August 2026 board meeting highlights

The following are news briefs from the Arizona Board of Regents August 27 special board meeting. Full board materials are available here.  

FY 2028 budget proposal prioritizes health care, affordability and workforce development 
The Arizona Board of Regents’ FY 2028 budget request is focused on strengthening the state’s health care workforce pipeline, expanding access to the universities and advancing workforce programs that address areas of critical need for the state. The board voted to approve the budget request but may update the budget items at a future meeting. Learn more here.

Regents approve Regents’ Research Grant to support Salt River horse herd management 
The board approved a $325,000 Regents’ Research Grant to Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona to conduct genetic testing of the Salt River Horse Herd. The two-year project will provide the Arizona Department of Agriculture with genetic data on the Salt River Horse Herd to inform science-based management that promotes herd health and maintains long-term sustainability. The project will use noninvasive DNA sampling and genomic analysis to evaluate the herd’s genetic makeup, inbreeding levels and population viability. 

The Future of Arizona: Board approves fiscal year 2026 Annual Report 
The board released its FY 2026 Annual Report which highlights the board’s stewardship of Arizona’s public universities, on behalf of the students, families and taxpayers of the state. The report highlights efforts to drive Arizona’s workforce toward a stronger, competitive future, build talent pipelines for high-demand careers, protect the state’s natural resources, support long-term economic prosperity and provide financial oversight of the universities to ensure the long-term health of the institutions. Read the report.

Board approves annual Personnel Report
Arizona’s public universities rely on talented faculty and staff to deliver world-class education and research. ASU, NAU and the U of A compete with hundreds of public and private universities throughout the country to attract and retain talented faculty and staff. The board’s FY 2026 Annual Personnel Report provides details on employee population, compensation, turnover rates and market comparisons. Read the report. 

Arizona Teachers Academy strengthens the pipeline of teachers for Arizona classrooms
Arizona’s public universities are working to address the teacher shortage by investing in future educators. Beginning in FY 2026, statute authorized some community colleges participating in the Academy to use program funding for eligible bachelor’s degree programs. Since 2018, the program has graduated more than 5,000 teachers through Arizona Teachers Academy scholarships, which offer free tuition for students who agree to teach in Arizona schools. The program served over 2,400 students in FY 2026. Read the report.

University research delivers for 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 positively impact Arizona. Read the FY 2026 TRIF report here. Below are a few examples of the work this funding is supporting:

• At ASU, TRIF investment fueled $253 million in outside-related sponsored project funding. This includes the Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub which was approved for a third year of funding from the Department of War. It is the only hub to advance all of its projects after the first year, and collaborates with over 200 partners, including major semiconductor and defense companies.
• At NAU, TRIF investments directly empowered cutting-edge research that addresses critical issues in Arizona. Advances made by NAU Pathogen Genomics researchers in genomic surveillance and diagnostics are improving the state’s capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, while their research insights inform public health decision-making. 
• At the U of A, TRIF supported the National Institutes of Health renewal of the U of A’s Superfund Research Center, a $14 million grant addressing human health in arid, mining-adjacent environments, and enabled the first live imaging of the fallopian tubes with a miniature endoscope, a potential early-detection device for ovarian cancer.

Strategic cost management saves millions across Arizona’s public universities
Arizona’s public universities continue identifying opportunities to operate more efficiently and reduce costs. The FY 2026 Annual Cost Containment Report details some examples of the actions taken by each university to contain costs and the savings associated with those actions. Highlights of these cost efficiency measures include Arizona State University saving $64.3 million, Northern Arizona University’s $12.1 million and the University of Arizona $85.1 million. Read the report.

Continued commitment to free speech and civil discourse
The board and Arizona’s public universities remain committed to protecting free speech and intellectual freedom as a bedrock principle at its institutions. The FY 2026 Free Expression Annual Report outlines the universities' 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.

U of A Continues to Expand Adaptive Athletic Offerings
The U of A supports the largest adaptive athletics program in the United States with six competitive teams and an adaptive fitness center with support from the FY 2027 state budget and university matching funds. The university plans to use the $160,000 budget to continue supporting scholarship offerings, purchasing of sports equipment and uniforms, travel expenses and tournament fees for participants in the program. U of A’s adaptive athletes are recruited from across the country and have competed at the top levels of sport, including the Olympics. Learn more here.

Regents approve no-cost extension for dual-use drone research project 
The board approved a four-month, no-cost extension for a Regents’ Research Grant supporting the U of A’s Morphable Multicopter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (MMU) project. Originally approved by the board in November 2025 as part of a portfolio of dual-use technology projects in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, the project is developing a morphable drone capable of adapting its shape during flight to improve maneuverability, endurance and mission adaptability.