UC Regents recap – July 13

The governing board of the University of California met for the last day of its July meeting at UC San Francisco on Thursday. The Board of Regents discussed the previous two days’ committee meetings and approved the upcoming fiscal year budget for the UC Office of the President.

Board of Regents

• During the public comments section, undergraduate and graduate students talked about issues students face with financial insecurity and with paying off student loans. Several students also criticized the Merced Police Department for using excessive force against African American students when ambushing a party near UC Merced on Saturday.
• A staff member from UCSF said the UC’s health insurance policy change from Blue Shield to Blue Cross and OptumRx has caused some prescription medicines to not be carried over, despite the UC previously guaranteeing that prescriptions would be carried forward.
• Rejeana Mathis, chair of the Council of University of California Staff Assemblies, and other individuals from the council presented the CUCSA’s annual report. They said three concerns staff have are not having enough emergency funds, not being able to retire as planned, and not being able to meet monthly expenses. She said the council recommended that more programs and resources be available to help employees and that retirement plans help make up for staff disparities in income.
• The board voted to approve augmented reviews in undergraduate admissions to allow admissions officers to request letters of recommendation from possible admits.
• The board approved the University’s ethics and compliance program and internal audit plan for 2017-2018. The ethics and compliance program will focus on risk areas including cybersecurity, sexual violence and assault, campus safety and compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. The internal audit plan would identify risks and assess efficiency in different parts of the University, including on campuses and in departments.
• The board appointed Alexander Bustamante as the UC’s chief compliance and audit officer and senior vice president. Bustamante, who was previously inspector general for the LAPD, will be responsible for overseeing the UC’s compliance and audit program and ensuring the University follows rules and regulations.
• The board also approved the proposed UCOP fiscal year budget of $388.66 million and the Finance and Capital Strategies Committee’s recommendations, including changes to the UC’s investment policy.
• Aimee Dorr, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, presented data from the 2017 UC Accountability Report, which showed that in the 2015-2016 academic year the UC spent $4.4 billion on research, with about 55 percent of research supported by the federal government.
• The board appointed Michael Brown, professor and administrator at UC Santa Barbara, as the next UC provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. As provost, Brown will be responsible for supporting academic excellence and student success at the University.

Contributing reports from Shweta Chawla, Daily Bruin reporter.