Regents table proposed changes to RPD 20-27 on senior leadership selection after lengthy debate

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on a voice vote moved to table a proposed revision to Regent Policy Document (RPD) 20-27, which would change how senior leadership vacancies at UW System Administration are posted and filled.

Dan Chanin, Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, presented the revision and said the policy changes would grant “additional flexibility to determine the appropriate process for filling vacancies, at the time that a vacancy occurs,” citing that the positions at issue are limited appointments under Wisconsin Statutes section 36.17. Chanin described the change as intended to reduce administrative burden and allow the system president to appoint a leadership team while retaining consultation with the regent president.

Discussion among regents was extensive and focused on transparency, the scope of delegated authority, and the reporting line for the Office of General Counsel. Several regents said they support empowering the system president to assemble a leadership team but requested stronger transparency or guardrails. Regent Walsh expressed particular concern that the general counsel currently has dual reporting — to both the board and the system president — and recommended removing the general counsel from the revised policy so hiring for that role would be handled separately. General Counsel Quinn Williams addressed the group and said that, in practice, working through the chief executive has been easiest and that reporting to the president for day-to-day matters makes operations simpler.

System leadership (first-name speaker recorded in the transcript as Jay) described the need for flexibility while the administration manages multiple interim appointments and said the president must be able to form a team to execute an agenda; he added that the president remains accountable to the board for those appointments.

Multiple regents proposed possible middle-ground approaches: using the regent executive committee or the audit committee for joint decisions in specific roles (for example, the general counsel or chief audit executive), and preserving an ability to grant waivers or interim appointments in the near term. Regent Peterson moved to table the proposed revision to allow time for redrafting and to consider specific amendments; the motion to table was seconded and passed by voice vote. The board also agreed to consider short-term options (waivers or similar) to address imminent interim appointments.

Before adjourning the open session, the board moved into closed session on separate items (student request for review and chancellor performance evaluations) under Wisconsin Statutes section 19.85 (statutory references for the closed session were read aloud).