Want of a Horse

Faithful blog readers who follow our coverage of Regents meetings, and public comments therein, will know that a brouhaha at Davis has developed over the discontinuation of the equestrian program there. From the Chronicle of Higher Education: 

This academic year, the women’s equestrian team at the University of California at Davis completed a dominant season, winning all five of its conference matches and its third conference championship. But in January, with no warning, the university announced it was cutting equestrian as an intercollegiate sport. The decision came too late for team members to transfer to another program. Some incoming students who’d been recruited as athletes were denied regular admission to UC-Davis, several parents said, leaving them with no college to attend at all.

To justify their decision, university officials used a faulty report, supporters allege, riddled with errors and written by a consulting firm that recently stirred controversy for a similar analysis at another university. What’s more, administrators privately signaled nearly a year ahead of the announcement that they were planning to eliminate equestrian, according to emails obtained by the supporters’ group via a public-records request and shared with The Chronicle. At the same time, athletics officials continued to recruit athletes and solicit donations to support the team until shortly before they announced the team was being cut.

...Advocates are pursuing legal remedies — including a lawsuit in state court alleging that the athletics director and others engaged in fraudulent activity by misleading the recruits and assuring coaches, families, and students that the program was continuing. A parent with close knowledge of the situation told The Chronicle that a detective with the university’s police department was also investigating possible wire fraud, because the university continued to solicit donations for the team after it had effectively chosen to shutter it.

And a lawyer has warned the university that cutting the equestrian team could run afoul of Title IX, which requires gender equity in athletic expenditures and participation. The lawyer, Arthur Bryant, won a landmark settlement in April against San Diego State University for failing to provide as much in athletic scholarships to women as it paid to men. A university spokesperson declined to make anyone available to discuss the equestrian team because of the legal challenges. An earlier university statement said campus leaders believed they followed the proper procedures, but they were conducting a review “to evaluate financial records and reporting practices to determine whether expenses were accurately represented to decision-makers and other appropriate authorities.”

At a time when many colleges are considering cuts in athletics, UC-Davis is a case study in how missteps and poor communication can lead to legal risks and tense conflict with athletes and their parents, who have spent years and small fortunes pursuing dreams of intercollegiate sports...

Full story at https://www.chronicle.com/article/a-university-halts-its-top-ranked-equestrian-team-spurring-an-uproar.

Straws in the Wind - Part 382

From Inside Higher Ed: The state of Minnesota this month launched the SELF Grad Loan program, a new low-interest loan option for grad students that offers fixed rates based not on their credit score but on whether the loan has a co-signer and which repayment term the borrower chooses: 10, 15 or 20 years. Officials created the program in direct response to the federal government’s elimination of Grad PLUS loans and caps on certain other federal loans, which go into effect July 1. 

“The elimination of the Federal Grad PLUS Loan, which offered loans that covered up to the full cost of attendance, and lower caps for all Federal loans indicated a need for a new, low-interest loan option for graduate students,” a spokesperson for Minnesota’s Office of Higher Education wrote in an email. “Our SELF Grad Loan was launched to provide that option to students.” Minnesota is now the second state, after Connecticut, to devise its own loan program to help fill funding gaps for graduate students. As of Tuesday, 35 colleges and universities in Minnesota had joined the state’s program...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/06/17/minnesota-launches-graduate-student-loan-program.

Berkeley Swim Case On Again

Remember that lawsuit about abuse of the women's swim team at Berkeley?* After an earlier ruling that the statute of limitations had run out, a higher court has now reinstated the suit. Big bucks could be involved. A reminder that UCLA athletics provides a significant subsidy to Berkeley athletics, pursuant to a decision of the Regents after UCLA switched athletics conference. From the Daily Cal:

A lawsuit from 18 former Cal swimmers alleging former women’s head coach Teri McKeever verbally and psychologically abused them was granted a second life after a California court of appeal ruled last week that the statute of limitations did not bar their claims. The suit, Touhey v. Regents of the University of California, alleges that the university failed to protect them from McKeever’s abuse despite numerous complaints from swimmers and family members to administration throughout nearly all of McKeever’s 30-year tenure as coach.

“Given how much Coach McKeever was promoted within the swimming community and the constant reminders of Cal’s Olympic heritage, Plaintiffs felt that enduring her abuse was the price they paid to be on an elite team,” the original complaint alleges. “Plaintiffs began to believe that they (were) subjected to degrading treatment because they were not living up to the Cal standards of excellence.”

UC Berkeley filed a demurrer on Touhey v. Regents to claim the two-year statute of limitations expired when the lawsuit was filed in 2023, as the plaintiffs were members of Cal women’s swim and dive at various times between 2000 and 2020. A demurrer is a response in a court proceeding in which the defendant does not dispute the truth of the allegation but claims it is not sufficient grounds to justify legal action.

While originally sustained by the court, it was overturned June 16 on appeal due to the discovery rule, because UC Berkeley administrators allegedly signaled to the swimmers McKeever’s coaching was praiseworthy. The court claims this, along with the coach-athlete power dynamic, led the athletes to think that abuse was standard — albeit challenging — coaching, meaning the swimmers could not reasonably identify her actions as abuse...

Full story at https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/administration/court-revives-former-cal-swimmers-lawsuit-alleging-coach-s-abuse/article_35360890-98e6-4be4-b0d5-5fc4c3d1895c.html.

==

*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2025/06/bad-pr.html; https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2023/12/swimming-in-scandal-part-10.html.

Together

From the UCLA Newsroom: The 24 educators from the Middle East arrived at UCLA with two objectives: to share their experience building school communities where students can thrive amid turmoil, and to immerse themselves in the innovative centers of learning that Los Angeles has to offer.

The delegation came from the Amal Educational Network, which enrolls 30,000 students representing Jewish, Muslim, Druze, Christian and Bedouin communities across Israel. The network prioritizes academic excellence in settings that build personal resilience, civic responsibility and democratic values that bridge cultural divides.

