HB2735

THE CONTEXT: The Arizona Constitution establishes ABOR to act as the governing body of Arizona's public university system and ABOR exercises the powers necessary for the effective governance and administration of the institutions under its control. ABOR may: 1) adopt, and authorize each public university to adopt regulations, policies, rules or measures that ABOR deems necessary; and 2) delegate in writing to ABOR's committees, university presidents or their designees or other entities under ABOR's control, any part of its authority for the administration and governance of Arizona's public universities.

WHAT THE BILL DID: Authorizes the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to delegate the authority to approve academic degrees or organizational units only to a public university president and prohibits a university president from further delegating that authority. Requires a public university to provide ABOR with access to the university's uniform accounting and reporting system.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give Arizonans and public officials a defined option for abor under state law. It would authorize ABOR to delegate the authority to approve academic degrees or organizational units only to a public university president, and would also prohibit a public university president from further delegating the president's authority to approve academic degrees or organizational units, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.