Welcome to the Universities of Wisconsin Government Relations Newsletter. The Office of Government Relations provides legislative and political updates that impact the Universities of Wisconsin at the state and federal level.
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Universities of Wisconsin President
Last week, the Board of Regents for the Universities of Wisconsin unanimously selected Dr. Tonjanita (Tonja) L. Johnson to be the next President of the Universities of Wisconsin. Dr. Johnson will take office on or around January 1, 2027, and will be the 10th President of the Universities of Wisconsin.
The press release with more information can be found here.
State Relations
Please check back for updates.
Please check back for updates.
Federal Relations
Department of Education Update
On October 30, 2026, the Department of Education published the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization: Recognition of Accrediting Agencies; Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act, as Amended; Student Assistance General Provisions final rule. The rule is set to go into effect on July 1, 2027.
If interested, you can read the final rule itself here and more from the Department of Education here.
Full House and Senate Hearing Schedule
If interested, you can see a full list of upcoming hearings on the Senate Hearings & Meetings Page. A review of the committee hearings in the House of Representatives is available via the Committee Schedule within the House of Representatives Legislative Activity section on the Chamber’s main page.
House and Senate Floor Schedules
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are in scheduled district and state work periods; each chamber is scheduled to return to Washington DC in November.
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