Dive Brief:
- A weakened tenure policy in the University of Wisconsin System has UW-Madison faculty planning a 'no confidence' vote in System President Ray Cross and the UW Board of Regents.
- The draft faculty senate resolution recalls a March 2015 statement by Cross in which he pledged to resign if he failed to protect tenure, shared governance, and academic freedom, and it outlines the ways the policy-making process led by the regents blocked faculty input and resulted in a policy that damages the reputation of the university.
- The Capital Times reports faculty believe the effect of a no confidence vote will be limited and Cross and the Board of Regents may get additional support from the legislature and governor because of it. But the May 2 vote is expected to at least send a clear signal about faculty objections to the new policy.
Dive Insight:
Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed a strong tenure policy in the fall, following the legislature's decision to strip protections from state law.
When the Board of Regents developed a system policy with less teeth, UW-Madison was required to scale back its protections. After the changes were made, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank promised to protect faculty. The chancellor has the ultimate power to get rid of tenured faculty for program reorganization or financial challenges under the new policy.
However, there is significant concern over what will happen at the university under her eventual successor. Wisconsin once had a model tenure policy and its loss has worried tenure advocates across the country.