Cross Delivered No Written Reports

Saturday, December 26th, 2020 -- 10:15 AM

(AP) -Former University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross never delivered written reports on how to increase campus diversity and improve the presidential search process even though he signed a $125,000 contract that required him to produce them.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported Thursday that Cross signed the three-month consulting contract after he resigned as president on June 30. The newspaper filed an open records request for the reports in October but university officials said no records existed because Cross delivered verbal recommendations only.  System officials declined to elaborate on the recommendations. Regents President Andrew Petersen said the system did create a diversity scholarship for students based on Cross’ recommendations. Cross also recommended changes to the presidential search committee, Peterson said, but he didn’t elaborate. System spokesman Jack Jablonski called those recommendations “personal conversations.”

The search for Cross’ successor fell apart this summer amid criticism from UW faculty that the search committee included only regents and high-level administrators. The committee’s lone pick for the job, University of Alaska System Jim Johnsen, ultimately took himself out of the running after faculty decried his selection. The regents eventually turned to former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson to serve as interim president.  Petersen said Cross shifted his focus from the reports to helping Thompson transition into the presidency and setting up the system’s COVID-19 testing plans.

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