• Last updated June 6, 2006
  

Since near the beginning , one of the primary focuses of the UC Nuclear Free campaign and the Coalition to Demilitarize the UC has been calling attention to the undemocratic, unaccountable nature of the UC Regents. The Regents have repeatedly ignored the will and interests of UC students, faculty, and staff over the years. Below you will find resources regarding our current campaign to use the hierarchical, authoritarian nature of the UC decision-making structure as a window for UC students into larger social injustices -- chiefly, the global proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Protesting at UC Regents meeting has proved to be an extremely effecive means of broadcasting our message to a wide audience, which includes the reporters from mutiple mainstream newspapers who are assigned to report on each of the meetings. At the May 2005 meeting, for instance, Coalition to Demilitarize members were responsible for a front-page story in the San Francisco Chronicle exposing the conflicts of interest of Regent Richard Blum, who, at the time, was personally profiting from the Regents' management of the weapons labs through his executive position on URS Corporation, which had a five-year, $125-million contract to perform construction at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

In a clear demonstration of the power students weild to hold UC officials accountable, Blum has since stepped down from URS.

Who Are the UC Regents?

(Taken from Frequently Asked Questions .)

In short, the Regents are a highly undemocratic and unaccountable group of mostly-wealthy individuals who, in a fairer world, would not actually be governing the UC.

They are essentially the Board of Directors of the UC system. They have complete control over the UC, with its annual budget of nearly $16 billion, 208,000 students, 120,000 faculty and staff, and ten campuses. They also currently manage (albeit in the fashion of an absentee landlord) the nation's two primary nuclear weapons research and design labs, the Los Alamos (LLNL) and Lawrence Livermore (LLNL) labs.

Of the 26 members of the Board, eighteen are appointed by the governor for 12-year terms. There is one student regent (selected by the other regents), along with seven “ex-officio” regents, including California's governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the assembly, and superintendent of public instruction, and the president and vice president of the UC Alumni Association.

Because most Regents are appointed by the governor, they are invariably members of California 's economic elite. Often, their appointments are largely political kickbacks for huge contributions to gubernatorial campaigns. For example, Regent John C. Moores (net worth: $750 million) contributed $232,751 to the Grey Davis campaign between 1997 and 1999, prior to his appointment by Davis in the latter year.

Who Rules the University? by Darwin BondGraham
Regent Profiles by Darwin BondGraham
Fiat Pax's Direction of Higher Education Page
Bringing Democracy to the UC by Chelsea Collonge and Will Parrish

Past Regents Meeting Demonstrations

A few of the most notable demonstrations students and other nuclear disarmament activists have organized at Regents meetings in recent years were at the May 2005 Regents meeting and the May 2006 meeting.

Next Regents Meeting

July 19-20 @ UCSF - Laurel Heights

Contact us for carpool information.

Background on Regents Meetings

The Regents meet on a regular basis, both as a whole and in issue-focused committees, such as grounds and buildings, investments, and oversight of Department of Energy Laboratories.  Most of the time, these meetings are held at the University of California , San Francisco – Laurel Heights . However, a southern California session is mandatory on an annual basis and UCLA usually plays host.  Wherever the session is held, there are times set-aside for stakeholders in the UC system, e.g., students, staff, faculty, and community members, to speak directly to the key decision-makers of the UC system.

Your opinion matters!  Here are a couple pointers to help you maximize your time on the mic: call-in advance to reserve your speaking slot (you can call the secretary of the Regents as soon as the meeting agenda is made public, which is usually 10 days before the meeting - 510.987.9220), you only have 2 minutes to speak (there's no shame in practicing a couple times beforehand), provide a written copy of your comments if you want to be acknowledge on the public record and help whoever has to take the meeting notes (the time you have to speak is so brief that you can memorize your written piece or even speak from the heart), and lastly, speak about issues that the Regents will be discussing during that meeting. 

Similarly, there are a couple informalities which you should be aware of regarding Regents meetings: security personnel search you and your bags before you enter the room, do not expect all of the Regents to actually listen to you or even stay in the room during the public comment session, the timekeeper's countdown can be a distraction, and lastly, bring friends and have them stand with you when you speak.  Contact us for more tips, talking points, and/or a ride.