“These schools are building peace through education. And so far, the data show it is working, even during war,” said Ron Avi Astor, professor of social welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, who has a joint appointment with the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies (SEIS). Astor organized the May 31–June 7 educational exchange in partnership with Mona Khoury, professor and vice president of strategy and diversity at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Karen Tal, superintendent and CEO of the Amal network.

A long-term research project led by Astor and Khoury is measuring the impact of the network’s 50 middle and high schools, and how its model can be scaled up across the Middle East. These case studies highlight Amal’s holistic curriculum weaving core academic subjects together with the arts, cutting-edge technology and volunteerism. It’s a formula that brings students of different backgrounds together more effectively than one-off cultural events or dialogues, the researchers found.

The visiting principals and professionals came from the Jewish, Muslim and Druze communities, but their schools represent the rich diversity of cultures across Israel. They shared challenges and success stories that held lessons not just for schools in conflict zones but for any campus seeking to create a stable and supportive climate free of violence, bullying and bias.

One case study focused on a remarkable partnership between two schools: Achva Gilboa, which is largely Arab Muslim, and Emek Harod, which serves students from Arab Muslim and Christian communities, secular and Orthodox Jewish traditions, and kibbutzim.

The schools host joint classes that bring students and teachers together on robotics projects, 3D printing and hackathons, and a documentary filmmaking option offers students the opportunity to express feelings of identity and belonging. Problem-solving with the most sophisticated technological tools draws students together, no matter what their backgrounds are, the educators said.

Amal schools also address polarization within cultural groups. Different Palestinian Muslim communities have distinct traditions, for example, and at Achva Gilboa, hundreds of grandmothers have come to campus to speak about their values and rituals. Students are now visiting the villages they learned about through their elders.

Technology and science education are prized at Amal schools, and the delegation’s itinerary included several treks to hubs of innovation including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Getty Center, UCLA Lab School and Milken Community School.

In keeping with UCLA’s commitment to expand its global reach, the exchange invited leaders from schools across Southern California, as well as from groups including Holocaust Museum LA, Jewish Federation Los Angeles and the Holy Land Democracy Project, to join scholars and students in the cross-border dialogue.

Added Amal Falah, an administrator at an Amal school serving the Druze community, “We arrived as visitors and leave as partners in a shared mission: shaping a better future through education.”

“This was a transformative week,” Astor said as the exchange wrapped up. “These educators got to know each other as professionals, friends and partners in using their academic settings to educate the next generation toward peace rather than polarization, demonization and hate.”

The educational exchange grew out of research by Astor and Khoury into the cultural context of school safety — scholarship that has taken them around the world, to Asia, Africa, Europe, the Mideast and the Americas.

The current research project by UCLA, Hebrew University and Amal is powerful, Khoury said. “The principals are doing the hard work. We are highlighting how they got to where they are and where they go in the future, for others to learn from.”

The research is supported by the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, which also sponsored the UCLA educational research exchange along with Gary Jacobs, trustee of the Rose and James Meltzer Trust, UCLA Luskin, UCLA SEIS and an anonymous donor.

Source: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/building-peace-through-education-research-exchange-jewish-muslim-druze. [Photos in original.]

Straws in the Wind - Part 381

From the Dallas Morning Herald: All University of Texas System schools have complied with a 2023 ban on diversity, equity and inclusion offices, according to a recent state audit. Many UT schools, including UTD, laid off staff, altered programming and restructured their offices to comply with the law when it first went into effect in 2024. Texas Senate Bill 17 prohibits public universities from having any DEI-related offices, trainings or hiring practices, but explicitly does not touch academic instruction or research. The law requires every school be audited for compliance at least once every four years. If a school is found non-compliant and does not rectify the issue within 180 days of the audit, then it is ineligible for state funding increases and other benefits...

The UT System was the second major university system to be audited for SB 17 compliance. In an audit of the Texas A&M University System last year, the state found the system’s Killeen location violated the law by working with a third party to “perform certain duties” of a DEI office. The university agreed with the finding and implemented a corrective action plan. The DEI ban is also enforced through the Office of the Ombudsman in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, where people can submit complaints about potential violations...

Full story at https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/article/ut-system-complies-diversity-equity-inclusion-ban-22301897.php.

Will Harvard Continue to Lead the Charge? - Part 173 (Graduation Speech)

Graduation speech: May 2026:

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAVp7i2MGE0. Alternate location: 

https://dn600309.us.archive.org/0/items/a-laugh-a-tear-a-mitzvah/%E2%80%9CListen%20Like%20You%20Might%20Be%20Wrong%E2%80%9D%20%20Harvard%20Student%E2%80%99s%20Graduation%20speech%205-2026.mp4.

==

Transcript of a Harvard Commencement address at Harvard Yard on 28 May 2026 by Noah Eckstein:

My life begins with something that could be the start of a joke. And it goes like this. A Christian, a Muslim, and a Jew walk into a bar. I know historically the setup is a little bit dicey, but this time this time was a little bit different. This time the Christian married the Muslim and they had a daughter. That daughter grew up Christian until she met the Jew, converted to Judaism, married the Jew, and had a son. 22 years later, that son is standing here with all of you graduating from Harvard University. [applause] [cheering] [applause]

I am a proud Jew. I’m also the proud grandson of a Christian and the proud grandson of a Muslim. But that isn’t a contradiction in any sense of the word. It’s proof of a concept. And that concept is what I want to talk to you all about today. Because my family taught me something I think this world could really use right now, which is that the counter to division isn’t necessarily agreement. It’s understanding.

Our world today all the way from the global stage to right here at Harvard has been split into two sides. There are two sides to every story. Of course, only two sides. Two sides to every conflict, argument, disagreement, good and bad, give and take, right and left, progressive and conservative, capitalist and communist, oppressor and oppress, rich and poor, US and China, US and Russia, Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, Israel and Iran, US and Iran, US and Israel and Iran. All in binaries. At least they’re presented to us in terms of binaries.

Here’s this issue. What do you think? What side are you on? Come on. Where do you stand? Who do you stand with in my family? Well, my family wouldn’t exist with that kind of approach. My grandfather’s one, a Pakistani Muslim who grew up in the middle of the Indo-pakistani war of 1947. The other a Jewish refugee of the Holocaust, met many times over the course of their lives. As you might imagine, they disagreed on a great many things. And yet, one of the main memories I have of them growing up was seeing them sitting together at a coffee table, discussing everything under the sun.

And when they weren’t in close proximity, I remember hearing their voices over the phone as they called my parents, always remembering at the end of each call to ask about the other, how they were doing, what were they up to. Of course, there are many differences that they never resolved. But still, they acknowledged each other. They cared for each other. They stayed in contact and they debated with each other. Their vast disparity in life experience, viewpoints, ideology, faith, and beliefs a point of contention, yes, but not a point of division.

And yet, somewhere in between their generation and ours, something in the conversation shifted. The debates got louder. The noise got louder. The listening stopped. It got harder. On the news, on your timeline, at the dinner table, people speaking without listening. People arguing, having already decided their own allegiances. People debating not to listen, understand, or to learn, but to win, to humiliate, to be right. And somewhere along the way, the person sitting across the table stopped being a person and became an obstacle.

Now, some would say that there are in fact people in this world for whom understanding is neither owed nor even worth the attempt. People whose very irredeemable actions or beliefs place them beyond the reach of dialogue. People who indeed have become nothing more than obstacles to the greater good. And maybe that’s true. Well, my grandfathers survived the atrocities of war and worse. And they knew better than anyone that people can do monstrous things. They also knew the most terrifying fact of all which that the peoples doing those monstrous things, they were human. Not forgivable, not necessarily redeemable, but human. Terrifyingly so. And it’s precisely because of that human capacity that understanding them mattered. Dialogue still mattered. Not necessarily dialogue in the sense of extending grace or providing a platform but again understanding asking how did they get to this point? How did they reach this conclusion? Why do they believe this?

Asking these questions in this context holds a light up to the darkest parts of what it means to be human and as such we have to grapple with them. But such questions, necessary questions, important questions are not only reserved for the darkest parts of human history. If such questions of understanding, why do they believe this? If such questions of understanding matter that much at that extreme of humanity, how much more do they matter for the people sitting around you right now? For that family member at Thanksgiving that you stop bringing certain topics up around. For that person on the internet that says things from a viewpoint that seems kind of unimaginable sometimes. For that student in section that you smiled at once and said interesting point and then went back to your dorm and complained about to your roommate. Or for that one friend that you started to phase out because they said some things once that just didn’t sit quite right with you. Take about 8 billion of those people, put them together and you get our world.

Many of us who come to Harvard have dreams of changing the world, of leaving an impact. But you cannot change a world that you refuse to understand, to talk to. You cannot convince someone of something if you do not understand them first. Peace through understanding can survive conflict, while peace through agreement lasts only as long as everyone keeps agreeing. In most cases, understanding is difficult. Sometimes you have to fight for it. Sometimes you have to fight yourself and your own beliefs first before you can truly achieve it. It takes effort. My grandfathers knew that. But they chose to try anyway.

So, as we all go out into an increasingly troubled world and divided world, I want to leave you all with one simple practice. Whenever you meet someone you disagree with, state your case. Yes. Stand up for what you believe in. Absolutely. But also ask the other person about their beliefs. Ask them how they got there. Place yourself in their shoes and ask why do I believe this? Listen like you might be wrong. That is not a weakness or betrayal of your own ideals. That is the hardest and most important thing you can do in a world that is constantly telling you pick a side.

I told you my life begins like a joke. Well, my Muslim grandfather was buried facing Mecca. My Jewish grandfather was buried in accordance with Jewish law. My Christian grandmother was buried with the cross. In a way, the punchline never really came. There was no resolution to the setup. They were all very stubborn and they held on to their own ideals and traditions until the very end. But still they respected each other. They chose each other and at the end of the day they were proud to be of one family.

Look around you right now. Look at the people around you. The person to your right, the person to your left. You’re sitting now amongst people of every belief and every background. A family that we have built over the years here at Harvard. Do we agree on everything? Ask the section kid. Will we ever agree on everything? Certainly not. The world beyond these walls, it has all the same disagreements, the same differences of opinion, the same divisions that we have. But I urge you, see the people in your class for who they are as people. Fight to understand them and their beliefs just as much as you stand up and fight for your own. And after you walk through the gates of this yard for the first time as Harvard graduates, do the same for the people of our world. Because in a time this complicated and this divided, understanding and a genuine willingness to look a little bit deeper is how those divisions start to heal. Thank you all and congratulations to the class of 26. [applause]

Source: https://etcjournal.com/2026/06/02/transcript-of-noah-ecksteins-may-2026-harvard-commencement-address/.

Closed-Door Regents Meeting Today

TO THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA:

Because the membership of the Advisory Group on Research and Programs Funding Legal Issues (“Advisory Group”) includes five members of the Regents’ Governance Committee, there exists the potential for having present a quorum of a Regents’ Committee when the advisory committee meets.

This notice of meeting is served in order to comply fully with pertinent open meeting laws. On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, there will be a Closed Session, Special Meeting of the Regents’ Governance Committee concurrent with the Advisory Group to discuss Research and Programs Funding Legal Issues (Closed Session Statute Citation: Litigation [Education Code section 92032(b)(5)].)

The meeting will convene at 10:30 a.m. at 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland and adjourn at approximately 11:00 a.m.

(Advisory Group members: Regents Anguiano, Cohen, Hernandez, Matosantos, Milliken, Reilly, Robinson, Sarris, and Sures)

--

Source: https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/june26/meeting-notice_federal-june-23-2026.pdf.

--

You're not invited.  

When is it over?

From Higher Ed Dive: Dozens of higher education institutions may have been hit by another attack from the cybercrime group behind the May hack against Canvas, according to the Google Threat Intelligence Group and cybersecurity firm Mandiant.

From May 27 and June 9, the group ShinyHunters potentially gained access to the systems of over 100 organizations by targeting the Oracle PeopleSoft software suite. A majority of them are based in the U.S., and 68% are within the higher education sector...

