What he said and didn't

EVC Darnell Hunt was interviewed by Stuart Wolpert at an after-lunch joint meeting of the Retirees Assn. and the Emeriti Assn. on May 8 at the Faculty Club (now the University Club). Five points in particular were noted by yours truly:

1) UCLA and UC - while joining some litigation concerning the current policies coming from DC about higher ed - is not leading the charge like Harvard. It is instead being "strategic." No encampments will be allowed as per the time-place-manner policies. Last spring's encampment was in fact in violation of the rules in place then. But because other groups previously had similarly violated the rules, the rules were not enforced because that would have been viewpoint selective. He did not say anything about the lawsuit against UCLA arising from last spring. Blog readers will likely know UCLA at first was going to appeal a temporary injunction stemming from that case but decided not to. It is still defending against the underlying lawsuit.

2) In order to get federal grants, applicants must now certify that they have no illegal DEI policies in effect. UCLA's position is that because of California's Proposition 209 (anti-affirmative action), UCLA has no illegal DEI policies. He did not mention the recent dropping of DEI statements for faculty personnel actions which existed under 209.* 

3) After the student-worker strike a couple of years ago - which boosted labor costs - and given the current outlook of reduced federal and state support, the number of PhDs UCLA can train is being re-examined. The job outlook for PhD graduates has also been diminished by federal policy. Some departments in the past created sections staffed by PhD student TAs in order to support those students. Now only needed sections will be staffed. And UCLA is looking at whether even needed sections might be replaced by such tech alternatives as AI and remote/hybrid classes.

4) UCLA had to move into the Big Ten athletic conference for financial reasons because of its athletic program's deficit. The move substantially increased TV revenue, but even now there is a deficit. College athletics are becoming more commercial and payments to athletes as employees is likely. He did not mention the action of the Regents that required UCLA to subsidize Berkeley as a result of the move.

5) Nobody really knows what to do with the campus of a defunct Catholic college in Palos Verdes that former Chancellor Block bought for $80 million. Whatever it will be, it will need to be a self-contained program about, maybe, climate.

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*A lawsuit charging the UCLA Med School with using affirmative action despite Prop 209 was filed the same day as the interview. EVC Hunt may not have been aware of that lawsuit. See:

https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2025/05/med-school-lawsuit.html.