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VOTE411 Voter Guide

CO University Board of Regents At-Large / Regentes de CU

The University of Colorado (CU) Board of Regents consists of nine members serving staggered six-year terms, one elected from each of the state s seven congressional districts and two from the state at large. The members select their chair and vice-chair. The board is charged constitutionally with the general supervision of the university and the exclusive control and direction of all funds and appropriations to the university unless otherwise provided by law. Scroll for Spanish Translation.La Junta de Regentes está conformada por nueve miembros que sirven durante mandatos espaciados de seis años, uno elegido por cada uno de los siete distritos del congreso y dos por el estado en general. Los miembros eligen su propio presidente y vicepresidente. La junta tiene la responsabilidad constitucional de supervisión general de la universidad y la dirección y el control exclusivo de todos los fondos de, y apropiaciones para la universidad, a menos que la ley dicte lo contrario.

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    TJ Cole
    (UPA)

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    Elliott Hood
    (Dem)

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    Thomas Reasoner
    (AVP)

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    Eric Rinard
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

What are your top priorities for the office and how would you integrate them in your first 100 days?

What action should the Board take to address the college degree gap that exists for students of color and those from rural communities if any?

What action should the Board take to reduce student debt, if any?

What is your position on open and concealed carry of guns on university property?

Submitted Biography As a lifetime lawyer, Judge, educator and Colorado native, I believe I bring a unique set of skills to the position of CU Regent. I have designed and implemented five high schools and one college and have a good understanding of the details and the issues that impact educational institutions as they seek excellence.
Biografía Enviada Como abogado de toda la vida, juez, educador y nativo de Colorado, creo que aporto un conjunto único de habilidades al puesto de regente de CU. He diseñado e implementado cinco escuelas secundarias y una universidad y tengo una buena comprensión de los detalles y los problemas que afectan a las instituciones educativas en su búsqueda de la excelencia.
Campaign Phone 7202776480
Campaign Email tijani.cole@gmail.com
Campaign Twitter Handle @@tjcoleforcolorado
I will work to 1. maintain academic excellence 2. fiscal prudence 3. diversity and equity to the CU system. As my top priorities, I will immediately put together collaborative groups with fellow regents to explore effective innovative methods to increase the systems excellence.
One of my biggest priorities is to address diversity and inclusivity for students in rural and inner-city communities. one way to do this is to partner with all Colorado high schools in building more ascent programs which will allow students in high school to take up to two years of college while still in high school.
I firmly believe that the best way to reduce student debt is to make sure that the University is fiscally sound and that we hold costs down so that students do not see increased fees. Being more efficient is a win for the entire community.
I believe that the University police are professional and qualified to handle all safety concerns along with local law enforcement. So, I do not feel that carrying guns on campus is necessary
Submitted Biography I am a CU graduate, former public school teacher, and currently serve as an education attorney representing public school districts across Colorado. I am also a parent of two young kids. My spouse is also a CU graduate and works in education.
Website / Sitio Web http://www.hoodforcolorado.com
Campaign Phone 312-607-9295
Campaign Twitter Handle @elliottvhood
My top priorities are (1) making CU more affordable and accessible, (2) improving CU's graduation and retention rates, and (3) pushing CU to be carbon neutral and more sustainable. I would accomplish these priorities through our budgeting and policy-making authority as regents and push to have these issues put on the agenda for meetings in early 2025.
We need to more actively recruit students in more rural communities and under-represented communities. Right now, most of our efforts seem to be focused on the Front Range and, even then, not necessarily in communities of color. We need to change that. We also need to do more to keep kids in school so they aren't left out to dry after taking out debt to get a degree. Some of our campuses have disappointingly low retention rates, meaning kids drop out of those campuses are far higher rates, and that statistic is worse for students of color and first-generation college students. I would push for expanding our resources in the areas of student services and financial aid to help keep students in school.
