Dear Cal alums, parents, and friends,
At its essence, culture is the “operating system” of any institution, reflecting foundational norms and values. If strategy defines what we intend to achieve, culture dictates how we do it and why people strive to advance our mission.
Earlier this week I welcomed Nancy Pelosi — the first woman and the first Californian to serve as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives — to campus to announce the 2027 launch of a landmark institute dedicated to strengthening democracy.
While rankings alone do not validate our greatness, the pride they prompt aren’t unlike winning the Big Game or a prestigious award. On Monday we learned that U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 among the best global universities and No. 1 among U.S. public universities, continuing our run in the top spot across all five major university rankings.
Growing up in Tokyo, Japan, Rose Niousha, a third-year Ph.D. student in electrical engineering and computer sciences, took the train to high school every morning. From the window, she would watch thousands of people converge at Shibuya Crossing, then head off in every direction.
It never gets old. As I stood on the stage at Commencement last Saturday — taking in the 7,000 graduates and 23,000 loved ones who filled California Memorial Stadium — I was struck, once again, with a mix of pride, joy, and excitement for all the places they will go (borrowing from the title of a Dr. Seuss classic).
Dear Cal alums, parents, and friends,
When UC Berkeley’s founders chose Fiat Lux — “Let there be light” — as the university’s motto, they weren't just talking about the knowledge created in a lab or shared in a classroom. That is only half of the equation. The other half is the courage to carry that knowledge, that light, into the world’s darkest corners.
Dear Campus Community,
Dear campus community,
Last fall, we launched a strategic planning process to define Berkeley's vision for the future and chart the path to our next era of excellence. Today, I want to update you on where we are and invite you to help shape what comes next.
A Three-Part Approach to Building our Strategy
Over recent months, we held listening sessions with faculty, academic and administrative leaders, students, alumni, our Board of Visitors, and our Board of Trustees. What emerged is a three-part approach: