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How is the Trump Administration Proposing to Remake the UC System?

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A march through the UC Berkeley campus in association with the national Stand Up for Science day of action in Berkeley on March 7, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)

President Trump’s administration has shifted its campaign against elite universities to the University of California system. They are demanding changes that would remake universities in a conservative image and insisted the UC hand over a list of students, faculty and staff as part of an investigation into alleged antisemitism.

While the standoff continues, labor unions, faculties and students are suing the administration to prevent the government from using financial threats that they say undermine academic freedom. 

Marisa and Scott discuss all this with the Los Angeles Times education reporter Jaweed Kaleem. Then, they’re joined by UC Berkeley law professor Christopher Kutz, who has been part of a faculty effort to insist the UC not negotiate with the Trump administration.

Read more: UC Labor Groups Sue Trump Over ‘Coercive’ Antisemitism Investigations and Demands

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