Five things: (1) expand affordable housing options for students, which is the biggest source of debt for many students; (2) lock in tuition rates across our four campuses so students have predictable cost over the four years they attend; (3) make books and materials free or low cost based on need, including by providing digital copies of books for a semester with a small licensing fee; (4) expand financial aid access to students who come from low-income backgrounds; and (5) encourage CU to build up its endowment, which many universities use to provide tuition assistance to students and make college more affordable. Outside of the immediate authority of the board, we can advocate for more funding from the state and reducing the reach of TABOR from education spending so we can raise revenue to provide tuition assistance to our students in Colorado.
I strongly oppose allowing open or concealed carry at CU and support recent legislation passed in Colorado to prohibit possession of firearms in sensitive places like schools and campuses. I have been a staunch and public advocate for banning open and concealed carry at CU since I launched my campaign a year ago.
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Submitted Biography A lifelong Republican, Eric Rinard graduated from Denver Public Schools before earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at CU Boulder. Eric’s career has spanned several small technology companies on the northern front range. Married 22 years, Eric and his wife Jodi grew a family of four cherished children. They enjoy country life on a small horse farm in Weld County east of Erie, and participate in equestrian vaulting as a family. Eric has volunteered with the Weld County Republican Party and as a board member of Aspen Ridge Preparatory Charter School, and now seeks to take his experience to the CU Board of Regents. Eric believes strongly in free speech, individual liberty and rational debate - all of which are foundational to Western Civilization and its equal promise of prosperity to everyone who works to earn it. Please support Eric’s campaign with a donation of any amount at rinardforregent.com
Biografía Enviada Eric Rinard, republicano de toda la vida, se graduó en las escuelas públicas de Denver antes de obtener una licenciatura en ingeniería eléctrica en la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder. La carrera de Eric abarcó varias pequeñas empresas de tecnología en la zona fronteriza. Eric y su esposa Jodi, casados ​​desde hace 22 años, han formado una familia con cuatro queridos hijos. Disfrutan de la vida en el campo en una pequeña granja de caballos en el condado de Weld, al este de Erie, y participan en el salto ecuestre en familia. Eric es voluntario del Partido Republicano del condado de Weld y es miembro de la junta directiva de la escuela autónoma Aspen Ridge, y ahora busca llevar su experiencia a la Junta de Regentes de la Universidad de Colorado. Eric cree firmemente en la libertad de expresión, la libertad individual y el debate racional, todos ellos elementos fundamentales de la civilización occidental y su promesa de prosperidad para todos los que trabajan para ganársela.
Website / Sitio Web http://rinardforregent.com
Campaign Phone 3039319675
Campaign Email eric@rinardforregent.com
At the Denver and Colorado Springs campuses I intend to champion the four-year tuition rate guarantee that is already a success in Boulder. At the Boulder campus I will be a strong advocate for expanding the reach and influence of the Benson Center for Western Conservative Thought. And at CU Medicine I will advocate for renewed reverence for the ‘First, do no harm’ medical ethic inspired by Hippocrates, once a foundational component of western medicine but now considered by some to be dispensable.
Student body diversity begins at the college prep level. Expanding opportunities for early exposure to college-level curricula can change the lives of thousands of young Coloradans. A prime example of this approach is Colorado's P-TECH program, created in 2015. P-TECH, Pathways in Technology Early College High School, is a partnership for Colorado high schools with industry and community colleges to bring college opportunities to traditionally underserved student cohorts. After graduating high school with both a diploma and an associates degree, these students are well prepared for success at a four-year college. The Board of Regents should actively promote expansion of programs like this.
The short answer is, everything humanly possible! But here are a few ideas.

Find ways to make more college expenses elective rather than mandatory.

Provide budgeting assistance to every student who applies for student loans, to ensure that the loaned funds are used as economically as possible.

Institute an "ROI Index" for every degree program on campus, to give students a reasonable expectation of how much debt they can expect to repay upon completion of their chosen major.

Every Regent should prioritize seeking cost reduction initiatives and I will certainly encourage that throughout the Board, both by persuasion and example.
With concealed carry of a firearm, law abiding people can be prepared to protect themselves and others from criminals. The mere knowledge of this possibility is itself a deterrent to crime.

Some believe that “no one needs a gun to attend or teach a class.” It follows that no one needs a gun to go to the grocery store. No one needs a gun to go to the nightclub. But recent history, here in our own state of Colorado, proves otherwise. Sometimes criminals commit horrific acts, but no gun ban will ever prevent that.

Under a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” the right and responsibility of self-defense belongs first, to the people, and not only the police.