News

Regents pass felon resolution

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents passed a resolution Friday mandating that the system administration establish policies to assure the public and Legislature that any employee charged with a felony is immediately investigated and that disciplinary action, if any, be determined in a timely manner.

The resolution comes amid public scrutiny and national media attention regarding several employees remaining on UW System payroll after being convicted of a felony.

According to Regent President David Walsh, such cases are "the one thing the public needs a response from us on."

"The bottom line is that the public doesn't understand why a person who has been convicted of a heinous crime has not been disciplined earlier, or why they are still on the payroll," Walsh said. "We need to tell the public why we can't move faster, and then move as quickly as possible."

According to UW System Director of Communications Doug Bradley, some of the Regents themselves are unsure of the process.

"[There is] some lack of total understanding of what they can do to move this process along as quickly as possible," he said. "I think that's what's still trying to be cleared up."

Regardless of any confusion, Bradley stressed the Regents feel passionately about resolving the problem and removing felons from the payroll.

"We ourselves find these crimes reprehensible and we have to find whatever steps we can to move the process forward faster," Bradley said, adding the Sept. 9 meeting was not only one of longest meetings he had ever seen, but one of "real, gut-wrenching concern."

Backup Positions

As part of the same resolution from the Business and Finance Committee, the Board also officially supported System President Kevin Reilly's suspension of back-up appointments for new employees.

UW System administrators will now collaborate with appropriate governance groups, as mandated by the resolution, and will also consider the practice of negotiating fixed-term contracts in lieu of limited appointments.

According to the resolution, a report on that assessment will be presented to the Regents no later than the Nov. 2005 meeting.

"This Board recognizes the hard work and diligence of the majority of the UW System employees," Regent Charles Pruitt, who chairs the Business and Finance Committee, said. "Working with the president, this Board will ensure that every UW employee properly performs the work they are expected to do in service to students and the state."

Public concern over back-up positions largely stems from former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Paul Barrows, who is now employed in his back-up position as senior administrative program specialist in the Office of the Provost at an annual salary of $72,881.

In Nov. 2004 Barrows used seven months of accrued sick and vacation time to take leave from UW while maintaining his annual salary of $191,794. In the meantime he applied for administrative positions at other universities, and was a final candidate for at least one.

"These changes are the beginning of a process to reform employment policies within the state's public university system," Walsh said. "We must be satisfied that our personnel practices are in line with the principles of this university, and of Wisconsin's citizens."