In a letter to the UW Board of Regents, former Gov. Tommy Thompson urged the regents to delay hiring a new Universities of Wisconsin president, according to a report in the Wisconsin State Journal.
In the letter, Thompson and former UW system administrator James Langdon said the search “could not be happening at a worse time” and should be postponed until a new governor and lawmakers take office in January.
The Board of Regents are considering three candidates from outside the state and are holding public forums to interview the candidates.
“While these state officers do not have formal roles in the selection of the System President, they will have opinions on policy priorities, and the System and its relationship with the Executive Office and Legislature,” Thompson and Langdon wrote in the letter.
In response to the letter, a UW system spokesperson said the Regents will continue to complete the search process.
The search committee could make a recommendation this week to the full board.
