There is more news regarding the (unfortunately named?) UCAD task force. It seems, however, that events could easily outpace even the expedited consultation process being pursued. See the letter below:
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Academic Senate Division Chairs
Divisional Senate Executive Directors
September 8, 2025
Re: Faculty Feedback on the UCAD Interim Report
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Academic Council, I request your assistance in facilitating faculty feedback on the Interim Report and Recommendations of the Academic Senate Task Force on UC Adaptation to Disruptions (UCAD).* This report, recently transmitted to you, President Milliken, and Provost Newman offers a blueprint for potential actions and strategies to ensure the University’s continued excellence in teaching, research, and public service amid growing and unpredictable external threats that may require a rapid response. UCAD seeks broad faculty engagement as it continues its work this fall with an updated member roster and develops additional recommendations to strengthen UC’s ability to address emerging challenges in a nimble way while allowing for as much consultation as possible, and while preserving its core mission.
Recommendations for Dissemination
It is important that all faculty have an opportunity to review this interim report, given its wide-ranging implications for UC’s future and potential impact on faculty. Division chairs are asked to place the UCAD Report on the agendas of their divisional executive committees/councils at the earliest opportunity and determine the most effective mechanisms for sharing it with faculty. Divisions may wish to consider options such as:
1. Sharing the report through divisional Representative Assemblies;
2. Hosting town halls or other forums to engage faculty in discussion;
3. Engaging department and program chairs to agendize the report in fall faculty meetings;
4. Using college and school Faculty Executive Committees to distribute information and gather feedback.
Feedback Submission
To ensure that faculty perspectives are incorporated into UCAD’s final recommendations, Senate divisions are asked to:
1. Submit letters and comments from Senate executive committees/councils and other divisional committees directly to UCAD Chair Palazoglu (ahmet.palazoglu@ucop.edu) with a copy to: AcademicSenateUCAD@ucop.edu.
2. Summarize and transmit input from any town halls or special meetings to Chair Palazoglu and AcademicSenateUCAD@ucop.edu.
3. Invite and encourage individual faculty to send comments directly to AcademicSenateUCAD@ucop.edu.
Feedback will be accepted on a continuous basis throughout the fall term.
The collected input will inform UCAD’s final report to Senate divisions, as well as the president and provost. Specific UCAD recommendations that advance toward implementation are expected to undergo full systemwide Senate review, except for in any emergency situations where such a review is not feasible.
We recognize that this request departs from normal review procedures in both form and timing. However, the urgency of the issues addressed in the UCAD Report requires a more flexible approach to faculty consultation than the standard 90-day systemwide review—one that draws on both traditional Senate review mechanisms and direct engagement from faculty.
Senate leadership is ensuring that shared governance is respected, and faculty perspectives are included even in situations where it is not possible to use our conventional mechanisms.
Based on the positive responses to Senate leadership in emergency planning from the UC administration, parallel discussions are now underway with senior leaders at UC Office of the President to establish as soon as possible joint Senate-administration structures for collaboration.
This expanded effort will build upon the Senate’s interim report, complement the Senate’s ongoing work through UCAD, and strengthen shared governance.
Thank you for helping to ensure this important conversation reaches faculty across the system and reflects their input. Your leadership in encouraging feedback will be critical to ensure that UC remains resilient and responsive to disruption while preserving its core mission and values.
Sincerely,
Ahmet Palazoglu
Chair, Academic Council
cc: Academic Council, Provost and Executive Vice President Newman, Senate Executive Director Lin
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*https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/committees/ucad.html; https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/reports/council-president-provost-senate-divisions-ucad-interim-report.pdf.
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Note: Our previous post on this matter is at:
https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2025/08/ucad.html.
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