Testing not on the agenda

As blog readers will likely know, there has been a flurry of news articles about the Regents abandonment of the SAT as an admission criterion.* And there seems to be an assumption that the Regents will do something about the issue at the upcoming meetings this week. But doing something seems both unlikely and unrealistic. While the Regents do have one element of admissions on their agenda for discussion, that item concerns the A-G requirements for high school courses. The documentation for the A-G topic references the SAT only its historical context and only in passing.**

Of course, the SAT topic could be brought up by Regents during that discussion, or by anyone during public comments. But without documentation directly addressing the issue, it is hard to imagine big decisions being made about it. 

We have noted in past posting, however, that a full discussion would be possible for the September meetings. So the question is whether the Regents want to have the necessary documentation prepared for them over the summer.

---

*Example: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-09/uc-sat-act-return-admissions-math-skills.

**https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/july26/a3.pdf.

Unrelated

Do I really have to point out that lack of new pennies had nothing to do - Zero, Zilch - with the decision to not accept cash at ASUCLA operations? It's an excuse, not a necessity.

Due to the federal discontinuation of pennies, ASUCLA, including UCLA Store locations, will be adjusting how cash is accepted for payment.

Starting Saturday, January 3, 2026 ASUCLA will be transitioning to cashless operations at the below locations:

All ASUCLA Restaurants

U.S. Post Office Express at Ackerman Union

This transition to a cashless payment system will support faster service and more efficient operations.

Cash will be accepted only at selected registers at the following UCLA Store locations. Please provide exact change when paying with cash at:

UCLA Store at Ackerman Union, including the Market

UCLA Store - Hill Top Shop

LuValle Commons Store

Health Sciences Store 

Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we adapt to limited cash availability.

Source: https://www.asucla.ucla.edu/cashless-campus.

Straws in the Wind - Part 401

From WLRN: In a move that students and their attorney allege is a gross violation of the First Amendment, Florida International University is moving forward with disciplinary actions against seven students who participated in a silent protest at a campus event in March. The students this week were given a written reprimand, and are being ordered to record videos about FIU policies they allegedly violated.

They told WLRN they worry the videos could force them to express opinions they do not agree with. The basic facts of the case are undisputed: A group of students sat in the audience while FIU President Jeanette Nuñez held an on-campus event March 13 with former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez. About a half hour into the program, students stood up and unveiled shirts that said “ICE OFF FIU,” and stood silently for a few minutes. They then left the event. FIU maintains that the silent protest violated a campus policy against “expressive activities” taking place indoors...

Full story at https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-07-01/fiu-students-silent-protest-immigration.

Yale Deal - Part 4 (If at first, you don't succeed...)

From the Yale Daily News: Yale proposed a second settlement offer to the Trump administration after the first was rejected, Sen. Richard Blumenthal LAW ’73 said at a Friday town hall on Yale’s campus. “I’ve been told very reliably that Yale has made an offer of settlement, which was rejected, and then made a second offer of settlement, which may still be pending, with a document that could be taken as an agreement for settlement,” the senator said. Blumenthal has spoken with Yale President Maurie McInnis twice, he said. 

A Yale professor briefed on the negotiations told the News ahead of the conference that the first proposal had been rejected, and that Yale had submitted a second proposal, in accordance with Blumenthal’s remarks.

...The senator added on Friday that Yale offered both settlements to the Trump administration without demand. Blumenthal said that from what he has been told, “Yale has twice made offers without any demand, in other words, negotiating against itself, which is rule number one of litigation: do not negotiate against yourself.” University spokesperson Karen Peart wrote in an email to the News on Tuesday that “it is Yale’s longstanding practice not to discuss the specifics of any ongoing legal matter.” When asked following the Friday press conference to confirm that the first proposal was rejected and a second one was submitted, Peart wrote, “we have nothing further to add to our statement.” ...

Full story at https://yaledailynews.com/articles/yale-offers-trump-administration-second-proposal-after-first-is-rejected.

The Absent Word

At their upcoming meetings, the Regents will be hearing a presentation - actually a series of presentations - on "UC Inspires: Celebrating America’s 250th and UC's Contributions to the Nation." The reports highlight UC's connections with the VA, medical and scientific developments, contributions to agriculture, and economic importance.

Yours truly did a search on the source document attached to the Regents' agenda and noted that the word "diversity" appears nowhere within it.* The closest it comes to that once-popular word is a highlighting of access to first generation college students.

Just an observation...

---

*https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/july26/board7.14.pdf.

Delivery?

UCLA and many other campuses were served by robot delivery of food through a company known as Starship Technologies. But at the end of the spring quarter, Starship decided to pull out of the college delivery market and concentrate in other areas. ASUCLA announced the end of Starship deliveries as of June 11.* An article about the halt to all colleges by Starship also appeared.**

There is another company, Coco, reported to be a UCLA start-up, providing robot delivery in the LA area. Both companies apparently service UCLA from Westwood restaurants. It is unclear what ASUCLA will do about robot delivery now that Starship has pulled out.

===

*https://www.asucla.ucla.edu/ucla/starship-robots.

**https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/delivery-robots-leave-college.

Straws in the Wind - Part 400

From Mississippi Today: Mississippi financial aid officials say almost 27,000 college students could receive less state financial aid for the spring semester in 2027, and a student loan repayment program for teachers will not make awards this fiscal year, because of a budget shortfall. The Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid needs $7.3 million more to account for growing demand for its college aid programs. The funding gap could force the financial aid office to cut programs that help low-income students, as well as hundreds of foster youths and future teachers pay, for college. 

In 2025, Mississippi financial aid officials expanded eligibility for state aid programs, reducing the number of credit hours required for students to be considered full time from 15 to 12. As a result, 4,520 more students qualified for state-funded grants. State lawmakers also raised the income eligibility for the Higher Education Legislative Plan, or HELP, the state’s only need-based grant that covers up to four years of college, from $39,500 to $42,500. Demand for state aid has risen faster than anticipated, said Jennifer Rogers, executive director of the state aid office...

Full story at https://mississippitoday.org/2026/06/29/mississippi-state-aid-shortfall/.