UC and ACT, SAT, F9, G2- and new UCM chancellor appointed...

Yesterday's meeting included F9 and G2: not to be missed sections...

Today's meeting:

btw the regents recently put this on the agenda "***Revised Item***" guess which item that is...
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/meetings/agendas/may20.html



"UC Regents Approve Plan to Eliminate SAT and ACT from Admissions – NBC Bay Area"
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/uc-regents-approve-plan-to-eliminate-sat-and-act-from-admissions/2294692/

"University of California Board of Regents suspend use of SAT, ACT test scores for admissions - ABC7 Los Angeles"
https://abc7.com/university-of-california-uc-admissions-sat-scores-act/6202642/

"UC Board of Regents discusses finances, COVID-19 relief"
https://www.dailycal.org/2020/05/20/uc-board-of-regents-discusses-finances-covid-19-relief/

"UC Regents approve principles to guide campus decisions about fall term | University of California"
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/uc-regents-approve-principles-guide-campus-decisions-about-fall-term

"UC Berkeley lecturers fear job loss with lack of hiring freeze exemption"
https://www.dailycal.org/2020/05/21/uc-berkeley-lecturers-fear-job-loss-with-lack-of-hiring-freeze-exemption/

"UC Berkeley announces extension of event postponements"
https://www.dailycal.org/2020/05/21/campus-announces-extension-of-event-postponements-through-july/

How Much Is Football A Factor? 
"Hybrid", "Partial" is  equivalent to "Open" for football sake?

"UC president Napolitano: Campuses will open in the fall"
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/20/coronavirus-university-of-california-campuses-will-open-in-the-fall-napolitano-says/
A decision is expected in the middle of June.
“These decisions,” Napolitano added, “all must be made in the context of local, state and federal public health restrictions.”
The opening of campuses for students to return — even at less than full capacity — is considered essential for the Cal and UCLA football teams to compete in the fall.
In addition to Napolitano’s remarks, Cal chancellor Carol Christ provided an update for the regents on the financial state of the Berkeley campus:

"Napolitano says UCs will likely operate on hybrid basis for fall, decision not yet made"
https://dailybruin.com/2020/05/20/napolitano-says-ucs-will-likely-operate-on-hybrid-basis-for-fall-decision-not-yet-made/
____
"Is CRISPR the Solution to the Coronavirus Testing Dilemma?"
https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-crispr-the-solution-to-the-coronavirus-testing-dilemma?ref=home

" The Rush To Reopen Colleges In The Fall Ignores Harsh Scientific and Ethical Realities" 
https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/05/21/rush-reopen-colleges-fall-ignores-harsh-scientific-and-ethical-realities-opinion

A Regents' Rejection of the Physical Campus at UC?

Or just certain academic departments? See:
"Regents To Vote On Delaying Funds For UC Berkeley Building Seismic Retrofits"
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/05/19/regents-to-vote-on-delaying-funds-for-uc-berkeley-building-seismic-retrofits/
-Recall the regents allowed for an almost half billion dollar retrofit upgrade of Memorial Stadium that threw UC Berkeley into challenging times
"Cal to move a portion of stadium debt off athletic department’s books "
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/02/big-relief-cal-to-move-a-portion-of-stadium-debt-off-athletic-departments-books/
-And the campus discussed below has had a number of seismic events in recent years-.

"The University Of California regents will be facing some tough choices Tuesday when they meet to debate how the 10-campus system will deal with the fiscal shortfalls triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.

Among the capital proposals that will be under consideration will be funds earmarked for seismic upgrades on the Berkeley campus, according to the meeting agenda.

The Hayward Fault runs through campus and officials have been planning to fund retrofit projects for Durant Hall, Stephens Hall, Wellman Hall and Evans Hall.

The regents will be deciding whether to pool the funds for all four projects into one just earmarked for replacing Evans Hall.

“The replacement of Evans Hall is the Berkeley campus’s largest and most urgent seismic priority and represents over 45 percent of the campus space with a Seismic Performance Rating of VI,” the regents said in their agenda for Tuesday’s session.

The 2020-21 State Capital Budget included three seismic projects for the Berkeley campus totaling $112.5 million − Durant, Stephens, and
Wellman Halls.

“While these four projects are important, they are not as critical and their programs are not as student-facing as those in Evans Hall,” the regents said “Having considered these factors, UC is withdrawing the submission for Durant, Stephens, and Wellman Halls and postponing the University Hall project.”