ShinyHunters twice gained unauthorized access to Instructure’s Canvas learning management system last month, disrupting final exam season at colleges nationwide...

Colleges are a prime target for cybercriminals, both because they hold vast troves of student and employee data and because their systems typically have a massive number of users that turn over regularly...

Full story at https://www.highereddive.com/news/colleges-hit-in-cyberattack-by-group-behind-canvas-breach-google-says/822831/.

Straws in the Wind - Part 380

From CNYhomepage.com: Syracuse University’s chancellor says the school is facing a budget deficit after falling short of its undergraduate enrollment target for the upcoming academic year. J. Michael Haynie, the university’s chancellor and president, said in an email to faculty and staff Thursday that the institution will not meet its undergraduate enrollment goal for fall 2026, citing several challenges impacting higher education institutions nationwide. “Since the start of this decade, enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities has meaningfully declined,” Haynie wrote in the message. He added that the number of 18-year-old high school graduates peaked last year and is expected to continue declining over the next 15 years.

University leaders say Syracuse is also facing increased competition for students as colleges across the country work to attract a shrinking pool of applicants. The university also reported a decline in international undergraduate and graduate applications, attributing the drop to visa difficulties, geopolitical pressures and disruptions in federal policies. With undergraduate tuition serving as Syracuse University’s primary source of revenue, officials say the enrollment shortfall will result in a budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year — something the university said it has not experienced in years...

Full story at https://www.cnyhomepage.com/news/syracuse-university-facing-budget-deficit-as-enrollment-numbers-fall-short/.

Will Harvard Continue to Lead the Charge? - Part 172

From the Harvard Crimson: All Harvard College staff are expected to be required to be in the office five days a week beginning this fall as part of a sweeping staff restructuring in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, according to an FAS staff member familiar with the matter. The staff member said some employees were informally told of the change by managers, but that official communication about the policy has not yet been sent to staff.

The FAS currently employs more than 2,000 staff. It is unclear how many would be affected by the new policy, particularly since some offices support both the College and other FAS schools. College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo wrote in a statement that conversations around hybrid work are ongoing. The change comes as part of a broad staff reorganization that has been in the works for more than a year and that could result in up to a quarter of FAS staff being laid off. The change to College hybrid work is a signal that even staffers who keep their jobs will be affected by the restructuring...

Full story at https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/6/19/college-staff-office-requirement/.

405 Night Construction

From the Santa Monica Mirror: ...Caltrans crews will begin installing concrete K-rail barriers and conducting survey work along Interstate 405 starting Monday night, June 22. The nightly restrictions will run from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. through Friday morning, June 26.

To prevent gridlock during the World Cup matches, officials will suspend all construction activities between 5:00 a.m. Thursday and 5:00 a.m. Friday on the stretch of the 405 operating between Lakewood Boulevard and U.S. Route 101.

For safety during active paving operations, Caltrans will reduce the legal speed limit to 55 mph across designated sections of the southbound 405. Motorists navigating the construction zones will encounter intermittent closures on the following schedule:

===

Northbound I-405 Closures

Wilshire Boulevard to Skirball Center/Mulholland Drive: Single-lane closures, along with a complete shutdown of the off-ramp to Getty Center Drive.

Skirball Center/Mulholland Drive to Sepulveda Boulevard: Single lane closures, alongside a complete shutdown of the Sepulveda Boulevard on-ramp.

Sepulveda Boulevard to Victory Boulevard: Single lane closures, including a complete shutdown of the Burbank Boulevard off-ramp.

===

Southbound I-405 Closures

Skirball Center/Mulholland Drive to Wilshire Boulevard: Single lane closures.

Victory Boulevard to U.S. Route 101: Double lane closures.

U.S. Route 101 to Skirball Center/Mulholland Drive: Up to four lanes will close overnight, significantly restricting traffic flow through the heart of the pass.

===

Source: https://smmirror.com/2026/06/overnight-405-freeway-lane-reductions-to-hit-sepulveda-pass-next-week/.

July Discussion?

As blog readers will know, the systemwide Academic Senate is embarking on a study of admissions practices - including the idea of reintroducing the SAT - known as the "roadmap." Although the announcement of the roadmap appeared after a petition by STEM (and later non-STEM) faculty to return to the SAT, the plan for the roadmap was developed before the petition made the news. So it was not responsive to that petition.

When the roadmap was announced, UC President Milliken issued a statement:

University of California President James B. Milliken today (June 11) issued the following statement on the UC Academic Senate plan to review admissions policies:

The Board of Regents and University leadership take very seriously the critical issue of college preparedness, and the UC Academic Senate has proposed a comprehensive, data-driven review to support its recommendations to strengthen student readiness and success at UC. There are few things more important on our agenda. The faculty review will focus on both preparation and admissions, including whether standardized testing should be required. It’s important that UC gets this right. The UC Board of Regents and I will receive an update on the Academic Assembly’s work in July, and we look forward to considering the recommendations that emerge from this important work.

Source: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-president-milliken-statement-academic-senate-plan-review-admissions-policies.

As blog readers will know, yours truly has suggested that an appropriate response to the faculty petition would be to do an accelerated study over the summer and have discussion with the Regents at their September meeting. That approach would have been truly responsive. Saying that the topic will be discussed in July sounds like a super-acceleration. But in fact, all that will be said in July is that there is a (non-responsive) roadmap in place that will require a full year of study. Realistically, what else could be said at a Regents meeting only a month away? Nothing will have happened other than the announcement of the (slow) roadmap.

Straws in the Wind - Part 379

From the Chronicle of Higher Education: A regional public college that faced declining enrollment tried to stem the bleeding two years ago by laying off over 100 people, including all of its faculty librarians. Now Western Illinois University has to hire the librarians back. An arbitrator ruled in late May that Western Illinois improperly laid off all of its faculty librarians and two additional faculty members, and ordered the university to rescind the layoffs, provide back pay, and reinstate those who wish to return.

