Conflict over authority between the California Legislature and the University of California is examined. While the University of California has broad constitutional autonomy over academic matters, organization, and governance, the legislature has certain authority over the university under its own constitutional and budgetary powers. Attention is focused primarily on a particular conflict between the California Legislature and the University of California: the attempt to enact legislation to require the university to give faculty members access to their personnel files, including confidential letters of recommendation on which academic employment, tenure, and promotion decisions are based. In addition, four major conflicts between the university and the legislature that occurred between 1969 and 1978 are addressed: legislative response to campus disturbances (1969), establishment of a new state-level coordinating agency for higher education (1973), constitutional amendment for legislative control over competitive bidding procedures at the university (1976), and budget control language establishing criteria for faculty tenure and promotion (1977). Finally, implications for policy are briefly considered. (SW)