UW Regents to hold another vote on deal exchanging DEI for funding; key vote appears to flip

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Regents for the Universities of Wisconsin have scheduled another vote for Wednesday, when they will once again take up a proposal that calls for the UW System to reduce the number of positions related to diversity in exchange for about $800 million in pay raises and funds for building projects.

The special meeting was set following the conclusion of another special meeting that happened Tuesday, which took place entirely in closed session.

The board on Saturday voted 9-8 to reject a trade-off that had been negotiated by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and UW System President Jay Rothman.

However, one of the regents who voted against the deal, Vice President Amy Bogost, was listed on Wednesday's meeting note as being among those recommending passage of the proposal.

The deal called for the UW System to "restructure" 43 positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI. The universities would also freeze the number of state-funded, non-faculty positions through 2026. Another change would be the creation of a new faculty department chair dedicated to conservative political thought.

In making those concessions, the UW System's 34,000 employees would get pay raises that were already built into the current state budget and the universities would receive hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for campus construction projects, including a new engineering hall at UW-Madison.

State Rep. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee), who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, questioned Republican leaders' focus on DEI.

"This is the one thing Republicans are holding up to prevent any type of funding," Drake said. "You know, it begets the question, why?"

Vos and Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) have maintained DEI initiatives focus too much on identities at the expense of promoting broader student success.

"We need to teach kids how to think," Kapenga said. "They're in college for a very specific reason, to learn their profession, so let's take this divisive ideology out."

Nicholas Fleisher, an associate linguistics professor at UW-Milwaukee, said it was a "mischaracterization" to label DEI efforts as divisive because they're aimed at making underrepresented groups feel welcome on campuses.

"This is something that is about making sure we are inclusive," Fleisher said. "It's a completely unnecessary holdup, and it just hurts the entire system. It really hurts the state."

The concept of DEI has gained traction in the business world. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) held a DEI Summit in June. An MMAC spokesperson told CBS 58 Tuesday the association declined to comment on the proposed deal before the UW regents. 

Kapenga on Tuesday said the state Senate could vote to reject the appointments of four regents, Bogost, John Miller, Ashok Rai and Dana Wachs, who were appointed by Gov. Tony Evers but hadn't yet been confirmed by the Senate.

"It's because we have colleagues who are concerned about different actions or things they've said in the past," Kapenga said. "And now they've just added one more thing to the list of items that concerns people."

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement Tuesday night. Evers said regents should be able to make decisions "without fear of threats and political pressure." 

"The serious concerns that have been raised about this proposal and process—concerns that I share—deserve to be meaningfully heard and addressed," Evers said.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Rothman had discussed resigning with regents during talks around the initial vote. When asked if she had lost faith in Rothman's ability to lead the UW System, Drake responded it was "hard to say right now."

She went on to say Rothman's decision to accept the conditions was "extremely harmful."

"When we, whether it's myself, members, our president, that make decisions that could be harmful to certain groups of people, and knowingly know it, that is the definition of systemic racism," Drake said. 

CBS 58 reached out to all 18 regents following Tuesday's meeting. Only Edmund Manydeeds III, who was first appointed by former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle in 2010 before being appointed to another term by Evers in 2019, responded. 

Manydeeds, an attorney based in Eau Claire, said he couldn't comment on the closed session meeting Tuesday but offered one additional thought ahead of Wednesday's vote.

"Keep your eyes open," Manydeeds said.