University of Wisconsin Board of Regents President Amy Bogost said on Apr. 13 that the board is “not political hacks” and rejected claims that the firing of former UW President Jay Rothman was politically motivated. Bogost also revealed to lawmakers that there is no formal documentation of Rothman’s performance review, aside from her own notes, which have not been shared.
The issue has raised concerns among legislators about transparency and accountability in university governance. State Senator Rob Hutton questioned why discussions or requests for improvement were not put in writing or made available as part of a formal record. The lack of written evaluation has led to disputes between Rothman and Bogost over whether he was properly informed about the board’s concerns before his dismissal.
Bogost told the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges that she handled Rothman’s review as she had previous personnel reviews, saying, “I took copious notes that I didn’t share with anyone.” She added, “I would have loved to have done it a different way,” but claimed legal counsel advised against creating official records. Hutton called this practice concerning and disappointing because it leads to “a lot of verbal hearsay and he said, she said.” Bogost responded by agreeing it made things more difficult for her and suggested the process needs reevaluation.
Regent Tim Nixon supported Bogost’s account, describing internal meetings at UW headquarters as secretive with efforts made to avoid open meeting requirements. Nixon criticized Rothman’s management style as too slow for current challenges facing the university system, especially regarding artificial intelligence guidelines and staffing reductions at UW System offices compared to technical colleges.
Both Bogost and Nixon emphasized their desire for a good working relationship with legislators across party lines. They stressed that confidentiality rules limited what they could say publicly about personnel matters but maintained their decision was thorough and necessary. “That decision was not made lightly,” said Bogost. “It was not political. It was not retaliatory.” She added: “We are not political hacks. We are not a rubber stamp.”
Looking ahead, both Regents indicated reforms are needed within the system to address issues such as declining enrollment, demographic changes in higher education demand, pressures related to artificial intelligence policy development, and ensuring stability following leadership turnover.
