After a special meeting in closed session Tuesday morning, the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents will take a second vote on a proposal to cut one-third of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff — about 43 positions — in exchange for pay raises for about 34,000 employees and funding for a new engineering building at UW-Madison as well as other building projects.
The deal was negotiated behind closed doors over six months by Universities of Wisconsin president Jay Rothman, UW-Madison Chancellor Jennfier Mnookin and Republican State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. It was made public at 10 am Friday, 24 hours before the special meeting where it was to be voted on — the minimum public notice required by law. It was rejected in a 9-8 vote on Saturday, with Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly absent.
A meeting notice posted at 5 pm Tuesday indicates that Regents Amy Blumenfeld Bogost, Ashok Rai and Kyle Weatherly, along with Rothman, have recommended adoption of the deal in a special meeting set for 5 pm Wednesday.
Bogost voted against the resolution Saturday. She did not immediately respond to email and text messages Tuesday evening.
The reconsideration follows a special meeting in closed session held Tuesday morning. An agenda posted online Monday listed two discussion items. First, Regents were to discuss potential legal action in Governor Tony Evers’ lawsuit against six legislators, including Vos, claiming Vos does not have the right to withhold employee pay raises that were approved by the legislature. The second item was listed as “deliberate and negotiate funding proposals.”
Rothman didn’t answer reporters’ questions about what specifically was discussed.
Many Regents and advocates raised concerns that the resolution was negotiated in secret, with no input from faculty, staff or students.
After the initial resolution was made public Friday, Assembly Democrats rallied support from the UW community. State Representative Francesca Hong said 1,100 people signed a petition urging Regents to reject the resolution in about a 17-hour period leading up to the vote.
The proposed deal, first made public earlier Friday, called for the Universities of Wisconsin to:
- Reorient one-third of its positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion to focus instead of “student success,” effectively eliminating 43 DEI positions over the next two years
- Not increase the number of DEI positions system-wide until 2027
- Create and fund with private donations an endowed chair to focus on conservative political thought, classical economic theory, or classical liberalism, depending on the donor’s interest
- Eliminate the “Targets of Opportunity” program and instead create an alternative program focused on recruiting faculty (regardless of their identity or ethnic/racial background) who have demonstrated the ability to mentor “at risk” and/or underrepresented students
- Automatically admit the top 10% of graduating seniors to UW System school and the top five percent to UW-Madison.
In exchange, the legislature would approve cost of living raises for UW System employees – raises previously approved by the legislature but blocked by the Joint Committee on Employee Relations. Additionally, the legislature will approve $32 million in supplemental funding as well as funding for a new engineering building and residence halls at UW-Madison as well as a building project at UW-Whitewater.
Wednesday’s meeting can be viewed via Zoom at this link.