Altogether, Western Illinois issued layoff notices to 124 faculty and staff members in 2024, including nine librarians, but the library was the only department to lose all of its faculty members. The university cited a decline in student enrollment of 20.6 percent since 2017. The decision to gut the library drew national attention and reignited a longstanding debate about the role of the librarian in academe today...

The university is reviewing the arbitrator’s decision “while working with [the union] to determine the details of implementation and next steps,” according to a written statement...

Full story at https://www.chronicle.com/article/a-regional-college-laid-off-all-its-librarians-in-2024-now-it-has-to-hire-them-back.

Greetings of the Season

Whatever your taste:

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrgdr3ROzTc.

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7-Qa92Rzbk.

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY1p-FmjT1M.

The first classes of summer session begin tomorrow, June 22.

Fake?

From the NY Times: ...[Hany Farid] rode down from the hills on his motorcycle to give his last public lecture of the spring semester at Berkeley, passing the A.I. billboards that had become ubiquitous across the Bay Area. They were for start-ups promising to reinvent medicine, disrupt education and transform the future of business. “Stop Hiring Humans,” one billboard read. Farid parked on campus and walked into the lecture hall, where 75 students looked back at him.

He was one of Berkeley’s most popular professors* — kinetic, unfiltered and genuinely thrilled by the advancements in A.I. technology at the heart of his courses. He had A.I. agents that wrote code for him. He had a car that could drive itself on the highway. He had apps on his phone that could tighten the phrasing in his emails or turn a photo of his spice drawer into a recipe for weeknight chili. But the computer science majors in his classes were struggling to find jobs as companies waited to see what machines could do first. For the first time in his career, Farid sometimes stood in front of students and found himself at a loss for what to tell them...

“This technology is being weaponized against us,” he told the students. “The train has left the station. It’s accelerating at a speed that’s unbelievable.” ...

He paced at the front of the room and started to show slides of A.I. videos from the last several years. A fake image of the Pentagon exploding had briefly rattled the stock market in 2023, erasing more than $500 billion in a few minutes. Deepfakes from the war in Ukraine were still fairly easy to identify, with discolored explosions and misshaped buildings. Gaza fakes were much better. By the start of the Iran war, short A.I. footage was essentially indistinguishable from real video. Now thousands of North Korean government operatives were applying for remote jobs at U.S. companies, using A.I. to impersonate Americans in real time on Zoom calls and then funding a nuclear weapons program with their salaries. A nontechnical criminal, Farid said, could now use a still photograph and a 10-second audio clip to shape shift into anyone online.

“You might think you can look and tell the difference while you’re sitting there doom scrolling,” he said. “Believe me, you can’t. That’s where our methods come in.”

He had helped invent algorithmic tools to verify a person’s mannerisms, vocal inflections and blood flow. When a real person spoke, the eyes dilated and the heart pumped blood in and out of the face. Farid could sometimes measure subtle differences in skin color to see a person’s heart beating in real time, whereas an A.I. avatar was flatlined.

Farid said he was still confident that he could solve almost any A.I. mystery, but the problem was that each investigation took time. The half-life of an average social media post was less than 90 seconds. “Within 20 minutes, the whole ballgame’s basically over,” Farid said. Many times, he finished his analysis, looked up from his computer and realized the damage was already done. A fake had hardened into a fact. A fact had blurred into doubt.

A hand went up in the audience, and Farid pointed to a student in the front row.

“So, the creation of deepfakes is easy, cheap, fast and reliable,” the student said. “Detection is costly and difficult.”

“Yes,” Farid said.

“Is there a solution in the near future, or are we just screwed?”

He paused and took a breath. He thought about the Orozco mural, the school in Iran, the deepfakes piling up in his inbox and the farm waiting in Vermont. He still believed there were solutions. But first, he wanted people to understand what they were up against.

“We’re pretty screwed,” he said...

---

Full story at https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/us/ai-deepfake-hany-farid.html.

---

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hany_Farid.

Straws in the Wind - Part 378

From the Columbia Daily Spectator: Columbia will once again require standardized test scores for undergraduate applicants, beginning in August 2027, the University announced Friday. With the change, Columbia is the final Ivy League school to reinstate test score requirements, which most universities made optional in 2020. Students applying to Columbia College or the School of Engineering and Applied Science will be required to submit SAT or ACT scores for the 2027-28 admissions cycle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities, including Columbia, waived standardized testing requirements, citing concerns about access to testing opportunities. Columbia has deviated from its peers by extending the waiver for more than three years after the pandemic ended.

The other seven Ivy League institutions have already reinstated the requirement; Yale University was the latest to do so, announcing the change in May. The revision comes after a multiyear faculty review which found that test scores were a “useful indicator of potential student success,” according to the statement from the University...

Full story at https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2026/06/12/columbia-becomes-last-ivy-to-reinstate-standardized-test-scores-requirement-post-covid/.

Federal Updates are not updated

We have commented on this matter before but a reminder to the powers-that-be at UCOP that the "Federal updates" link on the UC website* - which is supposed to keep us current with the UC conflict with the feds - hasn't actually provided any information on federal developments since last October. 

There is stuff thereafter on the site, mainly about the state bond UC is promoting, but nothing more directly on federal developments. Of course, the state bond idea was originally a response to funding cutoffs by the feds. But the Regents have had numerous closed-door meetings since October which seem to be about actual federal developments, so presumably there is something more to be shared.

We have an indication that despite court victories by UC, federal research funding has not fully (mainly?) resumed. Any info on that issue? What is happening to existing grants and contracts that were suspended? What is the success rate for new grants and renewals? Inquiring minds want to know!

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*https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/federal-updates.

No Grade Inflation at Berkeley for AI

From the Daily Californian: In collaboration with more than 300 industry experts, UC Berkeley researchers have released a new benchmark testing AI capabilities in more than 50 industries. Of the models tested, OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 scored the highest, but only with a 24% pass rate. The benchmark, dubbed Agents’ Last Exam, or ALE, is led by the Berkeley Center for Responsible, Decentralized Intelligence. The exam assigns tasks spanning subjects from audio processing to theoretical physics. A rival model, Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5, followed GPT-5.5 at a 22% overall pass rate, with Google Gemini, DeepSeek and Grok all scoring below 16%. Pass rates measure the runs in which an AI agent gets a perfect score across all tasks.

