Mark Bernstein
From Ballotpedia
Tenure
2013 - Present
Term ends
2029
Years in position
12
Mark Bernstein (Democratic Party) is an at-large member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. He assumed office in 2013. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Bernstein (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Bernstein completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Mark Bernstein was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received a bachelor's degree in 1993, a master's degree in 1996, and a J.D. in 1996 from the University of Michigan. Bernstein's professional experience includes being an attorney. He has been affiliated with Detroit Public Television, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and the Michigan Association of Justice.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Michigan State Board of Regents election, 2020
General election
General election for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for University of Michigan Board of Regents on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mark Bernstein (D)  | 24.7 | 2,442,192 |
| ✔ |  | Sarah Hubbard (R) | 24.0 | 2,370,945 |
 | Shauna Diggs (D) | 23.9 | 2,366,730 | |
 | Carl Meyers (R) | 22.8 | 2,257,254 | |
 | Eric Larson (L) | 1.2 | 113,816 | |
| James Lewis Hudler (L) | 1.0 | 97,659 | ||
| Crystal Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) | 0.8 | 82,594 | ||
| Michael Mawilai (G) | 0.7 | 74,136 | ||
 | Ronald Graeser (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) | 0.5 | 49,194 | |
 | Keith Butkovich (Natural Law Party) | 0.4 | 37,193 | |
| Total votes: 9,891,713 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
Incumbent Mark Bernstein and incumbent Shauna Diggs advanced from the Democratic convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on August 29, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Bernstein (D) |
| ✔ | | Shauna Diggs (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
Sarah Hubbard and Carl Meyers advanced from the Republican convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on August 29, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Sarah Hubbard (R) |
| ✔ | | Carl Meyers (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green convention
Green convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
Michael Mawilai advanced from the Green convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on June 20, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Michael Mawilai (G) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
Eric Larson and James Lewis Hudler advanced from the Libertarian convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 18, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Eric Larson (L) |
| ✔ | James Lewis Hudler (L) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Natural Law Party convention
Natural Law Party convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
Keith Butkovich advanced from the Natural Law Party convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 30, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Keith Butkovich (Natural Law Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention
U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents (2 seats)
Ronald Graeser and Crystal Van Sickle advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for University of Michigan Board of Regents on July 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ronald Graeser (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) |
| ✔ | Crystal Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mark Bernstein completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bernstein's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I am a proud and grateful product of Michigan's public education system - from kindergarten to the University of Michigan. I know, first hand, the transformative impact of higher education. I have fought to make a Michigan degree more affordable for students who struggle to pay tuition. My long commitment public service, work in government, business and the law makes me uniquely qualified to continue serving on the UM Board of Regents.
- Make College More Affordable - I have fought to make UM more affordable for students who struggle to pay tuition. I championed the Go Blue Guarantee that promises free tuition for families with household income less than $65,000 dollars (the median household income in Michigan is approimately $55,000 dollars). Net tuition for students from families with household income less than $120,000 dollars is 21% lower than when I was first elected. We have more to do, but we're making good progress.
- Reduce Student Debt - Average in-state student debt at graduation has fallen from $28,637 dollars at $22,006 dollars.
- Improve Access for Lower Income Students - The percentage of Pell Grant eligible students has increased from 13.8% in 2009 to 21.0% in 2019. The Go Blue Guarantee is making a positive impact.
Featured local question Right now, the University faces a moment of reckoning for past and current failures to prevent sexual harassment and assault. I refer, specifically, to the recent reports of sexual misconduct perpetrated by former Provost Martin Philbert and the late Dr. Robert Anderson. I am so deeply sorry for the pain caused by our failures. These allegations, as the board has said, sadden and disgust me. I am profoundly grateful to the courageous individuals who have stepped forward to hold the University accountable. It is imperative that we proceed in a manner that is victim and justice centered. Our bias should be towards the victims. This bias represents the only acceptable interpretation and application of our fiduciary duty. Everything we do should be focused on maximizing our understanding of how these incidents occurred, not minimizing short-term risk exposure. In doing so, we will surely endure the immediate trauma, profound pain, significant costs, and extraordinary disruption of this moment in return for the preservation of our integrity. We must focus on enabling an Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) that is responsive, effective and efficient. The University utilized an investigative model that was recently rejected by the federal courts in favor of a hearing model that creates several complex procedural and structural problems.
The University must do everything possible to encourage the reporting of all sexual assaults on campus - frequently this requires the engagement of campus resources to ensure a confidential, supportive process that, at the same time, preserves due process protections for all parties.
The University must do everything possible to encourage the reporting of all sexual assaults on campus - frequently this requires the engagement of campus resources to ensure a confidential, supportive process that, at the same time, preserves due process protections for all parties.