The resulting $118.55 million, the regents said, would be part of a future budget proposal to fund the remainder of the Evans Hall replacement project."
-and yet UC berkeley is seeking other projects at the same time that cost much more.
___

"Judge: UC can be sued for discrimination against low-income students due to use of SAT, ACT exams for admissions"
https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Judge-UC-can-be-sued-for-discrimination-against-15281645.php
..."The lawsuit’s allegations, if proven, could show that the university “knew that its policy choice would disproportionately impact minority and low-income students” as well as disabled students, said Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman in a ruling made public Tuesday. He said California law prohibits discriminatory government policies even if the bias was unintentional.

The regents are scheduled to meet "..."Advocates for low-income and minority students have long said the tests are unfair to applicants who cannot afford preparation classes or tutors and those whose first language was not English, and exclude many qualified students while reducing campus diversity. Advocates also question whether Napolitano’s proposal goes far enough."..."The lawsuit, if successful, would prohibit either optional or mandatory use of the exams in UC admissions.

The suit noted that the university’s Academic Senate had refused to require the SAT for admissions in the 1960s, finding that the test scores had little or no relationship to future success at UC, before reversing course in 1979. Seligman, in his ruling, said the evidence could show that the university knew the test had an adverse impact on disadvantaged and minority applicants."...
- that may explain Napolitano's stance.

ACT claims:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-18/napolitano-proposal-uc-testing-requirements-act-sat
__
"UC’s investment portfolios fossil free; clean energy investments top $1 billion "
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-s-investment-portfolios-fossil-free-clean-energy-investments-top-1-billion
- Toward the very end -literally last minute- of the UC Regents investments  committee meeting included some eyebrow raising comments from Regent Blum esp in light of that review of the stocks- pandemic-senate issue in DC where DiFi ... Why? In response to Blum the CIO and chair of the committee tell him they're happy to talk about it offline. 
____
At other places:
"Notre Dame plans to bring students back to campus 2 weeks early and will skip fall break"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/us/notre-dame-fall-2020-campus-return/index.html

"Cambridge University moves all lectures online until summer 2021 "
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/19/cambridge-university-moves-all-lectures-online-until-summer-2021
____
Today these UC Regents sessions:

The UC Regents Meetings Held Today- and From Napolitano's Vantage Point...

First see
http://utotherescue.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-converging-crises-iv-democrat.html
UPDATE 5.19.  Yesterday, UC president Janet Napolitano announced a pay freeze for "policy-covered staff employees," 10 percent salary cuts for her and the campus chancellors, and the continuation of ladder-faculty merit reviews (the coded language here will need careful parsing, and will probably be implemented somewhat differently on the various campuses).

Towards the end, she noted,

    From mid-March through April alone, we estimate that systemwide financial losses totaled nearly $1.2 billion, and we anticipate these losses will continue to climb in the months ahead. Needless to say, this significant loss of revenue is having an enormous negative effect on our budgets. Additionally, Governor Newsom last week announced a revised State budget for 2020-21 that includes a 10 percent funding reduction for UC of $372 million.

Newsom's May cut takes UC down to $3.369 billion.  Why does Napolitano describe this as a ten percent cut for 2020-21, not 15.72 percent?  It depends on how you count. It's a

    10 percent cut from 2019-20's general fund appropriation of $3.724 billion.
    16 percent cut from Newsom's January budget proposal (see Dept of Finance)
    20 percent cut from the UC Regents' November budget proposal (of $4.228 billion).

With a 20 percent cut, Newsom joins Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown in the 20 Percent Higher Ed Cuts Club.

I don't know why Napolitano is minimizing the size of the state cut, making it seem like half of what it actually is when compared to the University's official request in November.  That November request was not large enough to make UC solvent (second budget slide here): many UC campuses were projecting deficits on its basis.  Add in the non-state revenue losses and UC's 2020-21 is an unprecedented budget disaster. 
http://utotherescue.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-converging-crises-iv-democrat.html

and
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2020/05/president-napolitano-announces-systemwide-pay-freeze-for-policy-covered-employees.html

Remaking the University on FB has comments from some who note the pay freeze has almost no effect for those at the top of the scale like Napolitano etc.

Just to add on to that thread

Napolitano's plan was to go on sabbatical next year :
"Napolitano was paid $654,889 last year, including base pay of $570,000 plus other pay and benefits. She said she will continue as president through July before taking a year’s sabbatical. In fall 2021, she said she’ll join the faculty of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, but she doesn’t know what classes she’ll teach."
-- During sabbatical year  she would receive the full $654,889 and perks for that year as well- there have been vague suggestions, hints, allusions from Napolitano and others at UC that perhaps she would continue on beyond her August 1st last day as UC president or serve in some (lateral?) capacity??-  but nothing has been stated clearly. Now with the pay freeze it also remains unclear whether or not she will take a decrease on her sabbatical pay etc.

