News

The Joint Senate-Administration Workgroup on The Role of the University and its Units in Political Action has completed a draft report and is seeking input from faculty and staff members

Important academic resources and accommodation information for the Fall 2022 semester

After a comprehensive internal search, Victoria Plaut has been appointed to the role of vice provost for the faculty, effective August 15, 2022.

Oliver O’Reilly has been selected to serve as our next vice provost for undergraduate education. Oliver is currently serving as the interim vice provost for undergraduate education; he will transition into the role permanently on July 1, 2022.

This fall the campus will implement a new system to guarantee that all undergraduate and graduate students receiving financial aid are participating in their courses at the start of the semester, in compliance with federal requirements established by the Department of Education. The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office will verify student participation in their courses via a centralized Qualtrics survey.

The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost’s (EVCP) office has released a draft of the proposed Policy on Engagement with Third-party Online Program Management Providers(link is external). This policy will help ensure the most favorable relationship and financial terms possible while also protecting UC Berkeley’s reputation and brand. It also protects students and supports compliance with associated laws, particularly regarding ADA and data security/privacy, while also ensuring intellectual property protections are in place. Finally, it provides the campus with information needed to make informed decisions that ensure that UC Berkeley’s academic units receive the greatest benefit possible through participation in online education programs.

We have just learned that the Supreme Court of California has issued its ruling, which leaves intact alower court order that will freeze enrollment at 2020-21 levels and prevent students who would have been offered in-person admission to the University of California, Berkeley this fall from receiving that offer.

A decision issued on Thursday, Feb. 10 by the California Court of Appeal requires UC Berkeley to adhere to a lower court order requiring the university to freeze student enrollment at 42,347, the same level as 2020-21. (The decision was one element of a larger lawsuit brought by a city of Berkeley group of neighbors opposed to a proposed campus development project.)

Catherine P. Koshland will be retiring this summer after thirty-eight years of extraordinary service to campus

This year Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, and Eid al-Fitr, one of two religious holidays Muslims observe yearly, will occur during the spring semester (Ramadan is scheduled to take place April 2 to May 2 and Eid al-Fitr on May 3).

We’re looking forward to resuming in-person instruction on Monday, Jan. 31. We’re hopeful that the worst of the omicron surge is behind us but have plans in place should we see high numbers of students, staff and faculty unable to come to campus for COVID-19 related reasons.

Campus commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and justice (DEIBJ) and what concrete steps we can take to bring about needed change.

Spring semester will begin with a two-stage process, with most courses being offered fully remote for the first two weeks (Jan. 18-28) and then moving to fully in-person instruction in the third week of the semester on Jan. 31.

Additional details and some important reminders on returning to campus

Update on plans for the spring semester. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and have been meeting this week to consider changes to our response. Our decision-making is guided by science and the expertise of our own public health experts. We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the break and communicate any changes as needed.

The incorporation of Flexible Work Arrangements — in service to the mission of the University and implemented where appropriate in relation to teaching and research needs — has generally been beneficial.