The UC Berkeley center is co-directed by computer science professor Dawn Song and Haas School of Business professor Christine Parlour. The ALE project has 13 advisers from academia and industry, across multiple universities and companies.

...The pass rates of these models aren’t high, which [ALE collaborator Zhenglu] Li attributes to a lack of people from different disciplines currently working to train AI models... “My bigger concern is not the pass rate but the way agents fail,” said Benjamin Liu, a Stanford University computer science Ph.D. student and test collaborator, in an email. “They often produce an answer that looks completely plausible but is subtly wrong, and in science a confident wrong answer is more dangerous than no answer, because someone might build on it.” ...

Full story at https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/ai-giants-score-below-25-in-uc-berkeley-led-test-of-real-world-application/article_2e499076-aa94-4c53-b4e1-72d6de0c2c67.html.

---

And then there is also knowing how to get to the carwash:

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNaN0iAuan8.

Straws in the Wind - Part 377

From Inside Higher Ed: The Auburn University Board of Trustees... gave itself complete control over course offerings, curriculum, degree requirements and academic credentials while eliminating shared governance at the Alabama land-grant university. Faculty say they have serious concerns about the policies and a host of unanswered questions about what the changes will mean in practice. The two policies, passed unanimously without discussion, mimic what Alabama House Bill 580 will require of other public institutions when it takes effect in October. As a land-grant institution created and governed by the state Constitution, Auburn isn’t explicitly bound by the law, but lawmakers have made veiled threats to punish noncompliance anyway by withholding state funding for offending institutions. The university appears to be taking a page out of Texas public institutions’ playbook by pre-emptively overcomplying with new state law, experts say.

...The existing Faculty Senate is dissolved. It already held an advisory-only role, but its replacement—the Presidential Academic Advisory Council—“is a shift from faculty-led governance to administratively controlled consultation,” the Auburn American Association of University Professors chapter wrote in a statement. The council will “provide advice and perspective, at the President’s request and direction, on matters related to academic policy, academic governance, and the academic mission of the University,” as well as “confidential” advice on other matters, according to the policy. The body may not issue any public statements on behalf of the university...

Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/trustees-regents/2026/06/05/auburn-board-takes-curricular-control-dissolves-senate.

Stay away from Wilshire

Wilshire Bl: Utility Inspection  Summary  Utility work and inspections continue on Wilshire Bl and in Westwood Village. Intermittent lane reductions and turn restrictions will be implemented on Wilshire Bl between Westwood Bl and Glendon Av.   Schedule  June 17 - July 2, approximately 2 weeks Monday - Friday, 9 am to 3:30 pm Traffic Control:  During this work, the following traffic control will be in effect as needed.  Lane Closures on Wilshire Bl between Westwood and Bl and Glendon Av  The two right-most lanes on eastbound Wilshire Bl between Westwood Bl and Glendon Av will be closed.  Eastbound Westwood Bl left turn pocket closed.  Eastbound Glendon Av left turn pocket closed.  The westbound middle lane will be closed.  Lane Closures on Wilshire Bl between Glendon Av and Malcolm Av  The center lane of westbound Wilshire Bl will be closed.  Right turn pocket on southbound Glendon to westbound Wilshire will be closed.  Right turn pocket closed SB Malcom to WB Wilshire.  Wilshire Blvd between Glendon Av and Malcolm Av  Eastbound  Center-right lane closed  Center lane closed  Left lane closed  Right-turn pocket closed from northbound Veteran Av to eastbound Wilshire Bl  Right turn still allowed via taper?  Westbound left-turn pocket to Veteran Av closed.  Other Turn Pocket Closures  Left-turn pocket from northbound Westwood Bl to westbound Wilshire Bl will be closed.  Right-turn pocket from southbound Glendon Av to westbound Wilshire Bl will be closed.  Right-turn pocket from southbound Malcolm Av to westbound Wilshire Bl will be closed.  Pedestrian and Business Access Sidewalk closures will be in place in the immediate work area; pedestrians should follow posted detour signage.  Noteworthy:  All work has or will receive the necessary permits and approvals.  Access to driveways, residences & businesses will be maintained at all times unless notified in advance.  Access for pedestrians will be maintained outside of construction zones.  Access for the Fire Department and emergency responders will be maintained  Parking restrictions will be implemented in the immediate area of the work zone.  Construction is dynamic and schedules are subject to change. 24/7 Hotline: 213-922-6934  Source: https://cloud.sfmc.metro.net/WilshireBl_LaneClosureUtilityInspection.

 

Interview

UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk and his wife Prof. Felicia Marie Knaul were both interviewed at Sinai Temple in West LA on June 6, 2026. Originally on YouTube. Full video preserved at:

dn600309.us.archive.org/0/items/a-laugh-a-tear-a-mitzvah/UCLA Chancellor Frank %26 his wife Prof. Knaul at Sinai Temple Los Angeles 6-6-2026.mp4.

They discuss, among other matters, the issue of antisemitism on campus as well as personal backgrounds.

Excerpt 1: Accepting offer despite encampments Excerpt 2: Violence unacceptable Excerpt 3: Student government letter / Antizionism Excerpt 4: Faculty conduct

Or direct to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXbh4YyJdKo.

Straws in the Wind - Part 376

From Reuters: Law professors overwhelmingly preferred answers drafted by AI over ones written by fellow professors, a new Stanford Law School study found,* suggesting that the technology is ​capable of legal reasoning and that law students may benefit from AI ‌tutoring. Professors from 14 U.S. law schools developed a list of 40 questions representative of those first-year contracts students ask during faculty office hours. The professors wrote answers to the questions, and researchers ​had two AI platforms — Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and NotebookLM — also answer them.

The same ​professors blindly judged the short answers head-to-head and chose the AI-generated ones as most ⁠beneficial to students 75% of the time. The AI platforms performed just as ​well as the professor rated most highly in the study...

