Read a message welcoming the UC Berkeley community back to school

The following message was sent to all faculty, staff and students on Wednesday, August 20.

Dear Campus Community – 

As we begin another exciting academic year, we want to extend a warm welcome to our students, faculty and staff – especially those who are new to Berkeley!

Each year, we celebrate what it means to be part of the UC Berkeley community – a campus dedicated to courageous inquiry, passionate engagement, mutual respect, and safety. Whether you’re exploring new ideas in the classroom, conducting ground breaking research, or inspiring or supporting students, each of you contributes to Berkeley’s mission of serving the public good. 

This year promises to be particularly rich with learning, discovery, and meaningful dialogue on issues impacting our communities, nation, and the world. Berkeley has always been a place where big ideas are born from challenging convention and robust exchange of diverse perspectives. We encourage this tradition – it’s fundamental to who we are and what we aspire to be. 

Our campus offers countless ways for students, faculty, and staff to make their voices heard: peaceful gatherings, campus forums and debates, student and staff/faculty organizations, committees, and other avenues for meaningful engagement. We encourage everyone in our community to contribute their time and voice to the issues that matter to them. 

As we foster this tradition of open inquiry and challenging convention, we’re also committed to ensuring that everyone can engage fully in learning, teaching, work, and research. This means fostering a community free from harassment and discrimination, ensuring access to classrooms and buildings, and maintaining a safe environment for all.  Our Campus Community Standards, and Summary of Free Speech Rules provide detailed guidance on how we exercise freedom of expression consistent with our shared responsibility to one another. 

We encourage you to become familiar with our “Supportal” –  a hub of comprehensive information on policies, procedures, and resources that support our community. 

Here’s to a vibrant year of learning and discovery!

Fiat Lux and Go Bears!