Newsom appoints podcaster to UC Regents, deepening governor control of university

Gavin Newsom appointed Scott Galloway, a podcaster and marketing professor, to the UC Board of Regents. The move follows a broader trend—seen in AB 181 stripping the elected superintendent's power—of the governor consolidating control over California's education governance without voter input. Galloway, who has called Los Angeles 'the world's most disappointing city' and has no prior UC leadership role, now holds a seat on the board that sets tuition, approves budgets, and oversees 10 campuses serving 280,000 students. The appointment bypasses traditional stakeholder representation (faculty, students, alumni) and reinforces Newsom's ability to shape university policy through loyal appointees rather than institutional expertise.

The UC Regents have immense sway: they approve executive compensation, land-use deals, and student fee increases. By placing a media figure with no track record in public higher education, Newsom signals that political connection and media relevance outweigh academic governance experience. This aligns with his broader project of centralizing state education authority—first via AB 181, now via regent appointments—potentially weakening faculty governance and shared decision-making. Students and faculty already protesting tuition hikes and labor conditions at UC will face a board even less accountable to university stakeholders.