Legislation proposed for UC oversight
Peri-Elle Cabagnot
Issue date: 6/2/09 Section: News
Several California senators introduced a new piece of legislation last week that proposes a constitutional amendment that would authorize the state legislature to regulate the University of California (UC).
The UC system is currently an autonomous institution regulated by the UC Board of Regents.
During a personal interview, one California senator, who prefers to stay anonymous, said that the UC Board of Regents is abusing its power by giving UC chancellors pay raises while hiking student tuition fees. The senator said that the legislation would not authorize the state to oversee the system on a daily basis.
Student Regent D'Artagnan Scorza, however, said that the Board of Regents has already resolved the issue regarding executive salaries.
"I am a student, I am a leader, I am a researcher, and I am also a regent. I think this is a stupid idea," Scorza said. "The Board of Regents [has] taken the perfect steps to address the compensation issues. We hired a new president, and the board has cleared up the challenges associated with executive compensation."
Scorza also said that the university's problems stem from state budget deficiencies.
"If the state gave enough funding, the Board of Regents wouldn't be raising fees," Scorza said. "If they wanted to help students they would fund the universities."
UC officials said in a recent press release that UC faculty members have lower salaries than faculty at other major universities.
Some say that the UC should be run by public officials as it is a public university.
"This is a public institution. It's not a private club for anyone," California Senator Leland Yee told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We're leaving it to the Board of Regents to run the UC, but it ought to be responsive to the people and the state legislature."
Scorza said that if the legislature has power over the UC, new research could be in danger.
"The legislature can tell the university to research the areas that are important to [them] and not research particular areas because they are controversial i.e. stem cells," Scorza said. "They should focus on [saving] Cal Grants instead of trying to tell the UC how to run a world renowned institution."
Scorza also said that elected officials, such as the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the assembly, the superintendent of public instruction, and the governor, are ex officio regents and already have control over what goes on with the UC.
Some students said that the state should have the right to monitor the Board of Regents.
"If the UC Board of Regents abuses their power, then I think that the state should be able to stop them," said second-year electrical engineering major Nery Navarro. "[However,] I think that the UC Board of Regents is doing a good job, and can manage the UCs."
The bill would have to be approved by two-thirds of the assembly and state and win a simple majority by voters to become a constitutional amendment.
The UC system is currently an autonomous institution regulated by the UC Board of Regents.
During a personal interview, one California senator, who prefers to stay anonymous, said that the UC Board of Regents is abusing its power by giving UC chancellors pay raises while hiking student tuition fees. The senator said that the legislation would not authorize the state to oversee the system on a daily basis.
Student Regent D'Artagnan Scorza, however, said that the Board of Regents has already resolved the issue regarding executive salaries.
"I am a student, I am a leader, I am a researcher, and I am also a regent. I think this is a stupid idea," Scorza said. "The Board of Regents [has] taken the perfect steps to address the compensation issues. We hired a new president, and the board has cleared up the challenges associated with executive compensation."
Scorza also said that the university's problems stem from state budget deficiencies.
"If the state gave enough funding, the Board of Regents wouldn't be raising fees," Scorza said. "If they wanted to help students they would fund the universities."
UC officials said in a recent press release that UC faculty members have lower salaries than faculty at other major universities.
Some say that the UC should be run by public officials as it is a public university.
"This is a public institution. It's not a private club for anyone," California Senator Leland Yee told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We're leaving it to the Board of Regents to run the UC, but it ought to be responsive to the people and the state legislature."
Scorza said that if the legislature has power over the UC, new research could be in danger.
"The legislature can tell the university to research the areas that are important to [them] and not research particular areas because they are controversial i.e. stem cells," Scorza said. "They should focus on [saving] Cal Grants instead of trying to tell the UC how to run a world renowned institution."
Scorza also said that elected officials, such as the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the assembly, the superintendent of public instruction, and the governor, are ex officio regents and already have control over what goes on with the UC.
Some students said that the state should have the right to monitor the Board of Regents.
"If the UC Board of Regents abuses their power, then I think that the state should be able to stop them," said second-year electrical engineering major Nery Navarro. "[However,] I think that the UC Board of Regents is doing a good job, and can manage the UCs."
The bill would have to be approved by two-thirds of the assembly and state and win a simple majority by voters to become a constitutional amendment.
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