University spending, protests and sports are all on the agendas for Arizona Board of Regents special board meetings and committee meetings on Thursday in Tempe.
The full day of meetings on June 6 will be live streamed on YouTube. Agendas can be viewed here.
Protests and free speech
Following recent pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, a committee will hear a proposed policy to prohibit “Support for Foreign Terrorist Organizations by Student Groups and Organizations.” If approved, violations of the policy would allow universities to revoke student groups’ use of university facilities. Violations would be enforced through the universities’ code of conduct. The policy also says it will uphold first amendment rights, including the right to protest
See the proposed policy for yourself:
This item is on the agenda for the regents’ Governance and Operations Committee, scheduled for 12:10 p.m. and may or may not include discussion. Pro-Palestinian protestors often attend Arizona Board of Regents meetings.
The proposed policy also is a response to a similar effort by state lawmakers. House Bill 2759 passed the House with a supermajority of bipartisan support, said Megan Gilbertson, the regents’ associate vice president for public affairs.
Budget-related items
Related to the University of Arizona financial crisis, the board will review budgets, get an overview of planned audits and hear an update about the UA Global Campus. These items are sprinkled throughout the full day of meetings on Thursday
Catch up on what’s happening with the UA budget: In April, university officials said budget cuts and growth in online enrollment have shrunk a projected budget shortfall from $177 million down to $52 million. Read more.
A regents’ committee is also expected to advance a proposal from the university to create a new academic unit called the School of Global Studies, under the umbrella of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. This plan, which requires the regents’ approval, would group existing small programs operating in a budget deficit and awarding few degrees.
The programs include the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, the Global Studies Program, the Human Rights Practice Program, Middle Eastern and North African Studies, the Southwest Center, and the Arabic Flagship program.
College sports and the Big 12
Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference Brett Yormark will make a presentation about the rapidly changing landscape of collegiate athletics. The regents’ Strategic Initiatives and Planning Committee will discuss the implications for Arizona’s public universities with Arizona State University and the University of Arizona joining the Big 12 this year. This portion of the meeting is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
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