Two members of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents are pushing back against claims that their firing of UW System President Jay Rothman came without warning, and said Rothman’s leadership style lacked the decisiveness needed for the state’s public university system.

During a state Senate hearing Thursday, members of the Board of Regents said Rothman had been aware of concerns about his leadership before Tuesday’s vote to remove him.

Rothman, who had led the system since 2022, said in letters prior to his firing that the board had not articulated a reason for his termination and, in an interview with the Associated Press following his Tuesday termination, said he was “blindsided” by the decision.

State Sen. Rob Hutton, a Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, said he had called Thursday’s meeting because the public deserves answers about why regents fired Rothman.

“This is the chief executive of one of the most important public institutions in our state,” Hutton said. “Decisions of this magnitude require a straightforward explanation.”

Board of Regents president Amy Bogost told lawmakers the vote to fire Rothman was unanimous and followed a formal performance review process. She said the decision was not politically motivated.

“This was a difficult call, but it was made for the right reasons,” Bogost said.

Regent Timothy Nixon said that one of the board’s key concerns was Rothman’s pace in responding to major challenges facing higher education. He pointed specifically to the rise of artificial intelligence and broader pressures on enrollment and workforce readiness.

“We’re in a moment of significant change, and leadership has to reflect that urgency,” Nixon said. “…(Rothman) doesn’t want to upset either the Legislature, the governor or the faculty or anybody else. He didn’t want to upset the apple cart and, quite frankly, I think the apple cart needs some upsetting.”

Regents also said Rothman’s hands-on leadership style was useful at first, when several campuses were dealing with budget problems. But they said that even after those issues improved, he continued to keep a tight grip on decision-making. They noted that he often expected regents to share with him their conversations with lawmakers and campus leaders.

In letters to regents in the weeks leading up to his termination, Rothman said he was never given a clear reason for the board’s change in stance and was surprised to learn that a majority had lost confidence in him.

“Unfortunately, I am left to conclude that any basis for a board finding of no confidence in my leadership will be, at best, an after-the-fact rationalization of a decision that clearly has already been made without the benefit of any recent meeting of the regents and despite all the successes and transformative accomplishments during my tenure as president,” Rothman said in an April 1 letter.

Rothman also said he was not allowed to address the board before the vote and described his most recent evaluation as overwhelmingly positive. In a March 26 letter, Rothman listed 37 specific accomplishments, including securing what he described as the largest operating budget boost in two decades.

Before taking the role, Rothman spent decades at Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner, including serving as chairman and CEO.

Lawmakers on the committee voiced frustration with how the firing was handled, saying the lack of transparency could erode public trust.

Regents responded that state law and board policy restrict what they can publicly share about personnel matters, including performance evaluations and disciplinary decisions. Bogost said those confidentiality rules prevent a full accounting of the board’s reasoning unless Rothman chooses to waive his rights, which would allow regents to speak more freely.

She also accused Rothman of using those same restrictions to “strategically” shape public perception of his firing.

“To do the media circuit that he’s on denigrates our great universities, and that makes me sad,” Bogost said.

Rothman could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Vice president for university relations Chris Patton will serve as acting executive-in-charge of the UW System until an interim president is appointed. Regents said they have already begun searching for Rothman’s successor and expect to share more details in the coming weeks.

The Republican-led committee convened Thursday to consider whether to advance several pending Board of Regents appointments to the full Senate. Ten of the board’s 18 members — all selected by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers — are still awaiting confirmation.

Those regents can remain in their roles for now regardless of the committee’s recommendation. If the Senate ultimately votes them down, Evers would be responsible for appointing new members. The committee did not take action at the hearing, and it’s unclear whether a vote will be scheduled.