Recall on her predecessor:
"UC regents were too generous to Yudof"
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article29969970.html
"Yudof’s joke is on us; we’re not amused"
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article29677894.html
and, where it was framed as "pension" not specifically "sabbatical"
"UC is handing out generous pensions, and students are paying the price with higher tuition "
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-uc-pensions-20170924-story.html
_____

A UC Regent and head of the CA community college system:
"California community college chancellor endorses going online-only this fall"
https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2020/05/california-community-college-online-fall-2020/

The head of the CSU system:
"Cal State chancellor: 'Tuition and mandatory fees must remain' for virtual classes"

____

You can view UC Regents meetings this week here:
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/meetings/videos/may2020/may2020.html

Today's meetings:







______
Beloved Oz and its contradictions:
on this 
then this

UC Regents Decide Their Own Compliance Rules During Pandemic and Compomised Meeting Arrangements, Structure...this includes Title IX but can extend not just to Title IX.

See:
"‘Mysterious body of people’: A look into the UC governing board"
https://www.dailycal.org/2020/05/18/mysterious-body-of-people-a-look-into-the-uc-governing-board/
-the quote is from UC Regent Kieffer, who is a member of the Governance committee mentioned below in other items- and Kieffer currently is involved in an active Title IX case review being conducted by the UC Regents and their staff.

__

With that,
The UC Regents have decided to suddenly add an action item - and see also: https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2020/05/title-ix-at-regents.html 

--it is an action item that they delayed posting for several days with less than the 10 days notice.

https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/may20/g2.pdf

https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/may20/g2attach1.pdf

 (Meaning they don't just discuss - as in a 'discussion item' first-- but instead they have opted for an 'action' item that they vote on at their meeting) An agenda item directly related to UC Regents and their compliance with UC rules. They claim there is a working group chaired by Regent Simmons ( a UCLA based and affiliated alumni regent who serves a one year term). The regents also curiously advance the agenda item as a recommendation at this particular time from Simmons, who they name specifically - rather than add the agenda item as a decision the regents  working group make jointly --why? Likely, for many, this is the first they are hearing of this 'working group' on the subject, or the first they are hearing of any of their work since mention of the possiblilty of it. To suddenly decide to vote on this item in the midst of the pandemic after many, many years of the issue presenting itself with regard to regents' behavior is ...Also curious.
For just some of the background of prior instances:

https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Suit-accuses-UC-Regent-Norman-Pattiz-of-12236346.php

https://www.dailycal.org/2019/11/15/uc-regent-george-kieffer-publicly-accused-of-sexual-harassment-at-uc-regents-meeting/

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/14/uc-santa-cruz-grad-student-accuses-regent-of-groping-her/

https://dailybruin.com/2019/11/19/uc-regents-neglect-toward-misconduct-claims-shows-inaction-stems-from-the-top/

https://dailybruin.com/2016/11/27/uc-regent-norman-pattiz-allegedly-makes-vulgar-comments-in-audio-clip/

https://time.com/5027312/uc-regents-norman-pattiz-resignation-harassment/

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uc-regent-sexual-harass-20160201-story.html

Important also to review the interactions which took place in this other instance  and involved multiple regents and regents staff officials:

https://www.propublica.org/article/university-of-california-regent-violated-ethics-rules-review-finds

https://www.dailycal.org/2016/05/02/investigation-concludes-uc-regent-violated-ethics-rules/

https://dailybruin.com/2016/05/04/uc-regent-to-remain-board-member-despite-ethical-violations/

https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/05/04/just-uc-ethics-violation-no-big-deal-east-bay-times-editorial/
-at a recent UC Regents meeting chair Perez made a point of noting De La Pena was visiting the meeting as a guest and so it seems there are no residual  bad feelings on these events but a bunch of accusations were flying  in both directions and many questions were raised and left unanswered about how the regents meet at their  BOTH scheduled and off-site irregular meetings at Arrowhead , Cavallo etc...
--As mentioned earler there are a couple of known Title IX cases invvolving chancellors and the UC Regents and their staff (Gen counsel, etc) oversee the review of those cases and some of this also comes up in the pdf docs of the regents on this upcoming G2 item at the regents May meeting.  The regents meet beginning tomorrow.
________________________
There is testing and then there is testing:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-05-15/uc-san-diego-begins-mass-testing-students-for-novel-coronavirus

