Guidelines for Public Comment

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In accordance with California Government Code §§ 11123, the meetings of the Board are held in person. COVID related protocols will be followed, per campus guidelines. Prior to entry into the meeting each day, all attendees must abide by UC and campus health and safety requirements. Attendees may be required to complete a symptom screening questionnaire and present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 2 days (if PCR/NAAT) or 1 day (if antigen). Masking is strongly recommended. Safety requirements vary by campus and are subject to change. Please see the appropriate meeting agenda for specific requirements.

Per Regents Policy, members of the public are invited to address The Regents of the University of California either by phone or in-person whenever The Regents or any of its Committees meets in open session, in accordance with specific guidelines.

Members of the public may sign up for public comment when the Notice of the Meeting is published on the Regents website, which is usually 10 days prior to the Board and/or Committee meetings. Anyone who wishes to speak must provide their name and phone number to the Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff at the link on the meeting notice page by 5:00 p.m. the day before the public comment period. Please provide a name, phone number, and identify the matter you wish to address. Efforts will be made to accommodate each individual who has signed up to speak. However, depending on the number of individuals wishing to speak, there is no guarantee that all who have signed up will be able to address the Regents. 

Written comments are welcome and can be sent to regentsoffice@ucop.edu. Any written comments received addressing specific items on a meeting agenda can be sent to the Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff (regentsoffice@ucop.edu) no less than forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the scheduled start time of the first session of a Board meeting, regardless of whether the first session is a session of the Board or of a Committee. Such materials will be distributed to the members of the Board and/or Committee. See the guidelines, below.

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Public comment session guidelines

The following guidelines pertain to all speakers who will be addressing the Regents during the Public Comment Sessions. Please note that public comment is live-streamed on the internet during the Regents meeting, and the video is retained on the Regents website. The identity of speakers and their comments are recorded in the official minutes of the University, which are retained online and are publicly available in perpetuity.

  • Speakers are requested to address items on the Regents’ agenda or topics relevant to the University of California.
  • Members of the public who wish to offer public comment may do so either by phone or in-person by providing their name and phone number in advance, per the instructions below. If providing comments by phone, the Secretary and Chief of Staff will call the number provided if and when your name is called from the list. Please be sure to be available at the scheduled beginning of the meeting to answer the call.
  • Individuals who wish to address the Regents must provide their name, phone number, the day they wish to speak, and the subject they wish to address by either: (1) submitting this information through the link on the meeting notice page; or (2) calling the Regents Office at 510-987-9220. Public comment sign-ups will be accepted once the Notice of Meeting is published on the Regents website, usually 10 days prior to the meeting. Anyone who wishes to speak must contact the Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff by 5:00 p.m. the day before the public comment period.
  • Efforts will be made to accommodate each individual who has signed up to speak. However, depending on the number of individuals wishing to speak, there is no guarantee that all who have signed up will be able to address the Regents. 
  • Speakers are not necessarily called in the order in which they signed up.
  • Per policy, individual speakers will be invited to speak for up to three minutes, depending on the number of individuals who have signed up to speak. Often speakers have less time (one minute) due to demand.
  • Please respect the time limit allotted to each speaker (announced at the convening of each public comment period). The Secretary will indicate when your time has expired and the next speaker will be invited to begin. You may not yield any remaining time to another speaker.
  • The University of California adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need reasonable accommodation, please contact the Secretary and Chief of Staff's Office in advance of the meeting.
  • Written comments and materials brought for the Regents by speakers will be accepted during the public comment period and will be available to the Regents for the duration of the meeting. Written comment on agenda topics that are submitted 48 hours in advance of the opening session of a Board or off-cycle Committee meeting will be distributed to the Regents.
  • Seats for the public are limited. Signing up for public comment does not guarantee entrance to the meeting room. We advise those who wish to speak to arrive early. Members of the public are strongly encouraged to watch the meeting via livestream through the Regents website.
  • No food, bottled water, oversized banners or signs on sticks, bullhorns or similar devices, items that could be used as weapons, or large bags or cases are allowed into the meeting room. Small bags and backpacks are subject to be searched prior to entering the meeting room. Items may be held outside of the meeting room by the police, at their discretion.
  • Any meeting attendee who, at the direction of the Chair, is escorted from the meeting room, will not be readmitted for the remainder of the day.

Written communications

  • In order for correspondence addressing a specific agenda item to be distributed to the Regents, the correspondence must be received by the Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff no less than forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the scheduled start time of the first session of a Board meeting, regardless of whether the first session is a session of the Board or of a Committee. For off-cycle or special meetings of the Board or its committees, written correspondence must also be received no less than 48 hours in advance of the scheduled start time of the meeting. View Regents Office contact information.
  • The letter or email must clearly identify the specific agenda item being addressed; failure to do so could prevent delivery of your comments. Such materials will be distributed to members of the Board, or its appropriate committee, prior to beginning of the Board or committee meeting.

 

Conduct at Regents' Meetings

Any person who is attending a Regents' Public Comment Period or other Open Session Meeting and is identified as engaging in conduct which is disruptive to the meeting will be removed from the meeting and not readmitted for the remainder of the day.

Related Resources

Regents Policy 1302: Policy on Appearances before the Board and Committees - Public Comment Period