The University of California board of regents isn't your average school board.

Dexter Ligot-Gordon, a student regent, knew this but understood it even more clearly after a Forbes magazine on a friend's coffee table caught his eye. It was the annual issue listing the 400 wealthiest Americans in 2002. Thumbing through it, he spotted Regent John Moores, owner of the San Diego Padres, who sits across him from the table at the regents' meetings. He was No. 329, with $740 million.

Peanuts, really, compared to Regent Haim Saban, producer of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," who ranked 113th with $1.7 billion.

Ligot-Gordon, a UC Berkeley student, describes himself as one of just a handful of regents who are average rank-and-file members of society. But it's the board as a whole that makes decisions affecting the 10-campus university and its 200,000 students, on everything from building construction to investments and fees.

The regents have made some high-profile decisions lately. They voted last month to oppose Regent Ward Connerly's statewide initiative to ban the collection of racial data, arguing it would harm university research. This summer, they are expected to vote to increase fees by at least 24 percent, on the heels of a 10 percent hike this spring. And they are in the process of picking UC's next president.

Some question whether the board of regents, a majority of whom are appointed by the governor, are representative of the people of California.

"The temptation to give this to people who contribute or raise big money is pretty significant," said Pat Callan of the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education, a nonprofit group in San Jose. "It doesn't mean they're bad people or don't care about the university. The question is: Can the public have confidence in a board put there for these kinds of reasons? Is the board sensitive to the needs of the state and especially to the people who don't have access (to the university)?"

The board has 26 members, 18 of whom are appointed by the governor for 12-year terms. Most of the others become regents by virtue of the public office they hold, including the governor and lieutenant governor. Since 1999, Gov. Gray Davis has appointed nine regents.

Seven of the nine have given Davis $5,000 or more in political donations since 2000, according to the California Secretary of State's office. Regent Norman Pattiz, appointed in 2001, has contributed $110,000 since 2000. Saban, appointed in 2002, and Saban Entertainment Inc., contributed $348,000 in cash or other contributions.

This is nothing new: Many former regents have given significantly to gubernatorial campaigns. But Callan argues that money is becoming increasingly important in winning a spot on the board of regents, which is the one of the most prestigious appointments the governor can make.

"The money part has gotten progressively worse over the last 25 years," Callan said. "It's become less and less likely that many people who don't have some ties to money ... will be on the board."

There is an advisory committee made up in part by members of the Assembly to review applications, but the governor has final say. Callan contends that the Legislature must play a more proactive role in the appointment process.

The governor's staff argues that campaign contributions don't factor into appointments.

"The governor looks at the applicants on their merits," said Davis spokeswoman Amber Pasricha. "Political and state business are separate."

Many of the regents are affluent or influential.

Regent Monica Lozano is the chief operating officer of La Opinion, the nation's largest Spanish-speaking newspaper. Regent Judith Hopkinson is the former CEO of Ameriquest Capital Corporation. Regent David Lee was an adviser to former Presidents Bush and Clinton on the Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiation.

It has been reported that Regent Sherry Lansing, who began her working life teaching high school math in Los Angeles, can get any actor on the phone, from Al Pacino to Robert De Niro. She is chairwoman and CEO of Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Group, and produced the movies "Fatal Attraction" and "Indecent Proposal." Fortune Magazine named her the 19th most powerful woman in business this year.

Richard Blum, a newly appointed regent, has an investment firm and is married to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Roll Call, a newspaper in Washington DC that covers Congress, has estimated his and Feinstein's wealth at $50 million, making Feinstein the nation's 10th richest lawmaker.

Saban last year donated $7 million to the Democratic National Committee. Not many people can say they ever considered buying Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and the rest of the Muppets as well as their related motion-picture companies, as Saban did, although he did not go through on the deal.

He is in the process of trying to purchase Germany's largest TV broadcaster, ProSieben.

Connerly, who led the Proposition 209 campaign that ended affirmative action in state hiring and admissions, argues that the position requires time -- 20 to 30 hours a week -- and it helps if members own their companies and control their schedules. And Regent Velma Montoya argues that you don't have to be poor to understand the concerns of that demographic.

"The new regents have very big hearts," she said. "And they have a lot of experience."

But not all of them have a lot of time. Saban, who serves on the audit and investment committees, attended three of his nine committee meetings between August and March. He also appeared at a finance committee meeting in December and one general meeting in March, not nearly the attendance level of some regents.

"All the regents need to be more dedicated in attending," said student regent Ligot-Gordon. "The decisions we make affect the lives of millions."

Saban could not be reached for comment. A reporter was referred to a woman in New York City who asked for an e-mailed list of questions, which were never answered. Multiple attempts to reach regents Lansing and Moores failed as well.

Ligot-Gordon questions if the regents truly understand how fee hikes will affect the average student. Proponents argue that even with a fee increase, UC will cost less than the public institutions it routinely compares itself to.

Former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, who served as an ex-officio regent, characterized the appointments made by Davis and former governor Pete Wilson, as intelligent people and the "true power elite."

She doesn't believe they fully understand the needs of all students. She has argued unsuccessfully, she said, for the regents to end UC's practice of awarding extra points to applicants who took Advanced Placement courses, which are more prevalent at wealthy schools and give affluent students a leg up. The regents did, however, change the admission's process last year so that all applicants receive a "comprehensive review" that includes consideration of factors such as hardship.

"I wish that more of the regents had come up from the ranks and really understood some of the challenges facing poor and minority kids," Eastin said.

As Ligot-Gordon sees it, serving as a regent, which doesn't include a stipend, is prestigious. UC has a total of 44 Nobel laureates. Its flagship campuses, UC Berkeley and UCLA, are mentioned in the same breath as the Ivy League schools. It's a powerhouse in the world of higher education.

"With that said, some regents genuinely want to do something important for the university and serve on the board of the finest public institution of higher learning in the world," Ligot-Gordon said.