August 2023 board meeting highlights

The following are news briefs from the Arizona Board of Regents August 24, 2023 special board meeting. Full board materials are available here.  

Building on a Promise to Arizona: Board Approves 2023 Annual Report 
The Arizona Board of Regents and its public universities are operating on a simple premise: all Arizonans should benefit from its public universities. The Arizona Board of Regents Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report, approved by the board today, details how the board is building on its promise to Arizona by training its workforce, addressing its greatest challenges and expanding accessibility. Read the report.  

Commitment to Free Speech Outlined in Board’s Annual Free Expression Report 
The board and Arizona’s public universities protect and ensure intellectual freedom and free expression at its institutions. Today, the board approved the Fiscal Year 2023 Free Expression Annual Report outlining university adherence to the policies. All three of Arizona’s public universities maintain the highest green light rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), recognizing the commitment of the board and the universities to free speech. Read the report.  

Universities Save Millions through Cost Containment Measures 
Arizona’s public universities continually focus on lowering costs and identifying innovative opportunities for savings. The Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Cost Containment Report details the actions taken by each university to contain costs and the savings associated with those actions. Arizona State University’s measures have resulted in $7.4 million cost savings, Northern Arizona University’s $3.3 million and the University of Arizona’s $3.5 million. Read the report. 

University Research Benefitting Arizonans  
Through the Technology and Research Initiative Fund, approved by voters in 2001, the board and its public universities are investing in research and workforce development that result in outcomes that benefit Arizona. Read the report here. Below are a few examples of the work this taxpayer funding is supporting: 

• Regents’ Research and Community Grants pair Arizona’s public university researchers with government agencies and community organizations to address longstanding challenges in Arizona. This year, the board approved nine grants to reduce cancer risk in firefighters, enhance Arizona’s groundwater supply and more.
• ASU expanded its partnership with Applied Materials to create the Materials-to-Fab (MTF) Center. Representing a combined investment of $270 million, the MTF will provide researchers, industry partners and students access to state-of-the-art semiconductor tools. 
• Through its national security systems program, NAU is leading in the critical areas of cybersecurity and cyber solutions, developing new technologies to protect Arizona’s businesses and consumers. 
• UArizona researchers acquired 28 new patents and launched three new startups based on technology from TRIF-supported research, including development of a drug that has been licensed to the Tucson-based startup, Proneurogen, and has begun first-in-human trials for the treatment of vascular dementia, the most common form of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Board Approves Annual Personnel Report  
Arizona’s public universities compete with hundreds of public and private universities throughout the country to attract and retain talented faculty and staff. The board’s Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Personnel Report provides details on employee population, compensation, turnover rates and market comparisons. Read the report. 

UArizona Expands Adaptive Athletics with Additional State Funding  
UArizona is expanding its adaptative athletics program — the largest in the United States — with support from the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget and university matching funds. The university plans to use the $160,000 budget, approved by the board today, to expand scholarship offerings, purchase sports equipment, and provide proper uniforms and travel support. UArizona’s adaptive athletes are recruited from across the country and have competed at the top levels of sport, including the Olympics. Learn more here. 

Arizona Teachers Academy Offers Free Tuition for Aspiring Teachers 
Arizona’s public universities are working to address the teacher shortage by investing in future educators. Since 2018, thousands of teachers have earned Arizona Teachers Academy scholarships, which offer free tuition for students who agree to teach in Arizona schools. The program served over 3,250 students in fiscal year 2023, according to the Fiscal Year 2023 Arizona Teachers Academy Report approved by the board today. Read the report. 

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request Focused on Health Care, Expanding Access and Workforce Readiness 
The Arizona Board of Regents’ fiscal year 2025 budget request is focused on addressing the critical health care workforce shortage, expanding access to universities, and capital investments to repair aging facilities and meet the demands of a 21st century economy. The board voted to approve the budget request but may update the AZ Healthy Tomorrow budget items at a future meeting. Learn more here.