University of Colorado interim president Hank Brown wants the board of regents to relinquish some of its power so he and the chancellors of CU’s three campuses can better manage the university.
Brown is seeking the authority to hire, fire and set salaries for vice presidents and chancellors so it’s “clear who they work for.” He wants the university’s auditor to report directly to him, instead of the regents’ secretary.
And he wants chancellors to hire and fire their deans, represent their campuses in the media and take control of more managerial responsibilities, such as approving sabbaticals.
Brown, who introduced the proposals a few days after regents named him the lone finalist for CU’s top job, also wants to cut the number of regents meetings from 11 to six per year.
Several regents and the university’s three chancellors said they support the restructuring. They don’t view it as a power grab but evidence that Brown is an aggressive agent of change.
Brown, in turn, said the proposals are part of his plan to crisply define the lines of authority in the university system.
Deficiencies in that area contributed to accounting problems and technology weaknesses that allowed hackers to break into campus computers, Brown said.
“It’s not a matter of blaming,” he said. “It’s a matter of the fundamental principle of good management.”
Brown said it was impossible to tell who was ultimately in charge of safeguarding against computer break-ins after hackers cracked into the system three times last summer. And, he said, internal audit recommendations sat for five and six years without action, which could have spared CU some of the embarrassment laid open in public state audits in November and December.
“You can’t have people accountable if you don’t know who is responsible,” Brown said.
His proposals include creating a regent audit committee with the power to fire the university’s internal auditor.
He said he intends to free up regents to focus on major policy issues. Part of his reorganization plan is to present more options to regents on major issues, such as budgets, and long-term plans for enrollment and programs.
Last year, regents approved a $1.9 billion budget, which included a 28 percent tuition hike for some students, with no options. This year, each campus will offer three budget options, he said.
Brown said regents should set specific goals for chancellors, then leave them to manage their campuses. “Give them the ability to run their campuses and hold them responsible,” he said.
Chancellors in Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs should make personnel decisions, sign off on certain building projects and handle public relations, several regents said.
“You have created a dysfunctional process which inherently creates micromanaging,” regent Tom Lucero said. “The board needs to figure out what public policy it should be setting on behalf of the university. Everything else should be the responsibility of the president and the chancellors.”
Cutting back on regents’ meetings could save the university thousands of dollars.
CU typically spends $2,500 to $5,000 for each two-day regents meeting, including food, mileage and lodging for out-of-town regents.
An analysis by the president’s office shows that the equivalent of 20 to 30 full-time staffers work year-round to prepare reports and attend regents’ meetings, costing millions in salaries, benefits, operating costs and travel, according to CU. Still, even with fewer meetings, much of that material would have to be produced anyway for other state officials and lawmakers.
Lucero and fellow regent Pat Hayes said colleagues at a recent Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges conference were shocked to learn CU regents meet 11 times a year. Other trustees met about six times per year or, at most, eight, Lucero said.
“Everybody’s jaws just about hit the ground,” he said. CU regents have invited the president of the Association of Governing Boards to their retreat next month to help guide them through the proposed changes. Regents plan to vote on at least some of the changes in June.
Chancellors agreed that the proposals would allow regents to tackle bigger policy issues.
“If they had more time to discuss macro-level issues, rather than micro-level issues, they would be better informed to make high-level policy,” Boulder chancellor Phil DiStefano said.
Colorado Springs chancellor Pam Shockley said building projects have been delayed for regents’ stamp of approval.
The CU-Denver and Health Sciences Center interim chancellor, Greg Stiegmann, said the changes would establish clearer lines of authority and create more specific expectations.
“Right now chancellors should and do take responsibility for the things that happen on their watch,” he said. “But I think this will enhance that.”
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached at 303-820-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
