University of Washington in 2022. He had no previous experience managing higher education.