State Senator Calls Exit Agreement Between Whitewater Chancellor And UW System A Scam

A state senator is calling an exit agreement made between the University of Wisconsin System and outgoing UW-Whitewater Chancellor Beverly Kopper a scam. The agreement follows Kopper’s resignation amid sexual harassment investigations into her husband.

In a press release issued Monday evening, state Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, expressed outrage over an agreement between Kopper and UW System President Ray Cross that will place the chancellor on paid administrative leave from January through August of 2019.

After Kopper’s resignation was announced, documents were obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that show Kopper will receive the equivalent of eight months’ worth of her full-time chancellor salary of $242,760. Nass’ office estimates that will work out to $161,840 in pay during her leave.

In September, Kopper will return to her tenured faculty position in UW-Whitewater’s psychology department and receive $118,308 through May of 2020. During her paid leave, Kopper is expected to prepare for the classes she’ll be teaching in the fall of 2019.

Nass, who serves as vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, didn’t mince words when voicing his frustration over how the UW-System has handled the situation.

“I have shared my outrage directly with President Cross,” wrote Nass. “Paying anyone $161,840 with full state benefits to do almost nothing for eight months is a taxpayer funded scam. This insult to the students, faculty and taxpayers can’t be allowed to stand.”

Nass’ chief of staff, Mike Mikalsen, went further, telling WPR Kopper tendered her resignation the same day the UW-Board of Regents were to meet in a closed door meeting to discuss termination or possible disciplinary actions for the chancellor.

“She learned of that, she submitted her resignation that day, Dec. 6, and so the board did not take action on what we would believe action to dismiss,” Mikalsen said.

He said Nass and other lawmakers will seek an explanation from Cross as to how and why Kopper’s exit agreement came about.

“We constantly hear they’re short of cash,” Mikalsen said. “This is something that reminds the public that they’re not short of cash and frankly that there’s a constant refrain, there’s this ongoing image, one after another, of different administrators who have been in these circumstances or made bad decisions and the university has had to deal with them.”

WPR requested examples of similar exit agreements struck between UW System administration and chancellors. A system spokeswoman was unable to provide the information by the time of publication.