A welcome message from Chancellor Nicholas Dirks
Theres nothing quite like the beginning of an academic year at Berkeley, when the campus is filled with a renewed sense of promise and potential generated by our new and returning students. It is also a great time to step back and take stock before we are swept up in the activities, programs and events that make this such a dynamic, rewarding place to work, teach and learn.
Assembled behind the tiles on this page are a wide range of stories, videos and personal profilesa collage that captures what we are doing, and intend to do, in support of our academic excellence and contributions to the public good.
While it might be hard to capture a place that wont stand still, what is here represents Berkeley at its very best. A few of the items below merit special attention: One of our primary goals is to evolve the Berkeley undergraduate experience so that it fully supports our students ambitions, needs and interests in a globalized, 21st century world. Cathy Koshland, as the universitys first vice chancellor for undergraduate education, will be partnering with our new Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Claude Steele, to lead the accelerating efforts in this area. In addition to a Q&A with Cathy, there are also short articles about related efforts and achievements in the realms of advising and financial aid.
I also want to point out the profiles of several students who embody everything that makes Berkeleyand its peopleunique in the world of higher education. From a new entrepreneur to extraordinary student athletes to two young researchers interested in sorting out how to communicate difficult scientific concepts to the public, here are but a few examples of how our mission is brought to life.
It was the human element, in fact, that was front and center at this years convocation ceremony, as I talked about the necessary work of building a cohesive campus community out of the exceptional individuals who form the ranks of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. The text of that address is here, and I would welcome your feedback on its focus, as well as this collection of content. Comments can be sent to chancellorfeedback@berkeley.edu.
Nick
Infographic: The incoming class
How many incoming students are from California? Whats their average SAT score? How many speak more than one language. Get everything you want to know and more about our newest Bears with this infographic.
Bear Pact tackles the tough issues
Berkeley offers many programs and resources to support students facing personal challenges, but members of the campus also have a collective responsibility to look out for one another and face tough issues together.
Bear Pact is a new program that encourages students to come together as a community and accept a shared responsibility to confront serious challenges common to colleges across the country from alcohol abuse, to mental health issues, to sexual violence.
Summer spiff-up for Campanile esplanade
Berkeleys beloved campanilethe 307 tall bell and clock tower in the center of campuswill celebrate its 100th birthday in 2015. Its historic esplanade, comprising the terraces, trees, lawns and staircases surrounding the tower, got a summer spiff-up in time for the celebration. Take a look at our news feature for photos of the grounds and to learn a few news things about an old campus landmark.
Move-in weekend in pictures
The last week of August was a time of incredible transition for more than 6,000 new UC Berkeley students as they said goodbye to loved ones and settled into Berkeleys campus housing, eager to begin a new chapter in their lives. Take a look at some of the photos from our fall 2014 move-in.
Enhancements to undergraduate advising
Starting this fall, to help students get the most from their education at Berkeley, all freshmen in the College of Letters and Science will have an individual advisor to consult with about the right major, minor and classes for their interests. Most large state universities cant offer this because of their size, but L&S chose to make advising a priority two years ago. With a chancellor dedicated to improving the undergraduate experience, were able to roll this out to freshmen this year, and we intend to bring it to the rest of the students over the next four years, says Bob Jacobsen, L&S interim dean of undergraduate studies. He adds, We never want students to have to say in their fourth year, I wish I had done this or that. Advisers first met with incoming freshmen during orientation and are dedicated to helping undergrads over the long haul for the best outcome.
Infographic: 2014 incoming graduate class
Berkeley welcomes 3,050 new graduate students this academic year. Learn more about them with this infographic from the Graduate Division.
Undergraduate education at Berkeley gets a new advocate in Vice Chancellor Cathy Koshland
Evolving the Berkeley undergraduate experience for a globalized, 21st century world is a top priority for campus leadership. That commitment informed the creation this summer of a new administrative position focused on teaching and undergraduate education. A former Vice Provost, Cathy Koshland assumed the new role of Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education this past July.
Check out a Q&A with Vice Chancellor Koshland to learn about her remarkable background spanning visual arts, engineering, and public health and to hear about her plans for enriching the undergraduate experience at Berkeley.
A new face in Sproul Hall
Joining the Berkeley community this year as our new dean of students is the thoroughly engaged and engaging Joseph Greenwell. Following a successful tenure in the same position at San Francisco State Universityand a stint at Stanford, which well forgiveJoseph arrived at Berkeley this summer eager to begin supporting students in all aspects of their collegiate lives. He loves to be out and about speaking with undergraduates to get a sense of their needs and interests, so if you see him on campus, feel free to introduce yourself. Hes easy to find; just keep an eye out for the bowtie.
