Why UW President Candidates May Hesitate

You’re one of the smartest people in the country. You’ve had success throughout your career, academically and professionally. You serve on several boards of international businesses and have joined public policy debates. You’ve answered questions on national issues posed by conservative and liberal talk show and podcast hosts.

But you might write the following note turning down a suggestion that you apply to be the next president of the Universities of Wisconsin.

Good Friend:
Thanks so much for encouraging me to apply to be the next UW system president. I treasure your confidence in my potential to contribute to such a valued, respected institution.

But I must — for now — decline your request. I owe you an explanation.

First, the UW system is one of the academic crown jewels of America. Perhaps this summary from the system best explains why:

“The Universities of Wisconsin serve more than 164,600 students. Awarding more than 37,000 degrees annually, these 13 public universities are Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live.

“Nearly 90% of in-state Universities of Wisconsin graduates stay in the state five years after earning a degree. The Universities of Wisconsin also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with cutting-edge and life-changing research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative and intellectual energy.”

And the crown jewel of the system — UW-Madison — ranks fifth in research nationally. It’s a powerhouse.

That’s all very, very impressive. It’s an institution I’ve always admired. So why am I not applying to lead that system?

The next president must focus on the system’s future and can’t take victory laps for the past and present. To do that, you must know who your partners are in charting that future.

When you cast a vision for the system’s future, you must know who can help make that happen or keep it from happening. The first partner in that process must be the governor of Wisconsin, and the Nov. 3 election will make that choice.

Consider this timeline: The next system president is chosen and in place for the start of the system’s fall semester — only weeks before voters pick the next governor, who must quickly prepare a proposed two-year budget for consideration by the Legislature.

Not only will the next system president have the internal task of meeting system administrators and chancellors of universities, but also the external task of advocating for the governor to recommend the strongest budget possible for the system.

If the new governor’s proposed budget doesn’t align with the system president’s vision for the future, how the president responds could not be the best way to start their tenure.

That Nov. 3 election will also decide whether Republicans or Democrats control the Legislature, which next summer must pass the 2027-2029 budget that will include future state aid for the Universities of Wisconsin.

The question of which party will control the legislative branch is another uncertainty for the next president.

But the 18-member Board of Regents actually hires the next system president. Of those 18, 16 are chosen by the governor and are supposed to be confirmed by the state Senate. But that Republican-controlled Senate has failed to live up to its statutory duty to confirm Evers appointees.

Instead, Republican senators chose to only ask why Regents fired the last president, Jay Rothman. At that Senate hearing, Regents President Amy Bogost said Rothman had been privately warned of problems with his leadership. But personnel matters are confidential, Bogost added.

Imagine you’re a candidate for system president, but you don’t know whether the regents interviewing you will remain or be replaced by the next governor. And any regent still faces the uncertainty of a Senate confirmation vote.

That’s not a comfortable scenario for someone hoping for a long-term, productive tenure as president.

There’s one more unknown. The Board of Regents will also hire the next UW-Madison chancellor, since Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin becomes president of Columbia University on July 1. Would the next UW-Madison chancellor share the next system president’s vision for the future?

Overall, I am confident I could work through other tough issues — the controversies over ending DEI programs and a new law requiring faculty to teach a specified number of credits each year. But added to that are just too many uncertainties, too many constraints on how the UW leader could operate.

So, thanks for your encouragement. But I won’t apply to be UW president.

Still…On Wisconsin!?

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com.