We would like to acknowledge that this communication of support should have been issued much sooner; for our delay, we apologize to the impacted Afghan community. Our thoughts are with our Afghan community members, their families, friends, and colleagues near and far. There are an estimated 60,000 Afghans in the Bay Area, some of whom have been here for decades and others recently arrived, who contribute significantly to the innovation, economy, and culture that make this region great.
The reopening of our campus has enabled our community to reconnect in meaningful ways over the past several months. We have cherished the opportunity to work and study together, after being separated for so long. We have celebrated the diversity of our campus community with recent events, including National Coming Out Day and ...
Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Dania Matos and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Stephen C. Sutton issued the following message on Thursday, August 31, 2023:
Dear campus community,
On Friday, August 25, an incident was reported at Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity (AEPi), a fraternity that serves the Jewish community at UC Berkeley. New details have since emerged that similar vandalism — throwing and dumping shellfish — occurred at multiple fraternities. The...
Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Dania Matos and Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Sunny Lee shared the following message of support on September 11, 2023:
Dear campus community,
On September 8, 2023, a powerful earthquake struck overnight about 50 miles from the city of Marrakesh. The death toll is already above 2,200 and feared to be even higher. Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by the earthquake.
Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Dania Matos and Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Sunny Lee shared the following message of support on September 11, 2023:
Dear campus community,
This past weekend (September 9-10), deadly floods swept through northeastern Libya. Officials in the region are estimating a death toll in the hundreds. Our thoughts are with all of those who are grappling with this news and the challenges caused by this natural disaster.
Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Dania Matos and Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Sunny Lee shared the following message of support on October 9, 2023:
Dear members of the Berkeley community,
We offer our deepest sympathy to those with friends and family impacted by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake near the city of Herat in Afghanistan. As of latest media reports, there have been more than 2,000 deaths, a number which may climb as the full impact of this humanitarian crisis emerges. We are reaching...
It's important to recognize the historical and contemporary conflicts in Israel and Palestine, and their impact on members of our Berkeley community who share personal connections to the region, whether it be familial, religious, ethnic, national, academic, or ideological.
Chancellor Carol Christ on behalf of the chancellor’s cabinet
Today, a jury in Minneapolis delivered a measure of justice with its conviction of Derek Chauvin on three separate charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Yet, these verdicts cannot return George Floyd to his loved ones or even begin to mend the grievous wounds caused by racism and anti-Blackness in our country. As we awaited the verdicts, many of us contemplated the true meaning of justice as we continue to deal with the continuing horror and outrage arising from the stunning number of our fellow citizens, particularly people of color, who are...
Today the Office of the President has released the findings from the system-wide Campus Climate Survey that was conducted in 2013. While the Berkeley-specific survey data indicate that we have ample reason to take pride in the progress we have made, they also make clear that there is much more work to be done.
For example, the survey found that 1 in 4 of people on campus reported some form of exclusion, intimidation, bullying or isolation. It also found that underrepresented minorities feel less comfortable at Berkeley than members of other ethnic...
One of my most important goals for Berkeley is to advance and expand diversity on this campus, in its broadest sense and in every form.
Today, I am writing to announce our launch of the first wave of new, accelerated efforts in this arena. Work is now underway on a comprehensive Undergraduate Student Diversity Project, and we soon will present funding proposals for new programs to potential donors who share our values and objectives. After the new year begins, I expect to share information about similar plans to support and expand diversity...