Read a letter from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Harry Le Grande introducing Dean Greenwell here.
Profile: Sarah Singh takes action against human trafficking
A political economy major, Sarah Singh this fall is launching with other Berkeley students an effort called East Bay Youth Against Trafficking to inspire high school students to take action against human trafficking and to bring local support programs to vulnerable students. The project, a Big Ideas competition winner, will begin at Oakland Technical High School. Sarah started an anti-trafficking club at her own California high school, and now is a leader at Berkeley in the year-old Berkeley Anti-Trafficking Coalition, of which the new East Bay youth program is a part. There also this fall is a related De-Cal class in which Berkeley students will get an overview about human trafficking, formal training to become mentors for the Bay Area high schoolers, and help form a strong student network for the cause. Says Sarah, We believe this project can be a model for similar programs in other regions.
Convocation at the Greek
Several thousand new Berkeley students descended upon the Greek Theatre on August 25th for the 2014 New Student Convocation, where they were welcomed to campus by student leaders, professors, and administratorsas well as the California Straw Hat Band and the Golden Overtones. Take a look at our write-up and at the Chancellors remarks.
Less debt, more aid
A Berkeley education wont pinch the pocket as much this fall for many students and their families. The Middle Class Access Plan, a program that caps the contribution parents make toward the annual cost of a Berkeley education at 15 percent of their total income, has $80,000-$150,000 as its income range, up $10,000. The program is expected to award an average of just over $2,500 per student and reach 10 percent more students than it did last year. So far, 3,300 MCAP awards have been made for the 2014-15 year. In addition, tuition has not increased, and theres been a slight drop in the average amount of student debt for a graduating undergrad. That figure is $17,470, the lowest in the UC system and less than the national debt average of about $25,000. To help students be smart with their finances while in school, a new peer-to-peer coaching program this fall is placing student advisors in the residence halls to share wisdom about budgeting, credit card debt, the importance of credit scores, and more.
A Berkeley education wont pinch the pocket as much this fall for many students and their families. The Middle Class Access Plan, a program that caps the contribution parents make toward the annual cost of a Berkeley education at 15 percent of their total income, has $80,000-$150,000 as its income range, up $10,000. The program is expected to award an average of just over $2,500 per student and reach 10 percent more students than it did last year. So far, 3,300 MCAP awards have been made for the 2014-15 year. In addition, tuition has not increased, and theres been a slight drop in the average amount of student debt for a graduating undergrad. That figure is $17,470, the lowest in the UC system and less than the national debt average of about $25,000. To help students be smart with their finances while in school, a new peer-to-peer coaching program this fall is placing student advisors in the residence halls to share wisdom about budgeting, credit card debt, the importance of credit scores, and more.
Berkeley students are go-getters on a campus that offers them ample opportunities to exercise leadership skills, says Briana Mullen, a senior living that dream. This is Brianas fourth year helping to develop Lower Sproul, a student-initiated project that will lead to, in fall 2015, a high-quality, 24/7, multi-building hub for student life. She and other student leaders on the projects working group make day-to-day decisions with staff and administrators about design, marketing, construction, furniture selection, operational details, allocation of tenant space, and more. Students are welcome at the table because they represent the majority of those who will use the space, she says, and because theyre paying with their fees for a larger portion of the project than is the campus. The experience has led the history major to take on a city planning minor. Were in a start-up culture here on campus, and students are good pitchers of ideas, she says. And more often than not, theyre successful ideasBerkeley is a place where anything you want to create can happen.
Young scientists in the newsroom
Ana Aceves and Jane Hu Berkeleys two winners of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship both have a scientific bent. But beyond the desire to conduct research and push the boundaries of their fields, theyre also passionate about translating complex and sometimes arcane science topics into something more digestible for the broader public.
Check out the Berkeley Blog to see how Ana and Jane spent their summers at the intersection of science and mass media.
Construction abuzz at Lower Sproul
The revamped and reimagined Lower Sproul Plaza will, when completed next year, house a new and integrated Student Union complex serving as a hub for social, academic, and recreational activity. Youll have to wait until fall of 2015 to discuss Rousseaus political theories over a beer at the student unions new pub, but in the meantime, take a look at some of these photos from a hard-hat tour of the ongoing $223 million dollar project.