A bipartisan bill passed by both the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate would grant the roughly 5,000 instructional academic staff at the Universities of Wisconsin an equal seat at the governance table — the power to vote on curriculum, budgets, and personnel decisions long monopolized by tenured PhD faculty. Now it sits on Gov. Tony Evers’ desk awaiting his signature.
But in a puzzling twist, a group called the Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization (ASPRO), which claims to advocate for UW academic staff, registered against the bill. No explanation was given to the Legislature. No statement was attached.
For decades, instructional academic staff, who often carry the heaviest teaching loads and bring real-world industry experience to the classroom, have been locked out of university decision-making. Power has rested exclusively with tenured faculty, regardless of teaching performance or experience.
The bill changes that. Under the legislation, authored by state Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk and Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, universities could no longer bar academic staff from chairing committees, departments, or programs based on tenure status or degree attainment. Many instructional academic staff hold master’s degrees and bring 20+ years of professional experience to their classrooms.
“If Gov. Evers signs the bill, he will immediately crack the glass ceiling for hundreds of hard-working UW instructors,” said one UW-Milwaukee instructor familiar with the legislation.
Who Is ASPRO — And Why Won’t They Talk?
Founded in 1989 at UW-Madison, ASPRO describes itself as a nonprofit that represents UW academic staff before the Legislature, the Governor, and the Board of Regents. Its own website promises to protect members’ “governance rights.”
Yet when the bill came up, ASPRO registered against it without an explanation. (RELATED: Rebecca Cooke Fundraises With ‘Sanctuary City Architect’ Rahm Emanuel Amid Immigration Controversy)
Rep. Piwowarczyk reached out to ASPRO’s registered lobbyist, Kathi Kilgore, before the vote. She never responded. Calls to ASPRO’s main number went unreturned. Every individual listed on the group’s 2024 IRS 990 tax form was contacted. Not one responded.
Internal records from a 2015 meeting reveal the group had just 369 members at the time. Its current membership count is unknown. The group has declined to answer that question as well.
A Pattern of Controversial Positions
ASPRO’s opposition to the academic staff governance bill isn’t its only eyebrow-raising stance. State lobbying records show the group has also opposed:
- A bill banning biological males from women’s sports and locker rooms at UW campuses
- A free speech and academic freedom protection bill for UW students and faculty
- A bill requiring state agencies to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism
- A bill replacing race-based university programs with need-based criteria for disadvantaged students
The group spent more than $38,000 on lobbying in 2025, according to its tax filings. Its board lists three officers — each devoting just 30 minutes per week to their roles — and receives no compensation. The website’s “Successes and Accomplishments” section reads: “text forthcoming.”
ASPRO president Jenny Dahlberg appeared at a UWM academic staff committee meeting in February to promote the organization — but notably made no mention of the group’s plans to oppose the governance bill then pending in the Legislature.
The bill now awaits Gov. Evers’ signature. Whether ASPRO’s mysterious opposition will influence his decision remains to be seen. (RELATED: Wisconsin Democrats Reintroduce Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill)
