Members of the University of California Board of Regents, meeting by teleconference at four separate campus locations, on Monday, Nov. 28, approved a spending plan for the coming year, then met informally with some of the student protesters who temporarily shut the meeting down.

The board meeting, held at UCLA, UC Merced, UC Davis and UC San Francisco, included 90 minutes of public comment, rather than the usual 20, in an effort to accommodate the large number of speakers. Many students were there to decry police use of pepper spray on demonstrators earlier this month at UC Davis and students being jabbed with police batons during protests at UC Berkeley.

President Mark G. Yudof, following the public comment period, announced that he has appointed former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso to head the task force that will review the UC Davis incident. Yudof noted that Reynoso, a farmworker’s son and the first Latino to serve on the state Supreme Court, “has dedicated his life to protecting civil liberties.”

The president earlier in the meeting reaffirmed his commitment protecting the rights of students, faculty and staff to protest on UC campuses.

“UC students and the UC administration are on the same page with respect to peaceful demonstrations, and to First Amendment rights,” Yudof said. “I intend to do everything in my power as president of this university to protect the rights of our students, faculty and staff to engage in non-violent protest. I’ve said many times that free speech is part of the DNA of this university. And non-violent protest has long been central to its history.”

Many of the speakers called on the regents to do more about rising tuition — a key issue behind the student protests. They also asked the regents to sign a pledge to reform California’s tax code so that the state would have more money in its coffers for public higher education.

“Over the past month, students, faculty and others have come together to bring attention to the disinvestment in higher education and put forward solutions,” said UC Student Association President Claudia Magana. “It’s up to you to do your part as regents, individually and collectively.”

Board Chair Sherry Lansing addressed the speakers directly and promised to visit each campus over the next few weeks “to continue the dialogue.”

“We hear you and share your concerns,” Lansing said. “We will march with you side by side on the steps of the Capitol to stop these tuition hikes.”

Despite the strong words of support, as regents moved into a discussion of the spending plan for the 2012-13 fiscal year, demonstrators at several locations began chanting so loudly that the meeting was temporarily suspended. Regents regrouped in other conference rooms, bringing in members of the press and re-establishing an online audio feed of the meeting proceedings, in accordance with open meeting laws.

After a presentation by Nathan Brostrom, executive vice president for business operations, regents unanimously approved a spending plan for the coming year that would allow modest enrollment growth and more instructional support for students.

The 2012-13 expenditure plan represents UC’s priorities and forms the basis for the university’s budget request to the state.

“If the state gives UC the $2.7 billion we are requesting, we can avoid the issue of a tuition increase entirely. We can begin the process of moving the university forward,” Yudof said. “If, however, there is no increase in state funding, then we must continue to do our best to pare spending and to raise other revenues.”

The $2.7 billion would be an increase from $2.3 billion this year, but still would be about $500 million less than UC received in state support four years ago, Yudof told the board. (See an additional report, including background documents, on the university’s proposed budget.)

Regents also approved an increase in UC and employee contribution rates for the UC Retirement Plan, effective July 2013. Faculty and staff will contribute 6.5 percent of their pay and UC will contribute 12 percent to the UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) beginning July 1, 2013.

After the meeting adjourned, several regents and senior administrators stayed behind to meet and talk directly with student demonstrators.

At UCLA, Chancellor Gene Block, UC Riverside Chancellor Tim White, UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake, Brostrom and Regents Lansing and Eddie Island met with the students, who sat on chairs in a semicircle.

Lansing told students that she would meet with them before the winter break and urged them to join her in protesting cuts to higher education.

The Office of the President Innovation and Impact Awards program is accepting nominations through Monday, Dec. 5, 2011.

Recently announced by EVP Brostrom, the program accepts nominations from any staff level, and all career staff except senior managers are eligible to receive awards. The program is designed to encourage principles of service and community and recognize outstanding staff contributions, above and beyond normal job duties, that serve UCOP, UC or the community at large.

The awards will be presented annually to individual UCOP employees and/or teams of employees in three categories: advancing the mission, modeling OP culture and principles, and connecting with the community.

