The University of Wisconsin System regents have adopted sweeping changes to hiring policies for the system's top positions, including attracting private sector candidates.
The regents approved the plan during a meeting Thursday at UW-Stout. State schools Superintendent Tony Evers was the only dissenting vote.
Under the plan, job descriptions for system president, chancellors and vice chancellors must encourage non-academic applicants to apply and state that applicants don't have to hold a terminal degree or tenure. The language brings the system into compliance with new state budget provisions that prohibit regents from considering only people with terminal degrees or tenure for those positions.
Other changes include releasing only two to three finalists' names rather than five; recruiting non-academic candidates; shrinking the size of search committees from 17 members to 10; and developing internal employees so they can step into leadership roles.