UC Regents

George S. Mitrovich (“California’s ‘Secret’ Elite Has Got to Go,” Commentary, April 19) substituted frustration for facts. Thirteen of the 15 sitting appointed regents are Republicans, two are Democrats; at least five of the seven ex-officio regents are Democrats, including the student regent, both alumni regents, the lieutenant governor of California and the Speaker of the Assembly. While most regents would agree that 12 years is too long a term, during what Mitrovich calls the “zenith” period of the University of California, appointed regents served 16-year terms.

The impact of UC’s budget reductions over the last four years has been nonpartisan. When Clark Kerr was UC president, state money provided 60% of UC’s total budget--but less than 25% today. State support now is what it was in 1986, nearly a billion dollars below what normal enrollment growth and inflation should have generated. Regardless of their ethnic, socioeconomic or political backgrounds, all of the regents in the last four years have faced the same dilemma: preserving quality, access and affordability with vastly diminished resources. Given few options, that has meant cutting jobs and salaries, consolidating programs, raising fees, seeking more private money and linkages with industry. The decisions made have been sad and painful; they have not been politically partisan.

Compelled to ask more of fewer at-will employees who are expected to help preserve the nation’s best public university, the regents have reluctantly granted salary increases to a limited number of UC executives to keep them. But there have also been nine reforms in UC’s executive compensation since 1992, aimed at lowering the compensation packages paid (already below what comparable institutions offer) and assuring as open a compensation process as possible. If UC fired every executive, that would save less than one-quarter of 1%of its total annual budget.

The real story is that the UC is fighting to fulfill its mission despite massive budget cuts and layoffs. More students from families earning less than $30,000 a year are entering today than three years ago. Students are graduating in just over four years, on average. Faculty are teaching more. UC still brings more than $1 billion to California each year in federal funds alone.

ROY L. SHULTS, Regent

Los Angeles