For all of the half-answers and full unknowns offered Wednesday on the College of California Board of Regents assembly about UCLA’s deliberate departure for the Large Ten, one factor was completely clear: This isn’t over.
From UC system president Michael Drake describing the impression report as an “interim” doc to regent John A. Perez noting that the assembly was “a very good begin to the dialog,” the governing physique of the UC indicated it plans a deep dive into all features of UCLA’s transfer, together with its impression on Cal.
“I’m very involved concerning the monetary impression to Cal-Berkeley and to verify no matter new income may be achieved” — by UCLA’s membership within the Large Ten — “envisions a situation to assist offset (Cal’s) want,” regent Tony Thurmond mentioned.
The “monetary impression” on Cal was one among many matters coated in a 17-page impression report mentioned Wednesday by the regents. It laid out each the advantages and downsides of UCLA’s transfer to the Large Ten, together with USC, in the summertime of 2024.
But it surely wasn’t till the dialog plunged into the procedural weeds of regental coverage that essentially the most important growth got here to mild.
The Bruins’ exit from the Pac-12, introduced June 30, was stunning in lots of regards, together with the style by which UCLA was in a position to dodge bureaucratic potholes and depart behind its sister campus in Berkeley.
In response to an inquiry from the Hotline, a spokesperson from the UC Workplace of the President defined on the time that there was “no requirement for a call from the College of California Board of Regents or the Workplace of the President.”
In different phrases, UCLA chancellor Gene Block had the authority to behave on his personal.
However primarily based on feedback made throughout the open session of the regents’ assembly at UCLA’s Luskin Middle, that isn’t the case.
Charlie Robinson, the final counsel for the UC Workplace of the President, indicated the regents may withdraw the authority delegated to a chancellor in relation to convention affiliation.
“For this explicit matter, the regents may say ‘We wish to act and due to this fact we are not looking for the (UC) president or the (campus) chancellors to behave on this space,’ and easily assert that,” Robinson mentioned.
One other key trade got here moments later, when Perez, the previous speaker of the California State Meeting — and a Cal graduate — requested Robinson concerning the mechanism required for withdrawing authority from a campus chancellor on issues of convention affiliation.
Couching the problem in hypothetical phrases, Perez requested:
“With out noticing a gathering, with out going to a gathering, between conferences, the board chair and the vice chair may act beneath interim motion to retain an authority that had in any other case been delegated?”
“Appropriate,” Robinson mentioned.
A second later, after a remark about coverage modifications, Perez reframed the dialogue.
“These are two completely different questions,” he mentioned. “One query is what ought to occur to the delegation (of authority) broadly going ahead, which is a coverage consideration.
“The second query is, mechanically, how does the board specific its retention of a beforehand delegated authority. And so a technique is thru the interim motion of the chair and the vice chair.
“What different methods may the board specific that? … As a result of I don’t assume we have been clear on this till at present. I’m making an attempt to get readability on what must occur for the board to precise the retention of its authority in an merchandise that has, by coverage, been delegated.”
Robinson responded:
“The (UC) president is a direct report back to the board chair, so one mechanism could be for the board chair to say, ‘I’m directing you, on this occasion, to face down, and the board will likely be exercising authority on this space.'”
Will the regents overturn the choice and power the Bruins to stay within the Pac-12?
Will they require UCLA to subsidize Cal primarily based on a lower within the Pac-12’s media rights?
Is that this all simply sound and fury?
The regents are scheduled to satisfy once more Sept. 20-22 at UC San Diego, however their plan of action might develop into clear earlier than then.
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