U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who was part of a state Senate majority that helped put across the last major tenure reform in Wisconsin in 2015, told the Badger Institute this week that tenure would be a big part of a review of UW System spending and operations if he is elected governor.
The Badger Institute contacted all other Republican and Democrat candidates.
Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann is on the record in support of changes to tenure if warranted but did not respond to a request for an interview.
Candidate and State Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, echoed the position of many Democrats that attacks on tenure are attacks on free speech.
“I support public higher education and tenure, which protects the academic freedom of professors to research and explore ideas without fear of political persecution or reprisal,” Roys said in an email.
“We reformed tenure a decade ago,” Tiffany said. “It’s worth going back and reviewing whether it did what it was supposed to do. At the end of the day, there has to be accountability.”
As part of the 2015 budget process, the Legislature removed tenure protections from the Wisconsin Administrative Code. The Board of Regents created its own policy, stating that a tenured faculty member “may not be terminated except for cause, for reasons of financial emergency, by resignation, or by retirement.” A second regent policy allows schools to lay off tenured faculty if a program is discontinued.