Friday:

11:35 a.m. 

The board has approved, without much discussion due to time constraints, the student aid report. 

10:54 a.m.

The board unanimously passes a two-year extension to set the out-of-state student enrollment cap at 40 percent total student population. 

10:42 a.m. 

The board unanimously passes changes to the criteria that determines low-productivity programs. 

10:09 a.m. 

The regents just wrapped up their report from the Legislative Affairs Committee. Several regents voiced their strong disapproval to proposed bills that would allow concealed carry of weapons on college and university campuses. 

ASU President Crow said the issue of concealed carry was not so much about safety and that “” it goes to the very heart of the value system the university stands for.””

 ””There is no other function for those devices other than to kill the person who is at the other end of their use,”” Crow said.

Superintendent Huppenthal asked for more information on safety from campuses that currently allow concealed carry.  

9:52 a.m. 

Regent Chair Anne Mariucci has called the meeting to order. First on the agenda, leftover business from yesterday’s session.

Thursday:

4:08 p.m.

The regents have adjourned for the day and will reconvene tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Check back later for more detailed coverage of the first day of the meeting. 

3:27 p.m. 

The regents unanimously approved all items on the Capitol and Project Finance Committee agenda. ASU representatives are now discussing their strategic business plan. 

3:21 p.m. 

The board has tabled further discussion of tuition rates until their next meeting in April. Jennifer Ginther, a student regent from NAU, expressed concerns that the process had not had enough student involvement, something Regent DuVal assured her would not happen before their next meeting in April. The board is now hearing proposals from the Capital and Project Finance Committee.  

2:35 p.m. 

Regent Calderon has closed discussion for peer-based tuition. The regents are now discussing another part of the proposal, which would allow universities to “”adjust differentiated tuition and tuition for specific programs at an amount below the Board approved resident base tuition amount.”” Universities would still have to consult the regents before raising tuition above that benchmark. 

2:21 p.m. 

Many regents are resistant to the notion of using the tuition rates of peer institutions to set tuition in Arizona. Regent Chair Mariucci said doing so is basing policy on “”bad data.””

“”It’s just a sticker price of tuition that absolutely ignores all the other cost of attendance,”” she said.

NAU President Haegar, ASU President Crow, and UA President Shelton all said that university peers are not based on tuition, but on the size, scope, and mission of the institutions.   

Regent Ernest Calderon said the policy was not “”scientific”” and more of a compromise.  

2:02 p.m. 

Proposal before the regents would allow universities to set tuition at the median of their national peer institutions, as opposed to the bottom third, as it is now. Both the UA and ASU exceed the old ceiling already, and NAU is close to the limit. 

1:48 p.m. 

The meeting has resumed, with Regent Ernest Calderon, the chair of the resource committee, opening a discussion on tuition. 

12:00 p.m. 

The board has adjourned until 1:30 p.m. 

11:56 a.m. 

Several regents, including regent Chair Mariucci and Regent DuVal, expressed concern that the three universities developing their alternative degree and low-cost pathways independent of each other might lead to some programs being redundant. 

“”I think what we’ve done, we’ve gone about for the right reason,”” DuVal said, “”but we haven’t done the hard work to figure out what we want to grow into.”” 

ASU President Crow disagreed that repetition would be an issue. 

“”The market is a powerful force,”” he said. “” If you launch programs and no one comes then you have a redundant program.”” 

11:41 a.m. 

Regent Fred DuVal expressed some concerns about “”contradictions”” in the development of low-cost pathways for students. He said that, though he is sure the regents have the best intentions in mind, “”we haven’t done the hard work to figure out what we want to grow into.”” 

11:29 a.m.

Regent Chair Mariucci said that the university system enterprise model is vital for continued solvency of higher education in Arizona. 

“”This isn’t a choice, this isn’t an innovation, this is a mandate of what we have to do to survive, this is our future,”” she said.  

11:08 a.m. 

Mike Proctor just finished the UA’s presentation. He discussed efforts the UA is taking to emphasize alternative degree pathways and programs at the UA. 

10:35 a.m. 

ASU just wrapped up a presentation on how they are working to fulfill the enterprise model goals set forth by the state legislature and the regents. NAU and the UA will present their models later in the meeting. 

“”Given what we have coming from us from the state legislature we’re doing a hell of a job,”” Regent Bob McLendon said. “”so I just want to commend all three universities on what they’re doing.”” 

9:41 a.m. 

A dozen students fell over, pretending to be dead, in protest of the steps they said the regents are taking to “”murder public education.””

The students had to be asked multiple times by Chair Mariucci to clear the area so the next speaker could make their way to the microphone. 

9:33 a.m. 

Daniel Hatch, the president of the undergraduate student government at ASU-West, said the regents should reexamine their allocation methods, namely the “”40-40-20″” split currently employed. Under that system, both ASU and the UA receive 40 percent of allocations and NAU receives 20 percent. 

“”I think (the model) is a bit arcane and I don’t think it represents the will of the people,”” Hatch said. 

9:24 a.m. 

Former UA Head Basketball Coach Ben Lindsey criticized a book which described him as an “”infamous”” coach at the UA. 

“”What in the world makes you think you are entitled to define my coaching legacy in this manner?”” Lindsey asked. 

Lindsey won a wrongful termination suit against the university after he was fired to make way for Lute Olson. 

“”So why don’t you take this book of yours and throw it in the trash with all the other garbage?”” Lindsey said. 

9:20 a.m. 

JC Mutchler, the secretary of the UA Faculty Senate, spoke about the proposed gun laws regarding concealed carry on college campuses. 

“”As a community we don’t want more guns and yet the legislature is denying us the right to deny those,”” Mutchler said.  

9:08 a.m. 

Regent Chair Anne Mariucci took time to recognize the UA and its response to the shootings of Jan. 8. The regents also unanimously approved their consent agenda. 

9:05 a.m. 

The meeting has officially been called to order. 

8:59 a.m. 

The meeting appears to be just about to get underway.