https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-defines-testing-down-11589746251

https://www.dailycal.org/2020/05/17/uc-board-of-regents-to-decide-on-how-to-reopen-campuses-standardized-test-use-at-may-meeting/
__
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Hundreds-of-UC-Berkeley-lecturers-fear-losing-jobs-15276583.php
__
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/05/17/uc-berkeley-graduates-entering-an-uncertain-world-shaped-by-covid-19-im-supposed-to-be-doing-great/
__
"With Cal State and other colleges moving online, higher ed has to prove its value"
https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/With-Cal-State-and-other-colleges-moving-online-15276716.php
__
"Coronavirus set to chop $2 billion from California higher ed — but financial aid survives"
https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2020/05/california-higher-ed-cuts-budget-coronavirus-tuition-uc-csu-ccc/
..."an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office who specializes in higher education, said typically what happens with recessions is that as unemployment goes up, more people enroll in college to update their skills and increase their chances of getting hired. As colleges and universities take in more students, they also receive less support from the government. The results: a squeeze on campus resources, reduction in available classes, and fewer faculty and staff per student. 

This recession, however, is driven by a pandemic, “and there’s no way to extrapolate how long the pandemic will last,” he said. The coronavirus is also changing campus behavior, having already moved most instruction online. And it’s likely to stay that way, creating uncertainty for colleges as they wait for students to decide whether they want to experience higher education online. "...

more on LAO here:  https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-surgical-approach.html

"They'll immediately zero in on two industries, health care and education. So it's just likely we're going to see a warm embrace between big tech looking for high margin, large revenue businesses,"

First,
"Our Converging Crises IV: Democrat Hoovernomics"
http://utotherescue.blogspot.com/2020/05/our-converging-crises-iv-democrat.html
____

"State Cuts Grow Deep
Experts had predicted states would have to cut higher education funding. The scope is becoming clearer every day."
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/05/15/size-state-budget-cuts-becomes-clearer
includes:
"Meanwhile, California State University chancellor Timothy White lamented Thursday’s cuts. “While the fiscal outlook set forth in Governor Newsom’s May budget revision is not unexpected, it is indeed daunting and portends challenging times across the California State University and the entire state,” he said.

University of California president Janet Napolitano said in a statement, “The University of California recognizes the unprecedented challenges California is facing in the wake of COVID-19 and regrets that Governor Newsom was put into a position to steeply reduce the university’s budget.”

The cuts being discussed are raising fears of a repeat of the budget reductions colleges and universities faced in the last recession about a decade ago. 

“We must avoid the types of devastating cuts that turned more than 500,000 students away from our colleges in the Great Recession. Now, more than ever, community colleges must stay strong for California,” Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of California Community Colleges, said in a statement, after news of the cuts.

The cuts being discussed is raising fears of a repeat of the cuts colleges and universities faced in the last recession about a decade ago. 

“We must avoid the types of devastating cuts that turned more than 500,000 students away from our colleges in the Great Recession. Now, more than ever, community colleges must stay strong for California.” ” Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of California Community Colleges, said in a statement, after news of the cuts.

The cuts being discussed are raising fears of a repeat of the cuts colleges and universities faced in the last recession in 2008.

“We know that state resources will be constrained at least for the short-term future,” Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of California Community Colleges, said in a statement. “But we cannot allow what happened during the Great Recession of a decade ago to repeat itself. Severe budget cuts to higher education at the time forced community colleges to turn away 500,000 students, allowing California to fall further behind in the production of college-educated workers and hindering economic recovery.”"
____
Then,
This, pretty succinctly , gets to some key tech SV disruption of Higher Education and Health. Unfortunately they do not provide it as a clip which would be bettter than the transcription:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2005/15/sitroom.02.html

BLITZER: The students waiting to hear if their schools will resume in person classes. Some colleges are already making the decisions to keep campuses closed for the fall semester.

Let's bring in Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business. He featured in the new article in New York Magazine, Looking How the Pandemic May Reshape Higher Education. Professor Galloway, thank you so much for joining us. You're predicting a higher education will be dramatically different because of this pandemic in the immediate future. What changes do you expect to see in college registration, for example?

SCOTT GALLOWAY, MARKETING PROFESSOR, NYU STEM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: We're going to see incredible demand structure (ph). If you look at the industries that have been hit hardest, they all have one thing in common, and that is they put people shoulder to shoulder, whether it's restaurants, or live events, or movie theaters. And who else does that? Universities.

