MILWAUKEE (AP) — University of Wisconsin System regents have voted to add faculty tenure protections to its policies as state legislators consider dropping those assurances from Wisconsin statutes. Regent Mark Bradley says the board is doing what it is able to do to protect tenure. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee recently voted to remove tenure from state law as it debated a two-year budget. The committee also added language that gives the UW System and the regents more room to lay off or dismiss tenured faculty. The tenure provides protection for faculty members to express ideas without fear of retaliation. The Republican-controlled Legislature will have the final say on whether tenure becomes system policy or remains in state law. A UW task force is working on tenure and layoff policy to be considered next April.
