Overview
- The Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday to remove Jay Rothman as president effective immediately.
- The decision followed a brief closed session with no public discussion, and the board limited its explanation to the outcome of his annual review.
- Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton will serve as acting executive-in-charge while regents begin selecting an interim leader.
- Rothman had refused to resign in March letters that said he was given no substantive cause, and his contract allows termination without stated cause with six months’ notice and no appeal.
- Republican lawmakers condemned the process as partisan and threatened to block confirmations of regents, while the system continues to face enrollment declines, branch campus closures, and fights over free speech and diversity policies.