We continue our (delayed) coverage of the third day - Sept. 16 - of the most recent Regents meetings. Part 1 is at:
https://danmitchellsblogcontinues.blogspot.com/2026/10/watch-regents-meeting-of-sept-16-part-1.html
At the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, there was a report about UC STEM outcomes. The math problem was acknowledged but it was stated that there was a growing math issue starting before the pandemic. It shows up on tests in high school. One (partial) solution was suggested in the form of a math course for life sciences majors at Berkeley. It focuses on the math thought to be needed for biology. In the subsequent discussion, it was noted that such a course would not work for other sciences. Regent Park felt that there still seemed to be a math problem. Some of the discussion suggested a need for UC to intervene at the high school level.
There followed a discussion of AI and student career readiness. Although there was a lot of emphasis on maintaining "engagement" in the face of AI, much of the discussion was predicable. Will there be job loss? What kinds of new jobs and skills will be needed? It was suggested that work-based learning (internships) should be encouraged. There should be more hands-on work and oral presentation. Career education would not be one-and-done, but would have to continue throughout worklife. Although the A-G requirements in high school would seem to be affected by the development of AI, there was no real discussion connecting the A-G issue with AI.
Following the AI discussion, the student observer - who was a former STEM high school teacher, commented that many high schools can't afford to offer advanced coursework. UC students could be helpful as mentors.
At Finance and Capital Strategies, there was discussion and approval of a CEQA report and other elements for a proposed project - in cooperation with NASA - of the Berkeley Air & Space Center. The Center has a history going back to Sputnik days. A full proposal will be made in 2028. The site - which will have some housing for students and visiting scholars - requires decontamination. UC was said to have protections against lawsuits related to the contamination cleanup.
Approval was also given to part of the UCLA research project which is being housed in the former Westside Pavilion. A mix of funding from the state and external sources is involved. The Institute - which would receive funds from Prop 38 if passed by voters - is an independent entity with UCLA representatives on its board. However, the Institute and overall project is not dependent on Prop 38. Although the committee approved the proposal, Regent Montasantos voted "no" for unexplained reasons. (She later abstained in the vote to approve the committee report at the full board.)
Finally, the committee discussed the UC budget proposed for 2027-28 which totaled $65 billion. Fifty-five percent of that budget is now UC Health, which has been growing relative to the rest of UC. While there was much praise for the "compact" with the state that has now ended. Yet it was reported that UC is $86 million short compared to what the compact was supposed to deliver.
After the budget discussion, the student observer noted the importance of student support services, especially for disabilities and for international students. In general discussion, there was a call for some measure of "quality" rather than the focus on number of students enrolled.
The National Labs committee heard a presentation by Lawrence Livermore director Kim Bodil. LLNL has a budget of $3.5 billion/year and 9,000 workers. The contract UC and its consortium associates have for managing LLNL was renewed for five years beginning October 1, 2026. It was said that two thirds of its activities involve nuclear security. Biosecurity, cybersecurity, and space security were also mentioned. Other activities involve such areas as quantum computing. It is interesting that those who have called for "military" divestment seem unaware of LLNL (and Los Alamos).
At the end of the meeting, the full board approved the various committee reports and passed a resolution thanking former provost Newman.
As always, we preserve recordings of Regents meetings since the Regents have no policy on duration of retention.
You can find Academic and Student Affairs starting at 2:55:15 of:
https://ia601003.us.archive.org/31/items/regents-9-16-2026/Board%2C%20Academic%20and%20Student%20Affairs%209-16-2026.mp4
Finance and Capital Strategies and the full Board wrap-up is at:
https://ia601003.us.archive.org/31/items/regents-9-16-2026/Finance%20and%20Capital%20Strategies%2C%20National%20Laboratories%2C%20Board%209-16-2026.mp4
The general web page for Sept. 16 is:
https://archive.org/details/regents-9-16-2026.
