Take Note of This

From the Daily Bruin: Artificial intelligence-based transcription software has emerged as a popular notetaking tool among college students, but it has left some UCLA instructors with privacy concerns. Programs like Krisp AI, Notion and Otter AI use AI algorithms and language models to transcribe spoken words into text, summarize large bodies of writing and draw key points from data. California, being a two-party consent state, prohibits people from recording private conversations without the consent of all parties, according to the Digital Media Law Project.

Alex Alben, a lecturer at the UCLA School of Law, said many of the law school’s classes are recorded on Zoom, which uses its own transcription software. He added that he believes both students and instructors should be aware that a recording is happening and receive confirmation that it will be used for educational purposes.

“If you had a perfect recording of a lecture that was recorded without the professor’s consent, and then somehow the person who made the recording benefitted from reselling it or sharing it, that would definitely be an instance of an unauthorized use of the professor’s intellectual property,” he said. “That is copyright infringement.” ...

Alben added that AI usage is complicated by the absence of federal direction and the fast-paced development of these technologies. To avoid further legal complications, Alben said teachers should give their students clarity about what they are allowed to do with their course materials...

Full story at https://dailybruin.com/2025/12/04/ucla-instructors-express-privacy-concerns-amid-rise-of-ai-notetaking-platforms-2.

Note: California Education Code - EDC

TITLE 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION [66000 - 101460]  ( Title 3 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )  

DIVISION 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES [70900 - 88933]  (Division 7 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)  

PART 48. COMMUNITY COLLEGES, EDUCATION PROGRAMS [78015 - 79520]  (Part 48 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)  

CHAPTER 7. Instructional Materials [78900 - 78907]  (Chapter 7 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)  

ARTICLE 1. Prohibited Acts [78900 - 78907]  (Article 1 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)

78907.  

The use by any person, including a student, of any electronic listening or recording device in any classroom without the prior consent of the instructor is prohibited, except as necessary to provide reasonable auxiliary aids and academic adjustments to disabled students. Any person, other than a student, who willfully violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Any student violating this section shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

This section shall not be construed as affecting the powers, rights, and liabilities arising from the use of electronic listening or recording devices as provided for by any other provision of law.

(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1372, Sec. 509.)

Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&sectionNum=78907.

Straws in the Wind - Part 191

From the Yale Daily News: Departments across the University may soon need to downsize or lay off employees to meet reduced budget targets as Yale cuts costs in preparation for the endowment tax hike set to take effect in July, administrators announced in a... message addressed to faculty and staff. Since President Donald Trump in July signed a bill that will increase the tax on Yale’s endowment investment returns from 1.4 to 8 percent, the University has reduced non-salary expenses by 5 percent, delayed construction projects, lowered faculty and staff salary increases and offered a one-time retirement incentive for managerial and professional staff, and Yale implemented a 90-day hiring pause over the summer. Administrators have estimated that the tax hike will cost the University about $300 million per year.

“Nearly two-thirds of the university’s expenses relate to compensation and benefits. Unfortunately, this means several units may need to meet their budget targets by reducing their workforce,” the memo — which was signed by Provost Scott Strobel, Senior Vice President for Operations Geoffrey Chatas and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Murphy — said. “In some units, even after these reductions, layoffs may be necessary, but university leaders are working hard to minimize them wherever possible.” ...

Full story at https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2025/12/04/layoffs-may-come-as-yale-seeks-to-shrink-staff-amid-budget-cuts/.

Starts Tonight

In honor of Tom Lehrer, who died earlier this year at age 97,* we present:

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LslsgH3-UFU. 

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*https://www.newyorker.com/culture/postscript/how-tom-lehrer-escaped-the-transience-of-satire.

Hey, it's only money - Part 2

From the LA Times: ...Bob Myers, the former Golden State Warriors general manager who served on the search committee, said [at a news conference last Tuesday that] UCLA had committed to providing its new [football] coach with resources that would rank in “the top third, maybe top quartile” of the Big Ten in a bid to give [new coach Bob] Chesney what he needed to compete with conference heavyweights. The Bruins have also agreed to a significant increase in their salary pool for assistant coaches to go with a revitalized name, image and likeness operation.