Featured local question Conversations about affordability typically focus on the full, published tuition (or "sticker price"). However, the vast majority of students do not pay this "sticker price." The actual amount of money spent by students to attend the University is the "net tuition" - the "sticker price" less grant aid and federal tax credits. One in four in-state undergraduate students at UM pay zero tuition due to financial aid. Over the last decade, the in-state net tuition for all Michigan students from households with income below $120,000 dollars has fallen by 21%. For out-of-state students , net tuition has fallen for all students from households with household income below $80,000 dollars. Despite the disinvestment in higher education by the state legislature, we are the only pubic university in Michigan that covers 100% of the demonstrated financial need of Michigan students. With regard to UM Dearborn and Flint, the average net tuition at these schools for in-state students is $9,692 dollars (15th out of 15 Michigan public universities) and $10,906 dollars (14th out of 15 Michigan public universities), respectively. Given the disinvestment by the state legislature in Michigan public higher education, we have taken matters into our own hands by offering significantly more institutional grants/scholarship aid than all of our public peers with the exception of the University of Virginia. To be sure, more needs to be done. I continue to advancer policies including the Go Blue Guarantee to promise free tuition for Michigan students from households with incomes below $65,000 dollars. This program needs to be expanded beyond the Ann Arbor campus.
Featured local question Significant authority should be delegated to the university president. The board must work collaboratively with the president in order to determine the direction of the institution that is consistent with a collectively embraced mission. Specifically, the board must trust and defer to the president decisions regarding the hiring of his/her leadership colleagues (e.g. provost, general counsel, student life, CFO/COO, AD, communications, government affairs, etc.). In a high functioning relationship, the president and board engage with each other in these decisions, with an understanding that the final decision rests with the president.
Featured local question The appropriate role of the board is to avoid involvement in the affairs of the athletic department or academic departments of the university. The constitutional responsibility of the board is limited to the approval of the university budget and hiring of the president. Beyond these specific tasks the board should set the high level vision for the institution in collaboration with the president and provost (this would include athletics).
Featured local question The University must focus on balancing the tension between increasing affordability and academic excellence. All sources of revenue (state allocation, tuition, student fees, etc.) should be budgeted thoughtfully in order to address this tension in favor of affordability. We do so by developing budgets that fund our top priorities including our commitment to provide all in-state students with a financial aid package that meets 100% of demonstrated financial need (UM is the only public university in Michigan that covers 100% of the demonstrated financial aid of eligible Michigan residents.). Over the last decade, the central financial aid budget has grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 12% compared to a 2.9% compounded annual growth rate of in-state tuition.
Featured local question I am running for re-election to continue fighting to make the University of Michigan more affordable for families that struggle to pay tuition. We've made progress, but more needs to be done. My thoughtful and effective leadership on the board, my long commitment to public service, and work in government, business and the law provides the experience necessary to advance policies that make the university more affordable, accessible and exceptional.
I am passionate about protecting the promise of public universities by fighting to make higher education affordable, accessible and exceptional in Michigan. This work involves a focus on policies that focus on lowering net tuition, reducing student debt and increasing access for first generation students. Embedded in these policies are efforts to improve the enrollment, retention and degree completion of all students on each of the UM campuses. I am also intensely focused on engaging in matters of consequence with integrity, respect and decency by working across ideological differences to advance effective policy that benefits the university.
Public universities in Michigan play a significant role in the educational, economic, medical, cultural, athletic and civic activity in our state. For example, the economic impact of the UM research enterprise is enormous. The University of Michigan is the largest public research university in the U.S. WITH $1.62 billion in annual research expenditures. With respect to our state's auto industry, UM engaged in over $118M of industry-sponsored research in 2019. The unique political/legal autonomy vested in the Board of Regents permits the university to engage in its mission without political or legal interference. This independence is a quality that increases the importance of the governing bodies responsible for these institutions.
Of particular relevance to my work as regent, I consider Regent Emeritus Julia Donovan Darlow and Regent Emeritus Laurence Deitch to be role models for the job. I consider each to be a mentor. Regent Emeritus Darlow exemplified the thoughtful, measured and deliberative approach to addressing the challenging and complex issues that confront regents. Regent Emeritus Deitch brought a passionate, uncompromising commitment to advancing the excellence and autonomy of the Univeristy to his work on the board.
The greek tragedian Aeschlus wrote that it is our responsibility to "tame the savageness of man to make gentle the life of this world." RFK referenced these words when he shared the news that MLK, Jr. had been assassinated to a crowd in Indianapolis in 1968.
My ability to work collaboratively across political or ideological differences.
I remember the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit. A neighbor sold typewriters to the media covering the event. I recall seeing nominee Ronald Reagan at the Renaissance Center. I was about 9 years old at the time.
I was a caddy at Tam O'Shanter Country Club starting in 1986 (approximately). I could carry heavy golf bags, often times carrying two bags simultaneously ("turning a double"), but I had trouble locating golf balls easily which was a problem. I had this job for one summer.
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
Without a doubt, the most important responsibility of this office is recruiting and hiring the president of the university. This will likely occur during the next eight years. Of secondary importance is the approval of the university budget.
The board establishes regental bylaws and university related ordinances that govern the affairs of the University. These are similar to municipal ordinances. In this way, the board functions as a city council (with regard to our campuses).
A successful regent must possess three indispensable skills - 1) An ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different political parties, 2) An unwavering commitment to making difficult and frequently unpopular decisions in exercising the fiduciary responsibilities of the office, and 3) An appreciation for complex, decentralized, highly fragile institutions.
Previous experience in government or politics is helpful but not essential to be an effective regent. Most importantly, I have learned that real experience working across ideological or partisan differences is profoundly valuable in helping govern a large and complex institution.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 20, 2020
 |
State of Michigan Lansing (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
