By Rachel Leingang | The Republic
A bill to fundamentally restructure how Arizona’s three state universities are managed passed an Arizona Senate committee Monday as a fast-tracked proposal that won’t receive much public input.
Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, wants to effectively dismantle the Arizona Board of Regents and vastly expand the governor and Legislature’s control of state universities.
Instead of a 10-member board appointed by the governor, Finchem wants a board of elected officials to serve as “trustees” and separate, local boards for each of the three universities.
The bill would put the governor and legislative leaders in charge of setting policies for the universities on issues such as tuition rates, reducing student debt or increasing job placements for students.
