As tuition keeps increasing, UC students want a bigger say on the Board of Regents

By Khadeejah Khan and Phoebe Huss | CalMatters

Of the 26 UC Regents, one student position has voting power. A second student seat is a non-voting “designate.” To increase student representation, UC student leaders are pushing for the second seat to also have voting power.

The University of California serves 300,000 students, yet only one of the two students on the 26-member Board of Regents is allowed to vote. Now, student leaders are campaigning for a second vote, saying it would better ensure that UC policy reflects all students.

Regents are the top decision-makers of the UC system, and set policies for all campuses, including tuition increases. When one student has to represent the wishes of the entire student population, some feel other perspectives miss out. Last year, when one st