February 20, 2026
To: Academic Senate Faculty
Dear Colleagues:
At the Legislative Assembly (LgA) meeting February 5, 2026, LgA members unanimously passed a resolution on Shared Governance, Senate Consultation, and Administrative Accountability. This resolution asks for Administration to “engage informal, timely, and substantive consultation with the Academic Senate and its standing committees, including timely and substantive responses to Senate requests” and asks for a “report to the Legislative Assembly on the specific steps it will take to restore meaningful consultation with the Academic Senate and its standing committees…” We have extended an invitation to EVCP Hunt and Chancellor Frenk to present their report to the Legislative Assembly at its next meeting, which will be in person on Thursday, April 2, 2026, as well as to provide a written version of the report.
I am grateful to EVCP Hunt for launching two initiatives to help improve transparency and confirm that the Council on Planning and Budget receives appropriate and timely materials for consultation. One idea is a budget transparency protocol to develop a shared understanding of expectations including how and when draft and final information will be shared, confidentiality, and external communication. Additionally, EVCP Hunt indicated enthusiasm for a system to track what budget information has been distributed.
I welcome the news that Reem Hanna-Harwell will serve as interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer following the departure of Stephen Agostini. IVC/CFO Hanna-Hartwell brings years of financial experience at UCLA and a deep understanding of the academic mission to her new role. I am looking forward to transparency that will help us understand UCLA’s fiscal footing and clarity on plans for the future.
Even as they await more information, the Council on Planning and Budget is working on updating their Interim Report on the Campus Structural Deficit that was distributed in the February 2026 LgA materials. They are using some new information including the recently published Budget Book, which provides a brief high-level overview of the campus budget sources, expenditures, as well as unit-level summaries, and a recent Budget Overview. I am grateful to the serious attention that CPB members have given to addressing our budget concerns.
I welcome you to attend two upcoming events with opportunities for Senate faculty to speak with administrators: A Senate Faculty Conversation on Federal and State Research Support will take place via Zoom on February 27, 2026, featuring AVC Jennifer Poulakidas (UCLA Government and Community Relations), VCRCA Roger Wakimoto, EVCP Hunt and Michael Altschule (Executive Director of Government Relations, UCLA Health). An in-person conversation with Chancellor Frenk is scheduled for March 10, 2026. See below for more information on both of these events.
Regarding the status of OneIT, which was the subject of an earlier LgA resolution, based on campus feedback, administration will extend the implementation of OneIT by an additional 1.5 years to allow for more campus feedback and refinement of the plans. Concurrent projects like network consolidation, security transformation and email unification will continue. Thank you to the many stakeholders who gave feedback on the process and to the Senate councils and committees, particularly CDITP and LgA, who have engaged thoughtfully and constructively on the plans. Senate consultation informed Administration’s decision to revise the timeline of the plan. I hope that ongoing Senate consultation will effectively shape the final plan in ways that support the academic mission.
Sincerely,
Megan McEvoy
Chair, UCLA Academic Senate
Academic Senate Updates
February 2026
In this issue:
→ Register Now: Conversation With Senate Faculty on Federal and StateResearch Support
→ Save the Date: Chancellor Conversation With Senate Faculty
→ Survey on Academic Adjustments for Student-Athletes
→ Recent Legislative Assembly Resolution
→ Bureaucracy Survey Results
→ UC Task Force on Adaptation to Disruptions (UCAD) Report
→ Your Academic Senate
Register Now: Conversation With Senate Faculty on Federal and State Research Support
The Academic Senate will host a Zoom meeting on Friday, February 27, 2026, from 2–3p.m. on Federal and State research support. Senate faculty will have an opportunity to be in dialogue with Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activities Roger Wakimoto, Associate Vice Chancellor of Government and Community Relations Jennifer Poulakidas, Executive Director of Government Relations at UCLA Health Michael Altschule and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt. Senate Chair Megan McEvoy will moderate the discussion. The format is a live Zoom meeting where Senate faculty will ask questions directly; it is not a webinar. Register and submit questions by noon on Thursday, February 26.
Save the Date: Chancellor Conversation With Senate Faculty
The Academic Senate will host an in-person meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 1–2:30 p.m. where Senate Chair McEvoy will moderate a conversation between Senate faculty and Chancellor Frenk. Location and registration information is forthcoming in a separate announcement.
Survey on Academic Adjustments for Student-Athletes
The Undergraduate and Graduate Councils seek input from Senate faculty on academic adjustments for student-athletes, in the context of UCLA’s transition to the Big Ten intercollegiate athletics conference. Complete the Winter 2026 - Survey of Academic Adjustments for Student-Athletes by March 31.
Recent Legislative Assembly Resolution
The Legislative Assembly of the Los Angeles Division of the UC Academic Senate endorsed a resolution at its February 2026 meeting. The Resolution on Shared Governance, Senate Consultation, and Administrative Accountability is available on the Academic Senate’s DMS page and on the Senate website.
Bureaucracy Survey Results
The Academic Senate received 471 unique and valid responses to the survey of UCLA Senate Faculty, which was launched on November 25, 2025, and ran through January 2026. For more detailed insights, see the full Bureaucracy Survey Results Summary.
UC Task Force on Adaptation to Disruptions (UCAD) Report
The UC Academic Senate released the final report of the UC Task Force on Adaptation to Disruptions (UCAD). The task force revised and expanded the interim report in response to systemwide review. The final report has a new section on Planning for the Future of Doctoral Education and a new section on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mission and Visibility. Other sections, particularly those addressing research funding assistance, address a broader range of disruption scenarios, including protections for academic freedom and support for research in politically sensitive fields. The report provides a forward-looking framework for strengthening UC’s academic resilience based on robust shared governance.
Your Academic Senate
The Academic Senate is only as strong as its engaged faculty. We encourage you to volunteer for Senate service, contact your Legislative Assembly representatives, reach out to your Faculty Executive Committee Chairs, visit the Academic Senate website to learn about current issues, and follow us on X at @UCLASenate or on Bluesky @uclasenate.bsky.social.
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