The UC Board of Regents unanimously passed its 2012-2013 budget proposal amid interruptions by microphone checks and chanting from student protesters during Monday morning’s teleconference.
The proposal, announced by UC President Mark Yudof earlier this month, requests $2.8 billion in funding from the state, an increase from $2.3 billion last year.
The teleconference, held at four campuses ““ UC San Francisco, UCLA, UC Davis and UC Merced ““ ground to a halt for almost 30 minutes when protesters interrupted the regents while they were discussing expenditure plans and the budget proposal.
Technical difficulties which arose at the same time also slowed the progression of the meeting.
As demonstrators at UCLA led their chants, Sherry Lansing, chair of the Board of Regents, called in university police to clear the room of protesters. UCPD did not engage demonstrators, but stood in a line between the regents and protesters.
Action by demonstrators prompted the board members to leave the meeting and reconvene in a separate room. Although Lansing announced the second meeting was public, no protesters were present.
Once technical difficulties had been resolved and all meetings were reconnected, the budget proposal passed unanimously.
Compiled by Emily Suh, Bruin contributor.