CONTACT: UW System – Office of University Relations
universityrelations@uwsa.edu or 608-263-1700
On August 7, 2017, UW System Board of Regents President John Robert Behling announced the creation of a workgroup to explore streamlining the hiring process university chancellors, vice chancellors, and System presidents and vice presidents are hired. The group was asked to explore opportunities to broaden applicant pools so that potential candidates include academic leaders, as well as leaders from the private sector.
The workgroup’s chair, Regent Vice President Drew Petersen, will present his report and recommendations to the Board for consideration at the upcoming Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, October 5 to be held at UW-Stout. It is noted as Resolution 4 in the Thursday Agenda and Materials document online.
The Board of Regents will also discuss a proposed policy related to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression on Friday, October 6 as part of the two-day meeting.
The Regents’ proposed policy conveys the expectations of the Board regarding academic freedom and freedom of expression. It includes a requirement for UW campuses to annually report to the Board their efforts to uphold these principles, as well as:
- Codifies the UW’s current practice that a university cannot compel a student or employee to take a certain position a public policy issue.
- Requires UW institutions to address the issue of freedom of expression during freshman and transfer student orientation, and provide regular communication to all students and employees of the policy
- Requires suspension for a student who has twice been found responsible and expulsion for a student who has thrice been found responsible for disruption of freedom of expression. Until legislatively required changes to UW System Administrative Code Chapter 17 are complete, a Chancellor must report to the Board if they did not suspend or expel a student found responsible for disruption.
The Freedom of Expression Resolution II.10 and proposed policy can be found in Friday’s Agenda and Materials.
