UC Regents Sherry Lansing and Richard Blum will visit the UCSB campus Wednesday to meet privately with a select group of students.
The two Regents plan for the invite-only event to serve as a forum for dialogue between the UC’s administrators and students. UCSB will be the fifth such stop for Lansing, who serves as the board’s chair.
Attendees have been chosen to represent a range of interests including student government, Greek societies and campus organizations. Each group is allowed one representative; overall, roughly 40 students are expected to be present.
The Regents specified that members of the press may participate, although reporting, photography and recording are prohibited. Two of the board’s last three meetings have been held behind closed doors.
KCSB General Manager Eric Wolff said he feels the greater student body deserves a reliable account of the meeting as they are being represented by those in attendance.
“What was stated as the reason for why recording isn’t allowed is that it would be disruptive to the intent of the meeting, but to me what was conveyed as the intent of the meeting is that students are speaking to the regents and communicating with them; the students who are going to be there are acting in that capacity on behalf of the entire student body,” Wolff said. “I think being able to record the meeting is essential to conveying accurately what’s going on in that meeting.”
Additionally, the regents are similarly missing an opportunity to receive the most comprehensive of student opinion possible, Wolff said.
“I can understand if they want to have a closed meeting and avoid controversy and protest actions — I think it’s regrettable but I can understand where they’re coming from — but to not make more public who’s being invited so they can be informed on what voices are possibly missing from that discussion is a real detriment to them,” Wolff said. “It’s student perspectives that they’re not hearing.”
The board most recently convened last Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the state budget, executive pensions and the use of police force on campuses. Three students were arrested during the proceedings.
For further coverage of last week’s meeting, check back in tomorrow’s Nexus.