So we're probably going to see some, if not, the majority of universities unless there's a vaccine not reopen for the typical on campus experience in the fall. And we may see hundreds never reopen, because they just don't have the endowments or the financial cushions to survive a kind of a dramatic revenue loss we're looking at.

So just as equity analysts are looking at how much cash is on the balance sheet of companies to see who might be most vulnerable, we're going to start pretty soon talking about who has the endowments to survive this pandemic.

BLITZER: You told New York Magazine that this change in the moment could pave the way for what, big tech companies like Facebook, or Google, or Apple, to partnership with elite universities. What would these partnerships look like?

GALLOWAY: Well, I think the best universities, the best brands in the world aren't Apple or Coca-Cola, or MIT and (but*) Stanford. Nobody pays Apple a $100 million to put their names on the side of the building of the Apple campus, but I think these larger universities will be able to welcome 3, 5, 10 maybe in 20 thousand people to campus to capture some of those or recapture some of those students in those margin dollars. And the partners I believe that will help them get there will be small and big tech, whether it's Google or whether it's Zoom or whether it's Slack.

So you could end up in the situation where you have big tech entering, what is probably the most disruptible business in the world right now other than healthcare, where tuition has exploded 15-fold in the last 40 years. I mean, when you look at big tech going game hunting (ph) for how they increase their top line to justify their incredible market capitalizations, they'll immediately zero in on two industries, health care and education.

So it's just likely we're going to see a warm embrace between big tech looking for high margin, large revenue businesses, they're awry (ph) for disruption, which is education.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2005/15/sitroom.02.html

The transcript is incomplete on the exchange-there are sections of the talk left out- and there is a correction that needs to be made- heard him say 'but Stanford' not "and Stanford"  -- he was differentiating higher ed from SV firms (BTW, there are many, many problems with the quality of closed captioning on all the cable news channels ...which SV might be....ah, well....)

His comments to Blitzer specifically referenced the CA public higher ed model as different and on better footing and apart, different from small colleges w/ high tuition models currently under severe budget problems going forward etc.
but there is more coverage here::
“If the experience is substantially diminished, people are no longer going to pay $58,000 a year," NYU professor Scott Galloway tells @smerconish
 about the future of colleges after Covid-19. "… You could see hundreds, if not thousands, of universities start this death march.”
"They'll immediately zero in on two industries, health care and education.
So it's just likely we're going to see a warm embrace between big tech looking for high margin, large revenue businesses,"
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1261653125120684033


and:
"The Coming Disruption Scott Galloway predicts a handful of elite cyborg universities will soon monopolize higher education."
 https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/scott-galloway-future-of-college.html

___
Privilege disconnect and not many detailed answers in this conversation w/ chancellor C.Christ here:
"In online conversation, Carol Christ gives budget, campus updates"
https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/05/12/in-online-conversation-carol-christ-gives-budget-campus-updates/
- her overall tone of  'it will be the same as it ever was' to an important question about on campus life going forward and her highlighing of historical "people-pandemics ignore "em' were strange interjections to answering some real questions posed. (and it is still not a real conversation if she is only interacting with  a person  who works in her cabinet as an asst VC, and occasionally other senior mngmnt in her cabinet-- those aren't real conversations with community) 
___
Short on answers to all the issues/questions/asks in this:
"Union and Student Letter to President Napolitano and Board of Regents"
https://cucfa.org/2020/05/letter-to-president-and-regents/
____
Doesn't a former UC chancellor now run this system?
https://twitter.com/OU_SaveOurProfs/status/1257071301421871107

UC Prez Napolitano Says Drop SAT, ACT at University of California

This regents item now with this UCOP proposal:
 https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/may20/b4.pdf

Getting advance regents meeting coverage:
"UC President Napolitano recommends dropping the SAT, ACT tests"
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/UC-President-Napolitano-recommends-dropping-the-15262991.php
-University of California President Janet Napolitano is recommending that the 10-campus system drop the SAT and ACT testing requirement and replace those standardized tests with a newly created admissions test.

