The AANAPISI designation gives UC Berkeley the opportunity to expand the support, resources, and services we offer to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA & PI) people and communities across our campus by creating institutional infrastructures and inclusive cultures.
In March 2023, UC Berkeley filed an Institutional Exemption Application for Title III/Title V programs with the Department of Education. Title III/Title V programs include the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Program and the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Program. The Division of Equity and Inclusion led this work in partnership with the Berkeley Research Development Office. A partner in this work has also been the Asian American and Pacific Islander Standing Committee (AAPISC) which released a 2021 report titled "Twenty Years Later: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at UC Berkeley," that included several recommendations, one of which was the pursuit of AANAPISI designation for our campus.
In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Education notified our campus that our application was approved, granting UC Berkeley an AANAPISI designation and making it a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) for the first time. This development also brings us closer to achieving federal designation as an HSI institution since we will have waived all other requirements besides the threshold percentage of Latinx students on campus.
The University’s investment in pursuing the AANAPISI / MSI designation demonstrates its commitment to improving the educational experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA & PI) students, and creating a more inclusive and equitable campus for all. With the possible support of competitive grant funds, UC Berkeley will increase its capacity to address the diverse and complex needs of AA & PI students, faculty, and staff in service to our whole campus community.
The Division of Equity & Inclusion and the Division of Research are partnering on campus-wide coordination of AANAPISI and MSI-related grant opportunities, working to inform faculty, staff, and students about relevant grant opportunities. Learn more about Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and funding opportunities.
