University of California Regents
Seal of the University of California
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| Governing board overview | |
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| Formed | June 18, 1868 |
| Type | State university system governing board |
| Jurisdiction | Government of California |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California, United States |
| Governing board executives |
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| Website | Regents website |
The Regents of the University of California is the governing board of the University of California system. The board has 26 voting members.
The California Constitution grants broad institutional autonomy, with limited exceptions, to the Regents. According to article IX, section 9, "The University shall be entirely independent of all political or sectarian influence and kept free therefrom in the appointment of its regents and in the administration of its affairs."
As with almost all other public university systems nationwide, the board of regents is treated as the real party in interest for all purposes under California law. Legally speaking, the Regents are a California corporation, administering the university as a public trust under the California Constitution. All actions of the university are done in their name, all degrees are conferred in their name, all UC property is held in their name (and is marked by signs indicating "Property of the Regents of the University of California"), all bank accounts are held in their name (and all checks must be written as payable to "UC Regents"), and all lawsuits involving the University always refer specifically to the regents. This is notable because most corporations (especially private ones) are treated by the law as a legal entity separate from their boards and employees, and lawsuits against them are addressed to the corporation or university itself, not its board of directors or trustees.
Administrative support is provided to the Regents by the Office of the Secretary of the Regents of the University of California, which shares an office building with the UC Office of the President in Oakland.
In May 2017, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Regents had been hosting costly dinner parties using university funds. After extensive public outcry, university leaders released a statement saying the university would no longer fund these dinners.
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