The following is an update from UC President James B. Milliken with a link to Frequently asked questions on federal investigations and information sharing (PDF).
To the UC community:
We begin the academic year with excitement and purpose, but also with recognition that this is a very challenging time for the University of California and higher education more broadly.
In August, I joined the University right as hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding for UCLA had been suspended by the federal government, which also sought a $1 billion fine and numerous policy changes at the campus. And while the greatest threat to date has been at UCLA, all 10 of our campuses are under investigation by the federal government for issues ranging from antisemitism, admissions practices, reporting of foreign gifts, and more. Given the federal government’s actions against Harvard University in a similar situation, this may well represent the greatest threat to the University of California in its 157-year history.
Just within the last few days, the administration has announced a plan to impose a myriad of new requirements on universities seeking federal funding, which we will discuss soon with faculty leadership.
Against this unprecedented backdrop, the UC Regents, the Office of the President, and campus leadership are focused on ensuring that UC remains the leading research university in the world and an engine of social and economic mobility for our state and nation. This means doing everything we can to sustain the extraordinary work of our faculty, staff, and students, working to prevent massive funding cuts to our campuses and medical operations, and protecting the freedom to teach, learn, and research without outside interference.
UC is truly unique in its size, complexity, and impact in the communities we serve. We are the largest research enterprise in the world and the second-largest employer in the fourth-largest economy in the world. That scale, and the impact it enables, is possible in large part because of a partnership with the federal government, which provides over $17 billion in support each year.
As with all universities that receive federal funds, the University of California and its campuses are subject to oversight by federal agencies. These agencies have the legal authority to compel the University to respond to requests for information. Failure to comply with government oversight could result in a very significant loss of funding, potentially jeopardizing tens of thousands of jobs, the education of our students, the research careers of thousands of faculty, and the care afforded by our health enterprise to patients in need.
For civil rights investigations in particular, the regulations establishing the Department of Education’s wide-ranging authority have been in place since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted. For decades, universities across the country, including the University of California, have complied with oversight from federal agencies to fulfill their obligations under federal civil rights laws. Notably, these statutory and regulatory requirements are intended to ensure that universities fulfill their legal obligations to respond adequately to complaints of discrimination and harassment — not to investigate underlying individual employee or student conduct.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating allegations that UC Berkeley failed to adequately respond to complaints of antisemitic discrimination. In the course of the investigation, OCR demanded, pursuant to statute and regulations, unredacted civil rights office case files and police incident reports. For months, the University sought to satisfy this demand by providing only redacted documents. OCR rejected this approach, and after consulting with legal counsel, the University ultimately reached an agreement with OCR in June 2025 to release the unredacted files. This was done as a last resort, taking into account the University’s understanding of its legal obligations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations, the risks of noncompliance, and the interests of the entire University community.
Such compliance with OCR investigative demands is not new and certainly not limited to UC. As recently as last year, the University entered into a settlement agreement with the Biden administration to voluntarily resolve OCR investigations of five campuses: UC Davis, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. The full agreement was shared in a university-wide letter from former UC President Drake on December 20, 2024. As part of that agreement, the University committed to provide to OCR detailed information about civil rights complaints filed during the 2024-25 academic year. We are working to fulfill the University’s obligations while protecting personal information to the extent possible.
I know that many people in our community have concerns with this longstanding practice in today’s environment. While I understand those concerns, we also have an obligation to follow the law, and that means the University will continue to have to comply with lawful government oversight requests for information. When UC receives such requests, we will rigorously assess the underlying legal authority and the extent to which the request implicates countervailing privacy laws. UC’s response will comply with legal requirements while also striving to protect the University, its mission, and its people.
These are challenging times. The University faces difficult decisions every day, and the stakes could not be higher. We are always concerned with protecting the University, its mission, and its people. We must also uphold the law, safeguard our community, advance UC’s vital role in education, research, health care, and serve the nation. We take these obligations very seriously, and we will continue to do all we can to meet them to ensure UC’s successful future.
Sincerely,
James B. Milliken
President, University of California
Frequently asked questions on federal investigations and information sharing are available here (PDF).