UC Regents recap – Sept. 14

The University of California Regents, the governing body of the UC, met Wednesday for its bimonthly board meeting at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. Committees discussed UC cooperation with California Community Colleges and approved funding for several UCLA projects, among other topics.

Academic and Student Affairs Committee

• UC Provost Aimée Dorr said the UC has improved the ratio of transfer to freshman students and now enrolls nearly one transfer for every two freshmen. She added she thinks the UC still needs to work to ensure transfer pathways are well known.
• Regent Eddie Island said he thinks a formal structure should exist for the Office of the President to partner with California Community Colleges, instead of conducting occasional outreach to CCC campuses.
• Regent Eloy Oakley said he thinks CCCs have varied rates of UC matriculation because of geographic and cultural factors. Oakley added the CCCs have not yet had a systemwide discussion on transfer pathway courses.
• Pamela Brown, vice president of institutional research and academic planning, said all campuses are expanding their three-year degree programs. She added UC Berkeley, UC Irvine and UC San Diego created pilot programs to reduce the cost of summer classes. Brown also said UCOP released a report in January that detailed improvements that campuses need to make in time-to-degree advising. In addition, the office will gather data on the costs associated with individual courses.

Finance and Capital Strategies Committee

• The committee discussed the University’s debt policy. Key elements included maintaining its current “AA” credit rating for general revenue bonds and continuing to use a differentiated credit strategy.
• UCLA Vice Chancellor Steve Olsen presented plans to upgrade Franz Tower and the Neuropsychiatric Institute in the Center for Health Sciences to comply with UC Seismic Safety Policy. Olsen added the renovations include mechanical upgrades and selective program improvements that would be more cost-effective than tearing down and building a new hall.
• The committee also approved $2 million in initial funding for the UCLA Graduate Art Studios in Culver City. The $31 million project will be financed by mostly private gifts, including a $20 million gift by alumna Margo Leavin. Olsen said the primarily industrial area around the studio is not conducive to supporting residences in response to calls from regents to develop housing for students nearby.

Committee on Compliance and Audit

• Sarah Calderon, general analyst for UCOP, said the office started a five-step process for risk sensing, which involves identifying emerging problems in the UC. The steps include collecting feedback and conducting interviews via internal audit.
• Sheryl Vacca, chief compliance and audit officer, said the UC has a multifaceted approach to risk intelligence, which enables it to consider different perspectives and mitigate more risks.
• Elizabeth Boyd, executive director of research compliance, said international compliance can be a problem for the UC. Many faculty members and students research and study abroad, which can lead to risks because laws differ from country to country. She added it is critical that UC faculty and staff are aware of international issues and regulations.

Public Engagement and Development Committee

• Chancellor Gene Block updated the committee on UCLA’s Centennial Campaign, which aims to raise $4.2 billion by 2019. UCLA raised $664 million in the 2016 fiscal year and has raised $2.75 billion as of the end of August.
• The committee endorsed UC Riverside’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, which seeks to raise $300 million by 2020. The funding would help UCR update existing infrastructure and increase faculty numbers by 45 percent by 2040 to accommodate potentially higher student enrollment.
• Senior Vice President for Government Relations Nelson Peacock gave a brief overview of different ballot initiatives that might affect the UC if they pass. For example, Prop 56, which would increase the cigarette tax by $2, would provide $40 million to the University to increase the number of primary care and emergency physicians trained in California.
• Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom also informed the committee about the specifics of Prop 63. The initiative would prohibit the possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and require certain individuals to pass a background check in order to purchase ammunition.

Contributing reports by Madeleine Pauker, City editor.