The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents will meet tomorrow to vote on a proposed deal with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) for UW to freeze diversity, equity and inclusion positions in exchange for funding from the State Legislature, according to a WisPolitics press release.
UW President Jay Rothman said in a Friday press conference that the deal does not mean the Universities of Wisconsin no longer prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion programming.
“Our commitment to DEI remains,” Rothman said. “Diversity and inclusion are core values of our universities. But we are also open to changing how some of those positions can more directly benefit student retention and graduation.”
The deal comes after a June 2023 decision by Vos and Republicans of the State Legislature to withhold $32 million in state funding for UW out of disapproval toward DEI-focused policies.
In the deal, the Board of Regents has agreed to remove any diversity statement requirements in the system’s admissions application, seek donors to fund the hiring of a professor who would teach conservatism and end UW–Madison’s Target of Opportunity program, which aims to hire educators of color, according to the press release.
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Further, UW has agreed to eliminate one-third of DEI service jobs in favor of roles focused on “student success,” Rothman said.
Under the proposal, UW would pledge to follow a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions and guarantee admission to Wisconsin high school students graduating in the top 10% of the class or top 5% for UW–Madison, according to the press release.
In exchange, the Wisconsin State Assembly has agreed to provide pay raises for UW faculty, $32 million toward a new UW Madison engineering building, $79.2 million for three new UW–Madison student residences and $78.5 for renovations of two UW–Whitewater buildings.
An October decision spearheaded by Republicans of the Joint Committee on Employee Relations withheld raises for UW employees. The decision prompted a lawsuit from Gov. Tony Evers which cited a violation to the state’s constitution.
Vos, co-chair of JCOER, said no state employees should expect to see pay raises unless UW conceded cuts to DEI programming. The refusal to approve pay raises impacted at least 24,000 UW employees, Mnookin said in a statement following the JCOER’s decision.
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Additionally, the deal will address a June decision from the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee that led to the rejection of a $347 million proposal to construct a new College of Engineering building.
Rothman and UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin expressed disapproval of the JFC’s decision in the Friday press conference, citing Wisconsin’s need to address an engineering workforce shortage and compete with other universities.
Under the deal, the State Assembly will also provide $45.4 in funds to demolish unused buildings across UW and approve Assembly Bill 140, which would ensure reciprocity tuition revenue from Minnesota students stays inside UW.
In an email sent to UW–Madison students Friday, Mnookin echoed Rothman’s commitment to DEI.
“As the leader of this campus, I assure you that we remain fully committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging,” Mnookin said in the email. “This agreement, should it move forward, does not lessen or retreat from that commitment.”
The Associated Students of Madison released a statement Friday evening condemning the proposal and expressing its solidarity with marginalized students.
“Investment in our staff and faculty, as well as the physical infrastructure that creates our wonderful 987-acre campus, is vital, but to propose that the well-being of marginalized students is the necessary cost for achieving these goals is a gross misuse of legislative authority,” the statement said.
The statement also said students lacked sufficient opportunity to offer input on the decision, given the proposed deal was announced less than 24 hours before the Board of Regents were set to vote, and during final exam season.
In an email statement, Democrats of the State Senate — including Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) who represents the UW–Madison campus — expressed strong disapproval of the proposed deal.
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“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are an essential part of our state’s strength. We challenge Republicans to identify why they oppose a diverse, equitable, and inclusive state,” Senate Democrats said. “Students and educators deserve a campus environment that is welcoming, understanding, and reflective of their own experiences. Workers deserve their raises. Wisconsinites deserve state-of-the-art institutions of higher education. No one should have their livelihood threatened and education degraded in service of a damaging political agenda”.
If the proposal is approved by the Board of Regents, JCOER will meet by Dec. 31 to approve a raise for UW employees and the JFC will grant $32 million in withheld funding by the end of February 2024, according to the WisPolitics press release.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include a statement from Associated Students of Madison.
