UW-System President Says He Wants to Focus on Hiring More Diverse Applicants

Thursday, May 4th, 2023 -- 11:00 AM

(By Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) -University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman said Monday the perceived liberal bias on college campuses won't be solved by asking professors their political affiliation.

Instead, he wants to focus future hiring on a more diverse applicant pool. According to Corrinne Hess with the Wisconsin Public Radio, some Republican state lawmakers have suggested including political ideology in diversity trainings and considering party status when hiring professors.

Those suggestions came after a controversial UW System student free speech survey released Feb. 1 found a majority of conservative respondents reported self-censoring views in class.

Since the findings, Rothman has been meeting with students and legislators. During an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio Monday, he said giving potential or existing professors a political litmus test would present a challenge. But Rothman said diversity of thought is important.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.