[media-credit name=’NATALIE WEINBERGER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly testified before the Joint Legislative Audit Committee regarding the university's employment policies at the State Capitol Tuesday. The meeting marked the first stage of a nonpartisan audit Reilly requested Aug. 23 to coincide with the system's internal investigation of its personnel practices.

"When I took office a year ago, I pledged that the University of Wisconsin System would be transparent in all that it does and be diligent and accountable to our stakeholders," Reilly said.

In recent weeks, the UW System has been the target of a firestorm due in large part to both its practice of granting administrative back-up positions and the fact that at least two of its employees remained on the payroll after being convicted of felonies.

Reilly repeated to the Legislative Audit Committee earlier-revealed statistics regarding the prevalence of back-up positions.

According to Reilly, only 3.3 percent (1,092 out of 33,063) of UW System employees have back-up positions as part of their contracts. Sixty-four percent of that group (698 out of 1,092) are serving in limited appointments and hold statutory rights to such positions.

The remaining 394 employees received back-up positions as part of their contractual negotiations with the university. Those positions are not protected by the Wisconsin Statutes, as these employees are not serving in limited appointments.

Addressing complaints that the university has paid inactive employees, including UW physiology professor and convicted child molester Roberto Coronado, Reilly emphasized to the committee this is not the university's policy.

"It is not our policy to pay people after they resign from the university or are removed from any position except where contractual obligations require it," Reilly said, adding the possible exception of any "unique circumstances" where the most cost-effective way to resolve disputes and avoid more costly litigation would in fact be to pay an employee removed from his or her position.

Sen. Carol Roessler, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, called on the UW System to "take actions immediately" concerning the controversial payment of criminals and said those convicted of serious felonies "should be relieved of their duties."

Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, echoed Roessler's call for a quick response.

"I don't know how long it is going to take you to do this, but the heat is on," Cowles said.

Specifically addressing the highly scrutinized payment of convicted felons, Reilly said he and the Board of Regents share the "deep concerns" of Wisconsin citizens and the Legislature about the criminal activity of any state employee.

"I believe that we need to act more expeditiously than we sometimes have in these cases," he said. "I believe we need to take actions that will restore the public's confidence that their university system is open, accountable, and a wise steward of public resources."

According to Reilly, both regents and administrators are making "substantial progress" in tightening up system employment practices, and said he believes the public and Legislature will benefit from an external verification of the UW System's compliance with state law.

— Carolyn Smith and The Associated Press contributed to this report.