UW’s Faculty Senate Votes To Ask Lawmakers Not To Remove Tenure Protections

The Faculty Senate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has voted overwhelmingly to ask that a proposed change in tenure protections be removed from the state budget.

Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee in the state Legislature are recommending removing UW faculty tenure from state law and to turn control of the policy over to the Board of Regents.

By a large majority, hundreds of Madison faculty members voted Tuesday night to support a resolution asking that the tenure change and other non-fiscal items affecting the UW be dropped.

Agronomy Professor Bill Tracy said he especially hopes the state Senate listens to the faculty.

“There are a number of senators who have questioned non-fiscal language and a number of senators who have clearly spoken very much in favor of the university,” Tracy said.

UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said possible tenure changes are clearly a concern, and she and other administrators will continue to work on the issue.