UC Regents sell $2 billion in bonds amid uncertainties with federal funding
The University of California Board of Regents sold $2 billion in general revenue bonds on Feb. 25. According to Bloomberg, the transaction supplement highlighted reductions in federal support for the UC.
“The Regents [continue] to monitor the federal government’s actions with respect to the higher education sector and, in particular, the University,” the supplement read. “Such actions may have the direct or indirect effect of, among other things, reducing federal support for the University’s research or other operations reducing the University’s fundraising or other revenue sources, or increasing costs borne by the University.”
Revenue bonds are municipal, or debt securities, for income-generating projects. Last December, the Regents sold $2.2 billion in municipal bonds.
The sales come after several lawsuits from the federal government, most notably one that proposed a $1.2 billion settlement against UC Los Angeles. While the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped its appeal against the court order that blocked the settlement, the DOJ is actively pursuing other lawsuits.
UC proposes new AFSCME contract offer
The UC presented a new contract offer to members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), according to a Feb. 27 press release. The proposed contract includes a roughly 32% increase in employee pay over the next five years.
AFSCME represents roughly 39,000 UC employees within its medical centers and research labs, among others. Contract negotiations between the union and the UC began in January 2024.
“This offer directly responds to what we are hearing from our employees every day. The cost of living continues to put pressure on our workforce and it’s essential to ensure our lowest-paid team members see real, lasting wage growth,” Associate Vice President for Systemwide Employee and Labor Relations Missy Matella said in the release.
The contract proposal also includes raising the minimum wage to $25 an hour and locking in premium reductions for “lower-paid employees.” The two parties will continue contract negotiations in the coming weeks.
UC Berkeley Multicultural Center reopens after campus review
UC Berkeley’s Multicultural Community Center (MCC) reopened on Feb. 13 after being shut down during the summer. All artwork, including a poster of Martin Luther King Jr. and signage with the phrase “free Palestine,” was removed, according to the
Daily Californian. Over the summer, the MCC was closed indefinitely after receiving criticism from “a number of campus stakeholders.” At the time of its closure, the University denied the claim that the center was closed due to federal pressures. According to the Daily Californian, MCC interns remained “skeptical.”
Campus officials reviewed the center before its reopening to ensure it aligned with “broader university policies.”
A campus spokesperson stated the center aims to provide a “cross-cultural understanding” as well as maintain a “welcoming and inclusive space.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 2 of the March 5, 2026 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
