Board approves FY 2023 budgets, UArizona men’s basketball coach contract; NAU President Cruz Rivera presents new strategic plan; Board, presidents pay tribute to Student Regent Dave

Following are news briefs from the Arizona Board of Regents June 8-9 meeting at Northern Arizona University:

Board Approves Fiscal Year 2023 Budgets for University Enterprise

The board approved fiscal year 2023 budgets for Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona.

Funding priorities for the board include the New Economy Initiative and the Arizona Promise Program. Through investments by the state in fiscal year 2022 in these programs, the universities accomplished several initiatives to drive the state’s economy forward including expanding workforce development initiatives in manufacturing, engineering, health care, mining and aerospace. Launching the Arizona Promise Program is enabling college access for more low-income Arizonans with a guaranteed scholarship covering tuition and fees for eligible students.

Additional information is available here.

UArizona Men’s Basketball Coach Signs on for Another Five Years After Board Approves Terms

The board approved the first amended multiple-year employment agreement for Tommy Lloyd as head coach of the University of Arizona Men’s Basketball team. Lloyd led the Wildcats to a 33-4 overall record with the university becoming the first team in Pac-12 history to win 18 conference games in a season.

UArizona earned the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 tournament and defeated Stanford, Colorado and UCLA to win the university’s eighth conference tournament title overall. In January 2022, UArizona ranked No. 3 in the AP poll, which was its first time in the top five since the 2017-2018 season. Just a month later, UArizona ranked No. 2 in the nation.

Lloyd is the first UArizona coach to receive multiple national coach of the year honors when he earned the Associated Press Men’s College Basketball Coach of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Coach of the Year and U.S. Basketball Writers Association National Coach of the Year awards in only his first year as head coach.

Additional information is available here.

NAU President Cruz Rivera Presents “Elevating Excellence” Strategic Revised Mission and Plan

NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera unveiled to the board the new “Elevating Excellence” three-year strategic plan designed to advance equitable postsecondary value through a bold and clearly defined vision for the university’s future. The plan focuses on seven strategic priorities: academic excellence; student success; commitment to Indigenous peoples; impactful scholarship; mission-driven and diverse faculty and staff; community engagement; and sustainable stewardship of resources.

The plan builds on NAU’s legacy of excellence, its Flagstaff and statewide identity, community aspirations and its distinctive mission.

NAU’s new charter includes the university’s vision, mission and commitment:

• The university’s vision is “to be the nation’s preeminent engine of opportunity, vehicle of economic mobility and driver of social impact by delivering equitable postsecondary value in Arizona and beyond.”
• NAU’s mission “transforms lives and enriches communities through high quality academics and impactful scholarship, creative endeavors and public service.”
• Its commitment is to “educate, support, and empower students from all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences to reach their full potential and contribute to a more just, equitable, inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future.”

“This new direction capitalizes on NAU’s enduring history of excellence, driving social and economic opportunity for the people of Arizona and beyond,” said ABOR Chair Lyndel Manson. “I’m proud of this new chapter at NAU and applaud the collective vision of President Cruz Rivera and the many constituencies that collaborated on the development of this plan – from the entire Lumberjack family to the community of Flagstaff. Our state and students will benefit because of President Cruz Rivera’s forward-thinking strategies.”

More information is available here.

Board Recognizes Student Regent Nikhil Dave’s Service

Regents and university presidents expressed their appreciation of Student Regent Nikhil Dave’s commitment to public higher education as he concludes his two-year term on the board.

Regent Dave served in several leadership roles on the board - assistant treasurer of the board and as a member of the Research and Health Sciences Committee, and Finance, Capitol and Resources Committee.

An exceling innovator, scientist and scholar, he served his university and society during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Regent Dave led ASU’s Luminosity Lab team to win the XPRIZE $1M Next-Gen Mask Challenge, an international innovation competition where over 900 teams competed from more than 50 countries. 
• In only three months, he led the design, development and scientific validation of two patent-pending sterilization systems for N95 respirators.
• He is one of four students who led a COVID-19 PPE Response Network initiative at ASU, supplying over 14,000 units of PPE to Arizona medical clinics in need.
• As a student regent, he brought student perspectives to the board, offering critical insights that helped shape and inform decisions. He advocated for the Arizona Promise Program that enables low-income Arizonans to attend college and put a spotlight on student food and housing insecurity that resulted in concrete actions in place at the universities.

“Regent Dave has been an exceptional student regent,” said Chair Manson. “His character and capacity to make a difference in students’ lives and society overall is considerable. Our board will miss his leadership, but we look forward to hearing about his next chapter in life. I thank and appreciate Regent Dave for his service to the board, students, universities and the state of Arizona.”