March 12, 2025
Dear Cal alums, parents, and friends,
Each day brings news of dramatic change in federal policies and funding that could impact our university, creating concern for many members of our community. I share that concern and offered assurance in a recent campus message that we are monitoring the developments and planning for an array of possible scenarios. Please watch the video, in which I share my resolve to stand by our commitment to excellent research, teaching, and public service during these uncertain times.
As a matter of law and tradition, UC Berkeley is apolitical. But that neutrality does not extend to developments that have the potential to impact our mission and values. Among our values are free speech, equitable access to opportunity, and reverence for diversity writ large — of origins and identities, of beliefs and perspectives, and of academic and personal interests. Our excellence is a function of, and dependent on, our diversity.
Abandoning these values would endanger our standing as a source of world-changing discoveries, an engine of social mobility, and a campus that strives to build safety, respect, and belonging. As such, we will continue to confront discrimination at every turn. We will continue to admit, hire, and support our community members in compliance with state laws and without regard for their race, immigration status, religion, or other protected characteristics. There is strength in our University of California numbers.
One way you can align with Berkeley is by participating tomorrow in Big Give, our annual 24-hour online fundraising blitz. Even with the challenges we face, brilliance shines brightly every day — from transformative learning in the classroom to groundbreaking research in the lab. I invite you to be the light that empowers this extraordinary community by visiting BigGive.berkeley.edu on March 13 and supporting your favorite Cal causes. In particular, follow the special contests throughout the day, as well as donor-funded matches, that will help the programs you care about benefit from extra funds.
I have been deeply moved by the readiness of the Cal community to stand by our institution and all that it represents and aspires to be. I am confident in our collective ability to rally behind the incomparable university we love.
Go Bears!
Chancellor Rich Lyons
Each day brings news of dramatic change in federal policies and funding that could impact our university, creating concern for many members of our community. I share that concern and offered assurance in a recent campus message that we are monitoring the developments and planning for an array of possible scenarios. Please watch the video, in which I share my resolve to stand by our commitment to excellent research, teaching, and public service during these uncertain times.
As a matter of law and tradition, UC Berkeley is apolitical. But that neutrality does not extend to developments that have the potential to impact our mission and values. Among our values are free speech, equitable access to opportunity, and reverence for diversity writ large — of origins and identities, of beliefs and perspectives, and of academic and personal interests. Our excellence is a function of, and dependent on, our diversity.
Abandoning these values would endanger our standing as a source of world-changing discoveries, an engine of social mobility, and a campus that strives to build safety, respect, and belonging. As such, we will continue to confront discrimination at every turn. We will continue to admit, hire, and support our community members in compliance with state laws and without regard for their race, immigration status, religion, or other protected characteristics. There is strength in our University of California numbers.
One way you can align with Berkeley is by participating tomorrow in Big Give, our annual 24-hour online fundraising blitz. Even with the challenges we face, brilliance shines brightly every day — from transformative learning in the classroom to groundbreaking research in the lab. I invite you to be the light that empowers this extraordinary community by visiting BigGive.berkeley.edu on March 13 and supporting your favorite Cal causes. In particular, follow the special contests throughout the day, as well as donor-funded matches, that will help the programs you care about benefit from extra funds.
I have been deeply moved by the readiness of the Cal community to stand by our institution and all that it represents and aspires to be. I am confident in our collective ability to rally behind the incomparable university we love.
Go Bears!
Chancellor Rich Lyons
Chancellor’s Choice
Event: Berkeley in D.C. — Hear stories from five people who have served in various policymaking and advisory roles in Washington, D.C., including how they got there, what they did, and the lessons they learned. Panelists include physics Nobelist Saul Perlmutter, School of Information professor Deirdre Mulligan, and student Michael Plancarte. Register for free for Tuesday, March 18, 12:30–1:30 p.m., Sutardja Dai Hall.
Event: Cal Night with the San Francisco Giants — Join students, faculty, and alums at Oracle Park on Friday, April 25. Oski, the Cal Band, and the Cal Spirit Squad will kickstart the evening in Willie Mays Plaza at 5 p.m. Then the Giants will play the Texas Rangers at 7:15 p.m. Golden Bears receive a 40 percent discount on tickets, a Cal–Giants jersey (while supplies last), and seating in a designated section.
Videos: Women’s impact at Berkeley — In honor of Women’s History Month, watch two short videos that showcase two female faculty members — Atreyee Gupta, associate professor of the history of art, and Amy Pickering, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering — and their research impact. Gupta and Pickering are supported by the Hellman Fellows Program, which has served Berkeley’s junior faculty for nearly 30 years.
Event: Cal Night with the San Francisco Giants — Join students, faculty, and alums at Oracle Park on Friday, April 25. Oski, the Cal Band, and the Cal Spirit Squad will kickstart the evening in Willie Mays Plaza at 5 p.m. Then the Giants will play the Texas Rangers at 7:15 p.m. Golden Bears receive a 40 percent discount on tickets, a Cal–Giants jersey (while supplies last), and seating in a designated section.
Videos: Women’s impact at Berkeley — In honor of Women’s History Month, watch two short videos that showcase two female faculty members — Atreyee Gupta, associate professor of the history of art, and Amy Pickering, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering — and their research impact. Gupta and Pickering are supported by the Hellman Fellows Program, which has served Berkeley’s junior faculty for nearly 30 years.