The decision was made by Regents' Chairman Richard C. Blum and UC President Mark G. Yudof, in consultation with the campus, in consideration of the extensive efforts the UC San Diego campus and medical center are already engaged in to help the campus and region deal with the swine flu outbreak.
"Our decision to conduct the meeting telephonically is to ensure we do not divert the attention or resources of the campus as they work to keep the campus community safe and prevent any health issues related to the H1N1 flu," Blum said. "We thought it best to meet our legal and operational obligations and conduct the meeting by phone, without asking the campus to stretch resources better applied elsewhere during this challenging time."
Consistent with past practice, numerous sites throughout the state will be established so the public and interested stakeholders can participate in the meeting in person. Information about the designated meeting sites will be available later today at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/may09.html. Audio of the meeting will be available on the Web, also consistent with usual practice.
The revised meeting agenda will still include action on the appointment of new chancellors for UC Davis and UC San Francisco, and a press conference with the two candidates in San Francisco will be scheduled for the conclusion of the meeting. Scheduling and call-in details for the press conference will be provided to the news media next week.
The Regents also will act on proposals regarding student fees, the budget for the UC Office of the President and the appointment of a vice president for systemwide human resources. Discussion items include an update on the university's analysis regarding potential furloughs and salary reductions in light of the state budget crisis, and an annual report on senior management compensation. Full details and a revised agenda are forthcoming, as noted above.
The decision to change the meeting format was in order to relieve the campus from the need to accommodate the Regents' meeting amid these circumstances. Regents' meetings require a great deal of planning and logistical support, including security, operations, transportation and technical support in order to provide adequate public access and to ensure appropriate public communications capability.
Many of the same people on the campus who would normally support the Regents' meeting are now involved in the added operational and informational tasks associated with helping the region manage the influenza outbreak. It was believed that rearranging the meeting rather than diverting campus and medical center resources at this time was the best approach.
The university's chief concern is the safety and well-being of the students, faculty, staff and patients on the UC San Diego campus and in the medical center and surrounding communities, and ensuring that resources are directed to those efforts
Like all UC locations, the UC San Diego campus and medical center are well prepared for the flu outbreak due to their emergency management and operational planning expertise. They are not experiencing unusual activity either at the campus or the medical center; however they, like all UC campuses and medical centers, are preparing to meet the demands of a very fluid situation. They have activated emergency operations systems; are sharing in the information flow coming from federal, state and local agencies; and are following the best practices related to management of the outbreak of the flu.