UW Regents Vote To Change Conflict Of Interest Rules For Board

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents has approved a policy change to allow board members to accept gifts from UW System campuses and foundations, including tickets to sporting events or concerts.

In a unanimous vote Friday, regents approved a change to conflict of interest rules for themselves and future boards. It comes after a UW System attorney said an existing policy barring regents from taking “anything of value” from campuses or foundations went beyond state statute. Before the vote Regent Michael Grebe said board members are still obligated to comply with strict regulations on gifts.

“But as important as that, we are obligated morally and ethically to do the right thing … the right thing for the university; the right thing for its students, faculty and staff; the right thing for taxpayers and the right thing for the state of Wisconsin,” said Grebe.

In December a UW-Madison student group complained when the school’s athletics foundation spent $20,000 for regents to attend the Orange Bowl and stay at a Trump Hotel in Miami.

William Tierney is a co-director of the Pulias Center for Higher Education at Stanford University. He said it’s not unusual for university officials to wine and dine potential donors.

“If a president and the chair of the board are courting a donor who could potentially could give $100 million to the university, you’re not going to take that donor to Arby’s,” said Tierney.

But Teirney said regents need to to keep in mind how their spending looks to students struggling with their own finances.