Division of Equity and Inclusion, UC Berkeley

10/30/2026

We join communities across California and beyond in mourning the passing of Dolores Huerta, a revolutionary and groundbreaking labor organizer, civil rights leader, and champion for women's rights.

Read the full message from Chancellor Rich Lyons and Interim Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Fabrizio Mejia: https://bit.ly/4zZjoBF

October 29, 2026Dear Berkeley community, We join communities across California and beyond in mourning the passing of Dolores Huerta, a revolutionary and groundbreaking labor organizer, civil rights leader, and champion for women's rights. Her lifelong advocacy for farmworkers, working families, and....

10/28/2026

🗣️ New gender-inclusive restrooms in Latimer Hall!

Gender-inclusive restrooms are an important part of creating a campus where everyone can learn, work, and participate with greater comfort and privacy. Across Berkeley, gender-inclusive restrooms are available in many buildings, and more conversions are underway.

Do you know of a building that could benefit from a gender-inclusive restroom? You can submit a request, even if you don’t have all the information.
📍 Anyone in the campus community can submit a request
📍 Location information is enough to get started
📍 Increased matching funds are currently available to support conversions

Learn more at restrooms.berkeley.edu.

10/27/2026

First-generation Golden Bears, this one's for you! 💛🐻

Join us for UC Berkeley's First-Generation College Celebration on Thurs. 11/5! Students, staff, and faculty are all welcome! Enjoy food, activities, giveaways, and opportunities to connect.

📅 Thurs. 11/5 from 12-2pm
📍 Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union

Hosted by the Educational Opportunity Program at UC Berkeley, which supports first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented college students, this celebration recognizes the experiences, achievements, and contributions of our first-gen community.

🔗 Register for the free event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetPQj4IYdW7dFjJlqnmP70ufkspe14jYtlLh_hCo90mmyisQ/viewform

10/26/2026

✨ Introducing our new weekly series highlighting the programs and services supporting the UC Berkeley community!

First up: The Basic Needs Center 🏠🍎

Did you know that UC Berkeley offers resources to help students navigate food, housing, and financial challenges?

The Basic Needs Center connects students with essential resources, from food assistance and CalFresh to housing support and financial wellness. These services are available to all enrolled students, including undergraduate, graduate, international, and undocumented students. Whether you're looking for support or simply want to learn more about what's available, the Basic Needs Center is here to help!

🔗 Learn more at basicneeds.berkeley.edu

Stay tuned as we continue highlighting the programs and services that help our Berkeley community thrive! 🐻

10/24/2026

The Division of Equity & Inclusion is seeking an artist to create original artwork for the 2026-27 Chancellor's Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence and Equity (CAAIEE)! Help us celebrate equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice at UC Berkeley through art.

✨ $300 stipend for eligible artists
🏆 Recognition at the award ceremony
📅 Apply by Fri. 11/13

Call for Artists Application Form: https://bit.ly/EIArtCall2027

🎨 2025-26 CAAIEE art by Alberto Ledesma, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the UC Berkeley Division of Arts & Humanities

10/21/2026

Celebrating accessibility and innovation at UC Berkeley!

How can technology help create a more accessible and inclusive world?

This Disability Awareness Month, we're highlighting UC Berkeley alumni and researchers who are breaking barriers through assistive technology!

From ATDev's innovations in accessible rehabilitation and Augmental's hands-free technology for digital accessibility to suitX's wearable robotic exoskeletons that support mobility, Berkeley innovators are finding new ways to expand accessibility, independence, and inclusion.

These innovations are just a few examples of how the Berkeley community is using technology to make a meaningful impact. 💙💛

🔗 Explore the full collection:https://ei.berkeley.edu/resources/messages/dam

10/19/2026

🎓 It's National Transfer Student Week! 💙💛

UC Berkeley recognizes and celebrates the unique experiences, achievements, and challenges faced by transfer students.

More than 7,200 transfer students make up about 22% of Berkeley’s undergraduate population. Among them, 41% are first-generation college students, and more than 90% graduate within four years of transferring.

We invite faculty, staff, and students to join the UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center and Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence-CE3 in celebrating the experiences, achievements and contributions of Berkeley’s transfer student community.

📸 Brittany Hosea-Small

🔗 Explore the full schedule of events and resources: https://ei.berkeley.edu/resources/heritage-and-awareness-messages/national-transfer-student-week

10/16/2026

UC Berkeley is one of just 29 institutions nationwide selected to receive a 2026 grant! 🎉

The award will help expand opportunities to celebrate first-generation students, recognize their contributions and strengthen community across campus. This recognition comes as UC Berkeley's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) celebrates 60 years of helping students access, navigate, and thrive at UC Berkeley.

Here's to 60 years of first-gen stories, achievements, and community at Berkeley, and all that's still to come! 💛🐻

🔗 Read more: https://ei.berkeley.edu/news/uc-berkeley-receives-national-grant-celebrate-first-generation-students

Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence-CE3

Berkeley, CA – The University of California, Berkeley is one of 29 institutions nationwide selected to receive a 2026 grant supporting this year’s First-Generation College Celebration.

10/14/2026

Celebrating Latinx scholarship at UC Berkeley 📚✨

What can letters, diaries and personal writings tell us about Latinx history?

Through The Archive of Latinx Feelings, UC Berkeley undergraduate researchers working with Dr. Raúl Coronado (Associate Professor of English and of Spanish and Portuguese) are exploring 19th-century letters, diaries, notebooks and books to uncover personal histories and make archival materials more accessible. By combining archival research with AI-assisted transcription, the project is helping bring historical voices and experiences into new conversations.

And that's just one example of the scholarship happening across Berkeley!

From immigrant youth experiences and higher education to environmental justice and culturally responsive mental health resources, Berkeley researchers are exploring questions that connect scholarship, community and lived experiences.

🔗 Explore the full collection: https://ei.berkeley.edu/resources/heritage-and-awareness-messages/latinx-heritage-month

10/13/2026

💙 What does it really mean to support the whole student?

In the latest edition of What's the Word?, Dr. Julian Ledesma, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Equity & Success, explores Empowering Holistic Counseling (EHC), an approach that recognizes that a student's academic journey is shaped by more than what happens in the classroom.

From financial challenges and family responsibilities to emotional well-being, belonging, and career goals, EHC encourages us to recognize the different experiences and needs that shape a student's journey. By bringing together empathy, equity, institutional knowledge, and practical support, EHC offers a framework for helping students navigate challenges while building pathways toward success. 🌱

Rather than only asking: "How can we address a student's immediate concern?" EHC also asks: "How can we support the whole student and help them thrive?"

🔗 Read more: https://ei.berkeley.edu/news/what%E2%80%99s-word-empowering-holistic-counseling-ehc

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"What's the Word?" is a monthly column that introduces emerging language, concepts, and frameworks shaping equity and inclusion work. Each edition offers brief context, shared definitions, and practical insight to help our community build a common vocabulary and deepen understanding.

Those of us who spend significant time working in direct support of students learn very quickly that the issue that brings someone into our spaces is rarely the only issue that matters.