University of California to end lavish spending on dinners
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The University of California has announced it will no longer pay for the meals of its governing board after a newspaper reported lavish spending on dinners.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday that UC President Janet Napolitano 's office reimbursed regents for more than $225,000 in dinner parties since 2012, including $17,600 for a banquet held the night before the board voted to raise tuition.
UC Board of Regents Chair Monica Lozano and Napolitano said in a statement that regents will "absorb their costs for board dinners" to avoid questions over how money is spent.
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The newspaper reports Monday the reversal was the idea of regent Richard Blum.
Dinner costs are paid out of a private endowment designated for university business costs not covered by state or tuition funds.
Earlier this month, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced that he is withholding $50 million from the University of California in light of an audit last month that claimed to have found a stash of $175 million in secret funds while officials requested more money from the state.
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A state audit found that under university system President Janet Napolitano, former Department of Homeland Security chief, UC administrators hid $175 million from the public while increasing tuition and asking the state for more money.
The UC Board of Regents in January voted to increase in-state tuition and fees by $336 next academic year. Some lawmakers called for a reversal of the tuition hike in the wake of the audit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report