Guidelines for Public Comment
Sign Up for Public Comment
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In accordance with California Government Code §§ 11123, the meetings of the Board are held in person or by teleconference. 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 no less than 10 days prior to the Board and/or Committee meetings with the exception being a notice of a Special Meeting. 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 above by 5:00 p.m. the day before the public comment period. The link is not active for any given public comment period until the meeting notice is posted as indicated above. 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.
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 meeting minutes, which are retained online and are a publicly available record 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 above. 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 5:00 p.m. the day before the public comment period via the link at the public comment link. Public comment sign-ups will be accepted once the Notice of Meeting is published on the Regents website, no less than 10 days prior to the meeting, except for special meetings.
- 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 at least one week in advance of the meeting.
- 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 comments
Written comments are welcome and can be sent to regentsoffice@ucop.edu. Any written comments that are received 48 hours in advance of the scheduled start time of the first session of a Board meeting that address specific items on a meeting agenda will be distributed to the members of the Board and/or Committee. Please identify the specific agenda item that is being addressed in the letter or email.
Interpreters
The Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff strives to provide language translation services for public commenters when feasible and when given appropriate notice. These services are intended to allow commenters to address the Board in their preferred language and have their statements translated into English. We are not able to guarantee the availability of interpretation services. Please note that translations will be subject to the translator’s interpretation, and we cannot guarantee that the context or intended meaning will be perfectly conveyed.
In-person attendance requirements
Meeting attendees must follow COVID-related protocols, per campus guidelines. Masking is strongly recommended. Safety requirements vary by campus and are subject to change. Please see the appropriate meeting agenda for specific requirements.
Accomodation requests
The Regents of the University of California are committed to making its meetings accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. All Regents meetings are closed captioned during the livestream and are archived on the Regents’ website. Reasonable accommodations will be made to provide access to meetings and ensure that those who use assistive technologies may participate and provide comments at or related to public meetings. Please submit accommodation requests, including your name, phone number and/or email address at least one week prior to the meeting you plan to attend to the Secretary and Chief of Staff’s Office by email at regentsoffice@ucop.edu or by phone at (510) 987-9220.
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