"UC President Suspend SAT, ACT For Admissions"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/11/us/uc-president-suspend-sat-act-for-admissions/index.html
includes:
...""UC, along with several other colleges and universities around the nation, has already dropped the standardized tests for admissions this year because of the Covid-19 crisis. "These unusual and unstable circumstances are likely to persist and impact education for some time," Napolitano wrote.  It also recognizes the opportunity that the University, in partnership with California leaders, has to improve educational quality, equity, and access in the state by better aligning the indicators used to assess students' college readiness and promoting greater access to the curriculum that shapes student readiness."
While the test requirements are suspended, the university "will consult with K-12 educators, test experts, the California State University, and UC faculty to evaluate how best to construct a test better suited for the needs of UC," Napolitano wrote.
If UC isn't able to come up with a test to replace the standardized tests for fall 2025 applications, "UC will eliminate altogether the use of the ACT/SAT for freshman admissions," according to the recommendation.
It's not clear what would be required for out-of-state applicants.
The president will ask the Academic Senate and administration "to determine the appropriate approach for out-of-state and international students beginning in 2025," according to the plan.  Napolitano also recommended that the SAT essay and ACT writing test be eliminated altogether as an admissions requirement.
The memo was sent as an action item for the board of regents' May 21 meeting."

"Suspend SAT for UC Admissions, Janet Napolitano Says"
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-11/napolitano-says-suspend-the-sat-test-for-uc-admissions
"In a decision that could lead to a shake-up of the nation’s standardized testing landscape, University of California President Janet Napolitano is recommending the suspension of the SAT and ACT tests as an admissions requirement until 2024 and possible elimination after that. 
In a proposal posted Monday, Napolitano is recommending a complex and unusual five-year plan that would make the tests optional for two years and eliminate testing requirements for California students in Years 3 and 4. Then, in Year 5, UC would move toward a standardized assessment developed specifically for the 10-campus system. 
The plan would produce rich data on which students get admitted under each strategy and how they perform in college. It could also widen access to a UC education for more disadvantaged students. But the recommendation raises concerns about how campuses would implement different entry standards for different classes.
Napolitano’s decision could tip the scales against the tests among Board of Regents members, who are scheduled to vote on the controversial issue next week."..."er plan is not completely in line with the Academic Senate, which recently voted unanimously to keep the tests for five years while alternatives are researched. But Senate Chair Kum-Kum Bhavnani expressed appreciation that Napolitano adopted many key recommendations in a faculty task force report on testing, including development of a new assessment for the UC system.
“The Senate is pleased that the president’s recommendations are in line with the spirit of our recommendations,” Bhavnani said. “We look forward to working with the university to develop a new content-based test.”
Most campus admission officers, however, regard SAT and ACT scores as useful tools to help assess applicants and will be left with the task of figuring out how to evaluate tens of thousands of applications without them. "


"University of California president urges multiyear suspension of SAT, ACT requirements"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/05/11/university-california-president-urges-multiyear-suspension-satact-requirements/

for regents meeting full upcoming agenda:
https://cloudminder.blogspot.com/2020/05/uc-regents-meeting-may-19-21-agenda-to.html

UC Regents Meeting May 19-21 agenda , to include rare ALL committees participation

see: 

http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2020/05/preliminary-regents-agenda.html

For an easier to read agenda listing for UC Regents meeting May 19-21

along with comments, background notes interspersed there...
Just this to add-- On one supposition there about  item G2: It may or may not be related to a "board member who has since resigned" There are at least three cases it could possibly be: one involved a UC regent who resigned (complainants were not IX from UC but employees from his outside biz) and was replaced years ago; another case which involved the now former VP for UC systemwide health affairs  (complainant is/was staff who worked at UC Berkeley and UCOP); and a third case involving the immediate past chair of the UC Regents  who is on the board presently. ( complainant is a grad student leader at UCSC). And then there are known review of matters involving two chancellors - one at UC with complaints from mostly former staff; and one involving a chancellor and any actions he might have made in relation to high profile DOEd review of events at MI state, that review was released but unclear if regents have made conclusions. Chancellors have committee assignments on UC regents committees but they are not technically members of the board of UC regents, but the language of the agenda item is non -specific so....

-- Also Admissions Testing;  Fees and Tuition; and Title IX  come up in the long listings mentioned for compliance and audit committee agenda items - not just Requa of note there.  
And added in the final board session items in below (the regents secretary has not made the "notices printable pdf" one page agenda available yet, or at lleast not the link for that enabled yet-)

https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/meetings/agendas/may20.html
Live video streaming is available during the open session meetings.
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/meetings/videos/may2020/may2020.html

Regents Meeting: May 19-21, 2020, Agenda

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

11:30 am Finance and Capital Strategies Committee (open session - includes public comment session)
Action: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2020

    F1 Action: Consent Agenda:

A. Adoption of Endowment Administration Cost Recovery Rate

B. Adoption of Expenditure Rate for the General Endowment Pool

C. Amendments to the 2019-20 and 2020-21 Budget for State
Capital Improvements

D. Approval of Design Following Action Pursuant to the
California Environmental Quality Act, Inpatient Rehabilitation
Hospital, Davis Health Campus

