Compliance Certification Report

2.2

The institution has a governing board of at least five members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution. The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Both the presiding officer of the board and a majority of other voting members of the board are free of any contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. (Governing Board)

Narrative:

The governing board for The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) is the nine-member University of Texas (UT) System Board of Regents created in accordance with the Texas Constitution, Article 16, Section 30a (1), and the Texas Education Code (2). Members of the UT System Board of Regents are appointed by the Governor of Texas with the advice and consent of the Texas Senate to serve six-year terms that are staggered so that three members' terms will usually expire on February 1 of odd-numbered years (3). In addition, the Governor appoints a Student Regent for a one-year term that expires on February 1 (4). Regents continue to serve if no replacement is named in a timely fashion. New Regents are anticipated to be named sometime in mid to late 2007 to replace those whose terms have expired. Current members (5) are:

Officers:

• James R. Huffines, Chairman
• Rita C. Clements, Vice Chairman
• Cyndi Taylor Krier, Vice Chairman
• Francie A. Frederick, General Counsel to the Board of Regents

Member(s) with term set to expire February 1, 2007

• Rita C. Clements
• Judith L. Craven
• Cyndi Taylor Krier

Member(s) with term set to expire February 1, 2008

• Randal Matthew Camarillo

Member(s) with term set to expire February 1, 2009

• John W. Barnhill, Jr.
• H. Scott Caven, Jr.
• James R. Huffines

Member(s) with term set to expire February 1, 2011

• Robert B. Rowling
• Colleen McHugh

Student Member

• Matthew Camarillo, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

The University of Texas System Board of Regents is also responsible for ensuring the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program (6).

The conflict of interest rules and regulations for the Texas Government Code requirements for the standard of conduct and conflict of interest (7) and the Regents’ Rules and Regulations prohibit any State officer or employee from having a direct or indirect interest, including financial and other interest, or engage in a business transaction or professional activity, or incur any obligation of any nature that is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of the officer’s or employee’s duties in the public interest (8). Regents’ Rules and Regulations and other state laws require the ethical conduct by all UT System Board of Regents' members and state employees. Detailed ethical standards and policies are posted by the Texas Office of General Counsel (9).

Minutes of the UT System Board of Regents from 1890 to the present day are available on-line on the UT Board of Regents’ website (10).