The selection committee will be comprised of one representative from each of UCOP’s staff affinity groups, including the Black Staff and Faculty Organization, the Latino Staff Association, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex Staff Association, the OP Staff Assembly, the President’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women, the Young Professionals Association, and others. Also represented on the selection committee will be OP Local Human Resources, which will administer the program.

This inaugural year, winners will be announced at an OP-wide ceremony on Jan. 25, 2012, along with the semi-annual Service Milestone Achievement Awards. President Yudof and other senior leaders will be on hand to recognize the Innovation and Impact awardees.

How to submit nominations

Full details on how to submit nominations, including nomination forms, are available on the OP Innovation and Impact Awards website. Both individual and team nominations are invited and must provide specific information that demonstrates achievements in one of these three award categories:

• Advancing the Mission: Demonstrated extraordinary leadership resulting in the accomplishment of significant goals or work products that serve the good of UC and/or UCOP; significant project management; one-time innovation or creation resulting in significant impact to UCOP. The impact may be monetary, organizational or process-oriented and is not limited to technological innovation.

• Modeling OP Culture and Principles: Demonstrated commitment to and/or promotion of service and stewardship in the UCOP environment; significant improvement to the UCOP community; demonstrated inclusion of and respect for different viewpoints; dedication to making positive change, especially in the area of morale; demonstrated superior interactions with and a positive influence on managers, peers, supervisors, subordinates and the UCOP community; significant aptitude for people management. Strives to uphold UCOP’s Principles of Community.

• Connecting with the Community: Active and meaningful service in a local, state or national non-profit, community-based organization resulting in a significant impact on the external community; voluntary individual effort with positive impact on the local community or its residents.

Please submit your nominations by 5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. Contact Sherry Perocier at sherry.perocier@ucop.edu with any questions.

The UC Board of Regents on Nov. 28 approved an increase in retirement plan contribution rates for both UC and its employees effective July 2013.

Faculty and staff will contribute 6.5 percent of their pay, and UC will contribute 12 percent to the UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) beginning July 1, 2013. Employees currently pay 3.5 percent and UC pays 7 percent. Those rates will increase to 5 and 10 percent respectively on July 1, 2012. Rates for represented employees are subject to collective bargaining.

Yesterday’s decision is the latest in a series of actions intended to shore up the funded status of the plan and ensure its long-term viability.

The 2013 combined employee and UC contribution rate will, for the first time in more than 20 years, cover the annual cost of the plan. Every year, the plan absorbs liabilities that are equivalent to roughly 18 percent of UC’s covered payroll.

While the 2013 contributions will cover the annual “normal cost,” the combined rates are still below the level of the regents funding policy, which is the full annual cost, plus a portion of the unfunded liability.

UC continues to urge key state leaders to provide support for UCRP on the same basis that is provided for Cal State and community college defined benefit plans.

On a market value basis, the funded status of UCRP has improved from the prior year, due to contributions, internal borrowing and an investment return of 22 percent. The overall market value of assets increased by $7.3 billion to $41.9 billion, putting the plan’s funded status at 81 percent.

As a result, UCRP’s unfunded actuarial accrued liability stands at roughly $10 billion as of July 2011. With the completely separate Retiree Health Benefit Program having an unfunded actuarial accrued liability of $14.6 billion, the total unfunded liabilities of UC’s post-employment benefits are more than $24 billion.

Additional links:

• The annual UCRP valuation report
• The Retiree Health Program valuation report

UCOP’s Holiday Crafts Fair is just around the corner on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Franklin lobby.

If you would like to share your crafts or handiwork at the annual event, register by Monday, Dec. 5. There are still a few spaces available, but space is limited so act quickly to reserve your space.

Simply print out the registration form and send it, along with a $30.00 check (payable to UC Regents) to Monica Courtney, 12018 Kaiser Building, 300 Lakeside Drive. The fee, which covers the cost of your table rental, is non-refundable.

Check next week’s Link for a list of fair vendors, and start making your holiday shopping list now!