Rothman Firing, Chancellor Departure: Wisconsin Universities Face Leadership Shakeup

It's April 6th. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Durham News Today, your AI-powered

local news. The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents is set to vote Tuesday at 5 p.m.

to fire System President J. Rothman. He leads the 165,000 student network and turned down

their push for a quiet resignation, demanding a clear reason for the move.

Rothman's at the job in 2022 with no prior higher education experience, coming from a top

law firm CEO Rowell. His time in charge has dealt with pushing for more state cash amid

federal cuts, campus free speech clashes during pro-Powest Indian protests, and steady overall

enrollment despite closing aid branch campuses. State rev David Murphy, a Republican leading

the college's committee, slammed the board for zero transparency, saying Rothman deserves

to know why. They've lost faith. Gov. Tony Evers called it the board's decision, noting

a new governor next year will reshape appointments. Under his contract, they can act

in without stating cause, but must give six months notice, often meaning he steps back

right away to hand off duties. This all blew up just days after report surfaced, catching

even state officials off guard. Meanwhile, the flagship Madison campus is also losing

his chancellor, Jennifer M. Nukin, who's headed to Columbia University President Gig by

May. With leadership shakeups piling up, Wisconsin's universities face big questions on

vision and stability ahead.