The governing board of the University of California met for its May meeting at UC San Francisco from Tuesday to Thursday. Regents discussed the University of California Extension programs, changes in UC policy and the restructuring of committees.
The California State Assembly also approved $117.5 million in new funding for the UC on Wednesday.
Compliance and Audit Committee
- The UC system was evaluated as completing six of 10 recommendations from the state audit of University of California Office of the President administrative expenditures. Three of the four recommendations are scheduled to be completed later this week during further meetings with the Board of Regents. The final recommendation was not met because of a semantic misunderstanding of what was expected of the UC system with regard to a decrease in wage disparity.
- There are 23 additional recommendations from the California State Auditor that are due to be completed over the next two years. The UC System is on target to complete all of the recommendations within the allotted time.
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
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Michael Brown, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs, said UCOP wants to consolidate policies on residency and tuition waivers to simplify the process of applying for waivers and align with state definitions of residency. He added that a student classified as a California resident avoids over $110,000 in charges. The committee passed this proposal unanimously.
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Vice President for Student Affairs Robin Holmes-Sullivan said the recommended changes of consolidating the two policies and requiring a shorter time for students to prove self-dependency would be implemented for the 2019-2020 academic year.
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She added only residents benefit from California’s investment into its students, such as through Cal Grants and guaranteed admission into the UC. In comparison, nonresident students must compare favorably to resident applicants and have no direct benefit from state investment in the UC. Since 2016, nonresident students have also been ineligible for institutional financial aid from the UC or the state.
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Holmes-Sullivan said to qualify for residency, a student usually must have a physical presence in California and intent to make California a home, which is consistent with state requirements.
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Jim Chalfant, professor of agricultural and resource economics at UC Davis and the 2016-2017 UC Academic Senate chair, said the University’s transfer task force suggests the UC continue the two-to-one standard where one transfer is admitted for every two undergraduates.
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Representatives of UC Extension said that in the past year, 400,000 people enrolled in UC Extension courses at no cost to the California taxpayer, earning the UC $282 million in revenue last year.
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Student Regent-designate Devon Graves said he was concerned about the amount of student loan debt UC Extension students accumulate because of its high prices. Diana Wu, dean of UC Berkeley Extension, said Extension programs do not administer federal financial aid because they do not offer higher degree programs. She added that there are some free certificate programs, however.
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Shane White, chair of the UC Academic Senate and a professor of dentistry at UCLA, said he is concerned about the financial model of the Extension program and its accessibility to students who may be in financial trouble and need its classes the most.
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Regent Sherry L. Lansing said she thinks the Extension program should expand to target the aging baby-boomer population.
Governance and Compensation Committee
- The committee voted to pass the proposal to extend the automatic referral of the emeritus title to academic employees other than professors and associate professors, with the exception of individuals acting to damage the University.
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The committee tied in voting to approve the proposal to amend bylaws of the Governance and Compensation Committee and the Investments Subcommittee. UC Regents Chair George Kieffer recommended changing the title of the Governance and Compensation Committee to the Governance Committee and to give it more responsibilities regarding appointment and performance evaluation of the UCOP. Compensation would fall under a new Compensation and Personnel Subcommittee under the Finance and Capital Strategies Committee.
Finance and Capital Strategies Committee
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The committee established a subcommittee for compensation and personnel.
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The UC System has invested in a 40-year bond with a 3.91 percent true interest cost. The funds will go toward increasing the affordability of college for students.
Board of Regents
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The Board approved the UC’s budget and forecasted fund balance Thursday, as well as proposals by committees from Wednesday.
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Brown presented to the Board the UC’s financial aid model for California undergraduates, including how the UC determines qualifications for financial aid.
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Holmes-Sullivan said undergraduates’ financial aid also includes support from the state of California, such as Cal Grants and the Middle Class Scholarship.
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The UC financial aid model also expects students to contribute to their financial aid through work-study or having jobs. Regent Eloy Ortiz Oakley said the presentation makes assumptions about self-help and added first-generation students must also provide for their families on top of paying for their education.