The UC Board of Regents will meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at UCSF Mission Bay to vote on major revisions to the board’s structure and an amendment to regents policy that aims to increase transparency of senior management.
Revisions to the UC Board of Regents’ bylaws that will be voted on at Wednesday’s meeting would restructure its committees, including the time and way in which they meet. One significant change includes holding concurrent committee meetings to allow for more discussion time.
At the regents’ June meeting, board members noted concerns that concurrent meetings might reduce transparency and public access to regents meetings. Other changes part of the restructuring plan Wednesday include allowing non-voting advisers to serve on committees and delegating more authority to committees on certain issues.
If approved, the new structure will be implemented at the next regents meeting in September.
At the Thursday meeting, the board will vote on a possible change to regents policy that would address potential conflicts of interest among senior management, adding a layer of review of any proposed outside activities. More oversight of senior management’s activities such as paid positions on corporate boards would “help protect the University against actual and perceived conflicts of interest,” according to the meeting agenda.
A policy review came amid widespread criticism over UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi’s position on the boards of for-profit corporations, which potentially posed conflicts of interest. Katehi is currently on a 90-day leave while the university launches an investigation of her conduct.
UC regents will also hear an update on food security at the Thursday meeting, following the release of survey results earlier this month by the university, showing that about 40 percent of UC students do not have consistent access to nutritious food.
The UC Office of the President has previously committed funding to address food insecurity across UC campuses in 2015. In response to survey results, Napolitano extended financing for the program July 11, allocating $3.3 million in new funding over the next two years.
Additionally, the board will discuss the university’s 2016-17 budget after the state Legislature approved a budget last month that allocated additional funding to the university and will hear an update from UCLA in the aftermath of the recent shooting on its campus.