Students warn regents delegation for PDST fee increases would strip transparency

A Berkeley graduate representing graduate student workers urged the regents to oppose a delegation of authority provision for program-driven Student Fees (PDST) that he said would make future fee increases opaque and remove accountability for students. Brennan Robbins, who identified himself as a UAW member and leader at UC Berkeley, said he is enrolled in a professional degree program that carries a PDST and argued that a proposed item in the Academic and Student Affairs Committee (A2) would let programs raise fees without requiring programs to justify increases to students. "It would remove any transparency that currently exists," Robbins said, and he asked the regents to oppose the proposal so students would retain a mechanism to hold programs accountable for fee increases. Robbins delivered his comments in the Investments Committee's public-comment period; the A2 item is on the Academic and Student Affairs Committee agenda. Regents did not act on that Academic and Student Affairs item during the Investments Committee meeting; Robbins's remarks were entered as public comment and will be referred to the appropriate committee and staff for consideration.