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The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents overwhelmingly approved a plan Thursday to lay off numerous tenured faculty members as part of the closure of UW-Milwaukee’s College of General Studies.
UW-Milwaukee administrators have pointed to declining enrollment as the reason to shutter the college, which means as many as 35 tenured professors may lose their jobs. Earlier this month, a UW-Milwaukee faculty member told Inside Higher Ed that 60 nontenured employees in the College of General Studies had already been given layoff notices.
The vote to lay off faculty passed with one regent in opposition.
Only state superintendent Jill Underly, who sits on the 18-member Board of Regents, voted against the plan, arguing that the system could have found a way to save those jobs. The vote sets a concerning precedent that doesn’t reflect Wisconsin values and harms faculty and their families, she added, calling the decision a “harsh and unjust outcome” for faculty members.
Some regents who voted for the plan expressed regrets over cutting tenured faculty roles but said they had little choice.
Regent Timothy Nixon, who voted to cut the College of General Studies, said the decision “will hurt loyal, dedicated employees that did no wrong” but added that he has to look forward and deal with the financial challenges facing the university system.
Local media reported that faculty members protested outside the meeting, expressing concerns that more mass layoffs would follow Thursday’s vote.