In a sign of his belief in the importance of the hiring, UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk joined athletic director Martin Jarmond in giving welcoming remarks, becoming the first chancellor at the school to do so at a coach’s hiring in recent memory. “Today, we launch a bold new era for the UCLA football program,” Frenk said. “To lead us forward, we have made what I believe is a transformational hire who will ensure our program lives up to the storied UCLA athletics legacy.” ...

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2025-12-09/bob-chesney-offers-bold-vision-for-success-as-ucla-football-coach.

Straws in the Wind - Part 190

From the NY Times: Two students, one white and one Asian, ...sued a nonprofit fund that provides scholarships for Hispanic students, saying the group illegally discriminates against people of other races and ethnicities. American Alliance for Equal Rights, an organization dedicated to dismantling racial and ethnic consideration throughout American life, filed the lawsuit in Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the students. The organization argues that the nonprofit, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, violates the Civil Rights Act by restricting eligibility for its marquee scholars program to those who “identify as being Hispanic.”

The lawsuit comes amid a broader push by conservative activists to eliminate diversity programs and benefits based on race, following a 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned race-based college admissions. The case that reached the Supreme Court was brought by Students for Fair Admissions, founded by Edward Blum, who also founded the American Alliance for Equal Rights and serves as its president...

In the case against the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the plaintiffs argue that the scholars program establishes a contractual relationship with students and is in violation of a section of the Civil Rights Law of 1866 that guarantees people the right to make and enforce a contract without regard for race. The plaintiffs claim that in return for financial and professional support — between $500 and $5,000, along with mentorship opportunities — scholars agree to a set of obligations, like permitting the fund to use their name, image and likeness. “There are lots of scholarship funds and grants that target certain races and religions and ethnicities that are legal,” Mr. Blum said in an interview. “This one, because it is of a contractual nature, falls outside of the law.” ...

Full story at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/us/hispanic-scholarship-fund-lawsuit-discrimination.html.

Will Harvard Continue to Lead the Charge? - Part 101

From the Harvard Crimson: Roughly a fifth of undergraduate students at Harvard received disability accommodations last year — an increase of more than 15 percentage points over the past decade, according to data published annually by the National Center for Education Statistics. The rise — from roughly three percent in 2014 to 21 percent in 2024 — brings the share of undergraduate students receiving accommodations at Harvard in line with the national average, which has consistently hovered around 20 percent. The prevalence has sparked suspicion from some faculty and in the national media that some students are using accommodations to eke out advantages, like extra time on tests, that their peers don’t receive.

Harvard has drawn particular scrutiny as one of several elite four-year colleges that have seen their share of students receiving accommodations increase significantly — particularly after an article published in The Atlantic last week called attention to the rates at Harvard. But staff at Harvard’s University Disability Resources say the increase is, in part, the result of a concerted push to lower barriers to access student resources, as well as decreased stigma around disabilities...

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Percentage of Undergraduate Students Reporting Disabilities

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Full story at https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/12/8/harvard-undergrad-disabilities-climb/.

Subway Work

D Line Extension: Westwood/UCLA Station Deck Removal Resumes December 12

Workers will resume the removal of the temporary deck panels at the Westwood/UCLA Station on Friday, December 12. This major construction milestone marks the start of restoring Wilshire Bl after years of underground excavation. The work will require weekend closures of westbound Wilshire Bl between Westwood Bl and Veteran Av for approximately eight additional weekends, with detours in place. Eastbound lanes remain open with reduced capacity. Additional impacts, including temporary closures on Gayley Av and Westwood Bl, are anticipated as work progresses.

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Traffic Control 

Traffic on westbound Wilshire Bl will be detoured at Westwood Bl to Santa Monica Blvd via portable changeable message boards located at various locations. Traffic will remain open on eastbound Wilshire Bl; however, since eastbound Wilshire Bl will be reduced to two lanes, message boards will be placed to encourage motorists to utilize Santa Monica Blvd via Sepulveda Blvd in case of heavy congestion. 

Hauling Hours 

Hauling of the decking panels, deck beams, backfill material, base and asphalt will take place throughout the duration of the closure. 

Noteworthy 

• All work has received necessary permits and approvals. 
• Parking restrictions will be implemented in the immediate work zone area. 
• Construction is dynamic and schedules are subject to change. 
• The project information line is 213.922.6934 

Source: https://cloud.sfmc.metro.net/DeckingUCLAStation. The original notice at this link was for the weekend of December 5, but apparently the work was delayed until this coming weekend.