Full story at https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/ai-beats-law-professors-stanford-tutoring-study-2026-06-02/.

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The study is at https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/salinas_et_al.pdf.

Another Scam

Another scam. Delete. Don't respond.

Will Harvard Continue to Lead the Charge? - Part 171

From the Harvard Crimson: U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urged Harvard to follow Yale University’s example and undertake a sweeping review of its academic practices and campus culture at a congressional hearing last month. In a brief exchange with Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06, McMahon — who has played a leading role in the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Harvard — praised Yale for a wide-ranging April report that scrutinized the university’s admissions policies, grading standards, academic culture, and commitment to free speech.

That 58-page report, produced by a Yale presidential task force, argued that high tuition, opaque admissions, grade inflation, and constraints on open discourse had helped erode public trust in elite higher education. The authors proposed a series of reforms, including curbing special admissions preferences, adopting a 3.0 mean GPA or another schoolwide grading standard, and revising Yale’s mission statement. McMahon called on Harvard to produce a similar self-indictment. “I’d like Harvard to take the Yale example of really doing the research and doing the surveys and understanding what is going on in their community and taking actions on their own,” McMahon said in her testimony...

Full story https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/6/16/mcmahon-harvard-yale-testimony/.

Back to the Future

From the LA Times: A cheating crisis is growing at American universities as AI rapidly becomes embedded in learning: Extreme and uneven classroom practices are in force to prevent deception, false accusations against students are increasing and the definition of what it means to cheat is shifting, professors, students and specialists in academic integrity say.

At UCLA, students in a recent sociology class said they were told in an email to “procure a mirror large enough to fully reflect your entire desk-area work space,” and turn on their laptop camera so the professor could watch them during an online test. In another course, students said they had to take their oral video exam with their arms crossed in front of them or behind their heads so they couldn’t type into AI platforms...

Titi Olotu, a UCLA junior with an accommodation through UCLA’s Center for Accessible Education, was weighing whether to drop the sociology professor’s course when the mirror email arrived. Her accommodation called for brief snack breaks during exams and the option to write down notes on paper. Olotu said she felt the online proctoring treated any movement as suspect. “Any little thing, moving, breathing, talking, looking, is cheating,” Olotu said. She dropped the class.

The UCLA professor did not respond to requests for an interview. A spokesperson said the school “takes student concerns seriously” and has processes for reviewing student-faculty conflicts but does not discuss individual cases...

Full story at https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-06-12/ai-cheating-california-college-students-professors-chatgpt-accusations.

Yours truly was an undergrad at Columbia, 1960-64, long before the internet, smart phones, AI, etc. Final exams were scheduled in the gym. The gym was filled with rows of seats with desks. Several classes were assigned to the gym at the same time and the seats were carefully assigned so that no students taking the exam for your class were seated nearby where you might see their writing. If you dropped your pen or pencil, you were not allowed to bend over and pick it up. You had to signal to a roving proctor that you needed to bend over and the proctor would come and watch. Similarly, you could not leave to go to the restroom without signaling a proctor to get permission. The restroom door was open and a proctor was assigned to sit in the entrance. There was a mirror inside the restroom so that the proctor could watch what you were doing. (Columbia was all male at the time.)

Seems like we are going back to the future. The "benefit" of the old Columbia system was that cheating was very unlikely, so you wouldn't be accused of it falsely. Whether today's students will accept such a system remains to be seen.

Straws in the Wind - Part 375

From the Daily Princetonian: The Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO) has ended its divestment from publicly traded oil and gas companies, according to a letter from PRINCO President Vincent Tuohey published Monday. The University will maintain its previously-established dissociation from the thermal coal and tar sands portions of the fossil fuel industry. PRINCO, which manages the University’s endowment, has set a net-zero emissions goal for the University endowment portfolio by 2046, according to the letter, which is the same year as the University’s campus net-zero target. As a step towards achieving a net-zero endowment, PRINCO previously committed to eliminating all of its holdings in publicly traded fossil fuel companies in 2022. At this time, the University dissociated from 90 fossil fuel companies involved in thermal coal and tar sands, as mandated by the Board of Trustees.

In the letter, Tuohey described the change in divestment policy as part of PRINCO’s “revised approach” to balancing support for the University’s research mission and its commitment to climate sustainability...

Full story at https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2026/06/princeton-news-adpol-princo-discontinues-divestment-publicly-traded-oil-gas-companies.

"Budget" passed by deadline

As we noted yesterday, June 15 was the (midnight) budget deadline for the legislature to pass a "budget." And it did so. However, as we also noted, the budget that was passed isn't the final version. Talks continue with the governor, with the primary sticking points involving spending on health care issues (and not about higher education or UC). Meanwhile, the governor's attention is being diverted by an investigation by the feds which he forcefully argues is politically motivated. However, there is just enough stuff about his wife's nonprofit activities to open the door to more revelations. The governor yesterday released a kind of preemptive Checkers speech (Google It!) in which he demanded that the feds leave his wife and kids out of it.*

In short, there is likely to be more drama in Sacramento, budget and nonbudget, but with little ultimate effect on next year's UC budget.

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*The speech may be seen at:

https://ia601802.us.archive.org/14/items/newsom-may-june-2026/newsom%206-15-2026%20FBI%20investigation.mp4. 

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More information on the budget negotiations is at:

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article316141655.html.

More on the Assembly

Last week, we took note of an upcoming Assembly meeting on June 11. Yesterday, we referred to one aspect of that meeting pertaining to UC admissions and the SAT/testing issue. As we also noted yesterday, yours truly could attend the full meeting due to medical issues. However, there was a segment on external political developments affecting UC as well as AI which has both political and academic implications.

Provost Newman expressed concern with regarding proposed federal policy that would require political evaluation of grants. She also noted that despite UC's various court victories, the flow of federal funding for research has not resumed.

