The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously to fire system President Jay Rothman after he declined a request to resign, the system announced. The board cited results of Rothman’s annual performance review and said it had lost confidence in his ability to lead, while Rothman told The Associated Press he was “blindsided” and still had not been given a reason. The decision closed out a four-year leadership conflict over the system’s direction, with regents holding the termination discussion largely in closed session and providing limited public explanation about what specifically drove the loss of confidence. Regent president Amy Bogost said the action was about the system’s future and emphasized protecting the flagship and supporting comprehensive universities. Chris Patton was named acting leader until an interim president is appointed.