The Board of Regents approved altering their hiring policy following criticism this summer over the appointment of a senior leadership position at their August meeting.
Michael Morgan was appointed to the position of interim Senior Vice President for Administration and Fiscal Affairs.
The regents approved rewording their policy for interim appointments.
They had previously been criticized for appointing Michael Morgan to the interim position in June.
Morgan was formerly the state secretary of administration before being appointed to his new position.
The appointment was sharply criticized by Attorney General J.B Van Hollen and Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, because the Regents did not go through a formal search and screen process to make the appointment.
The changes include putting into words the Regents’ standard practice of hiring interim appointments to senior positions without forming a search committee first and adding a three year term limit.
The Regents also discussed whether they were going to be able to accomplish their goal of increasing the number of college graduates in the state by 80,000.
Regent Michael Falbo questioned if they could reach the goal if they are only aiming to increase the number of students by 5,900, the number the Regents hope to add in the next two years.
“We will be sprinting in the next 10 years. We really are not on track to reach these goals,” Falbo said.
Morgan said given the current state and national economic conditions they felt this was an appropriate budget request to set up a good base so they will be able to run hard to get the additional 80,000 graduates in the coming years.
Also at the meeting, Gov. Jim Doyle received a standing ovation when he accepted a commendation from the Regents for his support of the UW System over his eight years as governor.
Doyle said he appreciated the award and was proud of his accomplishments, including improving financial aid and updating many of the state campus’s facilities.
The Regents also approved their incomplete biannual budget at the meeting.
This budget will be submitted to the new governor at the beginning of next year to be in place before the 2011-12 school year.