There was a separate segment on state matters. Both houses of the legislature were proposing state budgets for next year that would be more generous to UC that the May Revise. What the final deal will be remained open. There was some language in the proposed bills that made funding contingent on some immediate changes in admission that can't happen since the admissions cycle for fall has already occurred. Apart from the proposed state research bond ballot measure which UC is supporting, it is also trying to be included in a proposed state housing bond.

Straws in the Wind - Part 374

From the Daily Princetonian: The University has implemented rules prohibiting reporters from recording, photographing, or filming faculty meetings. The new rules went into effect from the May 11 faculty meeting, marking a departure from past practices in which reporters were able to record meetings for transcription and take photographs of the Faculty Room inside Nassau Hall. 

The new rules also limit the number of reporters to two per campus publication and stipulate that reporters notify the Office of Communications of their attendance at least 24 hours in advance of meetings. Campus press must also obtain media credentials before each faculty meeting. Campus radio remains permitted to broadcast faculty meetings, though no campus radio station currently broadcasts the meetings...

Full story at https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2026/06/princeton-news-faculty-meeting-recording-policy-campus-press-ivy-league.

Will Harvard Continue to Lead the Charge?- Part 170

From the Harvard Crimson: The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection are investigating the Harvard Kennedy School over allegations that the school mishandled asbestos-related materials during Littauer Center renovation projects, according to a person familiar with the matter. The complaint, filed April, alleges that the Kennedy School disturbed asbestos-containing material without prior testing, failed to notify occupants of potential asbestos exposures, and did not file required permits from the City of Cambridge or MassDEP for the construction project. ...Both agencies observed spare parts containing asbestos in storage, according to the person. 

HKS did not notify faculty or staff of the complaint until ...roughly three hours after The Crimson reached out for comment. HKS Executive Dean Joshua G. McIntosh then sent an email to faculty and staff informing them of the allegations. “We take allegations about improper construction practices very seriously, and we are working with urgency to investigate these allegations and take appropriate action as needed.” ...

Full story at https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/6/9/hks-asbestos-handling/.

The midnight state budget deadline approaches

To meet the constitutional deadline, the legislature has until midnight tonight to pass a "budget." The Senate version of what is currently under consideration can be found at the link below:

https://sbud.senate.ca.gov/system/files/2026-06/legislatures-version-of-the-budget-summary.pdf

You will note, if you go to that link, that the higher ed proposals deal with the community colleges for the most part, not with UC.

The Assembly version has more detail. See:

https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2026-06/floor-report-of-the-2026-27-budget-june-11-2026.pdf

Below is the summary for UC:

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University of California

• Provides $254.3 million ongoing General Fund for the fifth and final year of the Governor’s Compact funding of the UC. Also includes $96.3 million for partial funding of the fourth year, as expected based on the 2025 budget agreement.

• Extends the repayment of a one-time 3 percent funding reduction of $129.7 million included in the 2025 budget by one year from 2026-27 until 2027-28.

• Maintains a 2025 Budget Act agreement to defer the 2025-26 compact’s $240.8 million ongoing General Fund to support a 5% base increase until 2027-28. As part of the deferral arrangement, the state would plan to provide UC with one-time back payments in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

• Maintains a 2024-25 Budget Act agreement to defer $31 million ongoing General Fund to continue the 5-year program to replace nonresident students with California students at the Berkeley, Los Angeles and San Diego campuses until 2027-28.

• Provides $1.5 million General Fund to support the First Star Academy Youth Cohorts at UC campuses, as proposed in the May Revision.

• Includes $9 million one-time to continue the Cal-Bridge program.

• Adds $750,000 one-time for the ENLACE program.

• Provides $3.4 million one-time for the University of California Menopause Centers of Excellence.

• Includes $5 million one-time for the UCLA Center for Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy.

• Adds $3.6 million one-time to expand Prime RX program at UC San Diego.

• Appropriates $1.8 million one-time to UC Berkeley for the ACCESS optometry program.

• Includes $3 million one-time to UC San Diego for a workforce development initiative.

• Adds $6.5 million one-time to UC for the Voting Right’s Program.

• Provides $6.5 million one-time to UCLA for the Ralph J. Bunche Center

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In essence, various pet programs are listed for additional funding. Various deferrals continue. As noted in prior postings, even if a budget is passed, revisions are possible as the Democratic legislative leaders continue to negotiate with the governor.

Slowly following the roadmap

We noted on this blog that there was a Zoom meeting of the Assembly of the systemwide Academic Senate last Thursday. Yours truly was able to attend only parts of that meeting due to medical issues. However, at around he same time, BOARS released a "roadmap" concerning UC admissions policy.* It proposes to create working groups to study the SAT/testing issue and the A-G requirements. 

There was some controversy at the Assembly over the working group for A-G. It wasn't exactly clear what the concern was but yours truly suspects it had something to do with the recent Ethnic Studies brouhaha. ??? In any event, despite an effort for the Assembly officially to express a view that there was no need for more A-G study, the Assembly did not take that position. So there will be more A-G study,

More concerning was the SAT/testing issue. According to a report in the LA Times,** the number of signatures of UC STEM faculty on the letter pushing for reinstatement of the SAT for incoming STEM majors has grown to over 1,400.

It should be noted that the BOARS roadmap appears to have been prepared before the letter and proposes moving along at the usual Senate deliberative pace. While we have noted the seeming impracticality of having an SAT requirement only for some prospective majors, we suggested a more responsive and rapid effort over the summer - not over another full academic year as the roadmap suggests - to create an interim report that could be discussed at the September Regents meeting. (The Regents are surely aware of the controversy; they read the LA Times.) Although a concern was expressed that waiting a year for a report pushes back actually implementing something at least a year, that seems to be the likely scenario at this point.

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*https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-academic-senate-announces-plan-review-admissions-policies; https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/documents/uc-academic-senate-boars-roadmap-executive-summary-06-11-2026.pdf; https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/documents/uc-academic-senate-boars-roadmap-06-05-2026.pdf; https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/documents/academic-senate-chair-to-faculty-re-boars-roadmap-06-11-2026.pdf.

**https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-06-11/uc-sat-act-test-requirement-admissions-reconsider.