Monisha Merchant, one of the most recently elected members to the CU Board of Regents, said the board has made significant strides in encouraging the state of Colorado to increase funding for higher education.
“On Friday the 16 (of January) we had a Senior Advocacy Day,” said Merchant, one of three newly elected regents sworn in nearly three weeks ago. “Many of the regents were there. I attended, as did President Benson, prominent alumni (and) business leaders, all who were emphasizing the need for higher education funding.”
According to Merchant, the group was able to interact with close to 70 percent of the state House and the Senate, enabling them to make the case for all of Colorado’s higher education.
“It was important to show that we were getting funding from private donations but because it’s a public university, we needed help from the state,” Merchant said. “It was very well organized, and I think we left a very strong, positive impression for CU.”
The regents are responsible for $2.4 billion of CU’s annual budget, according to regent spokesman Ken McConnellogue.
“They approve the budget, they approve tuition,” McConnellogue said. “The regents have broad responsibility. They delegate the actual work of delegating budgets to the presidents, the chancellors and other people on campus.”
One of the issues the regents previously faced is whether or not students should be allowed to vote on if their student fees should be raised to accommodate for capital construction projects. In the past UCSU has ruled on issues regarding student fees.
“There was a discussion about if, for every capital construction project, it should go to the student body to vote,” Merchant said. “I think the amendment was passed that had the students looking at that, and letting the students vote is important. I think the regents are looking to your tri-executives (of UCSU) to encourage the voting.”
Students have a strong collective opinion on how their money is to be spent.
“As an out-of-state student, I’m paying a lot,” said Irene Hodge, a freshman political science major. “I’m opposed to raising the fees because I think the tuition is high enough.”
Regents look at academic policy and student life, working to ensure that CU has the resources necessary to provide a high quality public education, Merchant said.
“I think you can use the board as a partner for looking into the interest of the university as a whole,” Merchant said.
She also suggested ways that students can have their voices heard by the Board of Regents, and help enact the changes they wish to see in their university.
“We have some relationships with your student government, through the tri-executives. There is commentary allowed at the board meetings. Reaching the regents directly. Advocating directly to the state legislatures – having student presence, for example, on Advocacy Day – because not only are you the customers of the university, you are the constituents,” Merchant said.
The regents are also responsible for making sure the university has a good reputation statewide, according to McConnellogue.
“One of the primary things that they can do that’s kind of intangible is guarding and promoting the university’s reputation,” McConnellogue said. “A lot of these things may touch on students’ lives, but not as directly. I think their decisions affect everyone who attends or works at CU.”
Joseph Neguse and James E. Geddes, the other two regents recently sworn into office, were unable to be reached for comment.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sara Kassabian at Sara.kassabian@colorado.edu.
