The University is governed
by The Regents, which under Article IX, Section 9 of
the California Constitution has "full powers of organization
and governance" subject only to very specific areas
of legislative control. The article states that "the
university shall be entirely independent of all political
and sectarian influence and kept free therefrom in the
appointment of its Regents and in the administration
of its affairs."
Board Membership
Article IX, Section 9 was drafted in 1878 after a decade
of political conflict demonstrated the importance of
sheltering the university from shifting political winds.
The board consists of 26 members:
- 18 regents are appointed
by the governor for 12-year terms
- One is a student
appointed by the Regents to a one-year term
- Seven are ex officio members --
the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the
Assembly, Superintendent of Public Instruction, president
and vice president of the Alumni Associations of UC
and the UC president.
In addition, two faculty members
-- the chair and vice chair of the Academic Council --
sit on the board as non-voting members.
Board Officers
The Governor is officially the president of the Board
of Regents, but in practice the presiding officer of
the Regents is the Chairman of the Board, elected from
among its body for a one-year term, beginning July 1.
The current Chairman is
Regent Richard Blum. The Vice Chairman is Regent
Russell Gould.
The Regents appoints Officers
of The Regents: the General Counsel; the Treasurer;
the Secretary and Chief of Staff; and the Chief Compliance
and Audit Officer.
Committees and Meetings
The Regents operates through 10 standing committees:
Compliance and Audit, Compensation, Educational Policy,
Finance, Governance, Grounds and Buildings, Health Services,
Investments, Long Range Planning, and Oversight of the
Department of Energy Laboratories.
The Regents meets
six times a year every other month in two-day meetings.
About The Regents of the University of California
The Regents of the University of California