    F2 Action: Partial Preliminary Plans Funding, Irvine Campus Medical Complex, Irvine Campus

    F3 Action: Preliminary Plans and Working Drawings Funding and Scope, Mission Bay East Campus Phase 2 (Block 34) Parking Garage, San Francisco Campus

    F4 Action: Preliminary Plans Funding, Mission Bay East Campus Phase 2 (Block 34) Clinical Building, San Francisco Campus

    F5 Action: Preliminary Plans Funding, Integrated Center for Design and Construction at Parnassus Heights, San Francisco Campus

    F6 Action: Partial Preliminary Plans Funding, the New Hospital at UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights, San Francisco Campus

2:30 pm Investments Committee (open session)

    Action: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of January 21, 2020

    I-1 Discussion: Update on University of California Investments Products – Retirement, Endowment and Working Capital

Note: This session is the first in which the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis and recession will really be aired at a Regents meeting. The issue was largely avoided at the prior meeting.

4:30 pm Special Committee on Basic Needs (open session)
Action: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 17, 2020

S1 Discussion: Supporting Students’ Basic Needs During COVID-19

S2 Discussion: Special Committee on Basic Needs Report Draft Recommendations

===
Wednesday, May 20, 2020

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Agenda – Closed Session

G1X Discussion: Appointment of and Compensation for a Chancellor, Merced Campus,

 Closed Session Statute Citation: Personnel Matters [Education Code §92032(b)(7)]
Note: Presumably, the name of the new chancellor of UC-Merced will be unveiled at one of the two following full board meetings.

FULL BOARD

Time: At the conclusion of the closed session Governance Committee meeting

    Agenda – Open Session
    Public Comment Period
    Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2020
    Remarks of the Chair of the Board
    Remarks of the President of the University

HEALTH SERVICES COMMITTEE
Time: 10:00 a.m.

    Agenda – Open Session
   
     H1 Discussion: Update of COVID-19 Impact on the University of California: UC Health Issues

Note: At the prior off-cycle meeting of this committee, the financial impact wasn't much discussed. Presumably, it will have to come up this time.

ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Time: At the conclusion of the previous meeting

    Agenda – Open Session
    Action: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2020
    
   A1 Discussion: Update of COVID-19 Impact on the University of California: Academic and Student Issues

FINANCE AND CAPITAL STRATEGIES COMMITTEE
Time: At the conclusion of the previous meeting
Agenda – Open Session

    F7 Discussion: Projected COVID-19 Impacts on 2019-20 and 2020-21 Revenue

Note: At the prior Regents meeting, only one Regent pushed for any kind of discussion of this matter. It can't be avoided this time.

FULL BOARD
Time: At the conclusion of previous meeting

    Agenda – Open Session
   
    B2 Action: Principles for Responsible Operation of University Locations in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic

FINANCE AND CAPITAL STRATEGIES COMMITTEE (Continued)
Date: May 20, 2020
Time: 1:00 p. m.
Agenda – Open Session

    F8 Action: Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget for the University of California Office of the President
    
    F9 Action: Amendment of the University of California Retirement Savings Program Plans to Provide for Relief Distributions and Loan                       Provisions as Permitted Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Note: We posted earlier this past week about the need for Regental action to approve certain special features allowed under the CARES Act.

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE (Continued)
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Agenda – Open Session

    Action: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2020
    G2 Action: Amendment of Regents Policy 1112 – Review of Allegations of Board Member Misconduct

"Note: G2 is likely the result of past allegations of sexual misconduct of a board member who subsequently resigned."

    G3 Action: Amendment of Bylaw 21.7 and Regents Policy 1202 – Policy on Appointment of Student Regent

Agenda – Closed Session

    Action: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2020
    G4X Discussion: Collective Bargaining Matters, Closed Session Statute Citation: Collective bargaining matters [Government Code §3596(d)]

Note: The pledge of the UC prez to avoid layoffs expires on June 30. Since this is a closed session, we will not know what the discussion will be. But it's hard to imagine the layoff issue won't be part of the agenda.

COMPLIANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Agenda – Closed Session
Action Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 18, 2020

    C1X Discussion: State Audit of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation, Closed Session Statute Citation: Response to draft State audit report [Government Code §11126.2]
 

   C2X Discussion: Update on the Pension Administration Project, Closed Session Statute Citations: Personnel Matters [Education Code §92032(b)(7)]; Litigation [Education Code §92032(b)(5)]

Note: We have noted this item in the past. What is the "Pension Administration Project" and why is it under litigation?** (We have been assured it doesn't have anything to do with pension benefits.)

