University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman has refused to resign despite pressure from the Board of Regents, saying he has received no explanation for why board members want him removed from his position.

In letters obtained by The Associated Press and dated March 26, Rothman wrote to Board President Amy Bogost that he had been told his options were to resign or retire, and that if he refused, the board "was prepared to terminate my employment despite all that has been accomplished." Rothman said he would not resign "as a matter of principle" without being given substantive reasons for the board's lack of confidence in his leadership.

The Board of Regents held a closed emergency meeting Wednesday night to discuss personnel matters. Bogost said in a statement that "the Board is responsible for the leadership of the Universities of Wisconsin and is having discussions about its future," but declined to comment further on personnel matters. Rothman also declined to provide additional comment beyond his letters.

In a second letter sent Wednesday to two other regents, Rothman said they had urged him to step down during a Tuesday meeting and warned that the board was prepared to meet over the weekend to fire him if he didn't resign. He wrote that those regents also could not provide reasons for wanting his removal and called the process "nearly (if not completely) indefensible."

Rothman has led the 25-campus, 165,000-student system since 2022, coming from his previous role as chair and CEO of Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner with no prior higher education administration experience. His tenure has included efforts to increase state funding amid federal cuts, managing debates over free speech during pro-Palestinian protests, and overseeing eight branch campus closures due to declining enrollment.

The university system faces significant transitions ahead, including replacing the chancellor of the flagship Madison campus after Jennifer Mnookin announced she would leave to become president of Columbia University. Rothman argued in his letter that his resignation would not be "in the best interests of either the Universities of Wisconsin or the state of Wisconsin" at this time.