    C3X Discussion: Foreign Influence Investigations Across the System, Closed Session Statute Citations: Personnel Matters [Education Code §92032(b)(7)]; Litigation [Education Code §92032(b)(5)]

"Note: C3X likely involves a potentially contentious matter involving relations with China."

    "There follows a long list of legal cases in various stages. One of note is:"

REQUA v. REGENTS – Motion for Final Approval of Settlement Granted – Impairment of Implied Contract for Retiree Health Benefits – Office of the President

"This is the case that came out of Lawrence Livermore that provided monetary compensation for loss of UC retiree health due to a management change at that lab. While it might have established some sort of vested right to retiree health insurance, the monetary settlement averted such an outcome.***"

Thursday, May 21, 2020

FULL BOARD

    Agenda – Open Session
    Public Comment Period
    Remarks from Student Associations

    B3 Discussion: Standardized College Entrance Exams: Current Uses and Academic Perspectives on Use
   
    B4 Action: College Entrance Exam Use in University of California Undergraduate Admissions

Note: Apart from the budget, Items B3 and B4 are the hot topics of this meeting involving the use of the SAT and ACT.

Committee Reports Including Approvals of Recommendations from Committees:
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
Finance and Capital Strategies Committee
Health Services Committee (from the April 15, 2020 meeting)
Governance Committee
Investments Committee
Special Committee on Basic Needs
Special Committee on Nominations

Closed session of the full board follows the open session.
Agenda – Closed Session
Action  Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of March 19, 2020
Officers’ and President’s Reports: Personnel Matters
Report of Interim, Concurrence, and Committee Actions
Closed Session Statute Citation: Personnel matters [Education Code §92032(b)(7)] Litigation [Education Code §92032(b)(5)]Committee Reports Including Approvals of Recommendations from Committees:

Compliance and Audit CommitteeClosed Session Statute Citation: Response to draft State audit report
 [Government Code §11126.2]; Closed Session Statute Citations: Personnel Matters [Education Code §92032(b)(7)]; Litigation [Education Code §92032(b)(5)]

Governance Committee
Closed Session Statute Citation: Personnel Matters [Education Code §92032(b)(7)]; Closed Session Statute Citation:
 Collective bargaining matters
 [Government Code §3596(d)]

See: https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/meetings/agendas/may20.html

________________________________

Also add in here this just as FYI:
on May 11th  There is also: 
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/may20/nominationsx.pdf

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS
Date:May 11, 2020  Time: 4:  00 p.m.
Location:Teleconference meeting conducted in accordance with Paragraph 3 of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order 
Agenda – Closed Session
S1(X)ActionRecommendations for Election of Officers and Appointments to Standing Committees and Subcommittees for 2020-21
___________
News items:

" UCSD Striving to Test 65,000 in University Community for Virus Each Month
To the university's knowledge, this proposed program is the first of its kind in the University of California system and in the nation "
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/uc-san-diego-striving-to-test-65000-in-community-for-virus-each-month/2319353/
__
"Will others follow UC San Diego's plan to widely test for coronavirus?
Testing starts with 5,000 on-campus students and later expands to 65,000 people."
https://edsource.org/2020/will-others-follow-uc-san-diegos-plan-to-widely-test-for-coronavirus/631027
__
"Fewer international students expected to return to colleges in California and nation, hurting finances
Problems with visas, money and travel may block them. Health fears are strong too."
https://edsource.org/2020/fewer-international-students-expected-to-return-to-colleges-in-california-and-nation-hurting-finances/631148
__
" UCSC Assistant Professors Letter to Admin: Rescind Disciplinry Action"
http://utotherescue.blogspot.com/2020/05/ucsc-assistant-professor-letter-to.html
__

again with:
https://www.pe.com/2020/05/07/alexander-giuliana-mendiolas-lawsuit-vs-uc-riverside-shouldnt-be-a-surprise/
__
UC Hastings dean initiated actions and not UC Regents actions comes up in this CNN coverage: here posted at FB
https://www.facebook.com/CNNReplay/videos/743308319540274/
__
When the pandemic is saying likely no more triples and quads...
UC Berkeley goiing in big on this right now , several new projects mentioned in:
"UC Berkeley is negotiating to buy and potentially tear down 111-year-old rent-controlled building"
https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/05/04/uc-berkeley-is-in-negotiations-to-purchase-and-potentially-tear-down-a-111-year-old-rent-controlled-apartment-building