Promotional image for the Campus Climate Symposium held on February 6, 2015. Courtesy of the Cross Cultural Student Development Program

Creating Inclusive, Respectful Campus Climate is Top Priority for Division 

As part of a series of focused efforts to improve UC Berkeley's campus climate, the Division of Equity & Inclusion helped sponsor a daylong Campus Climate Symposium. Using findings from the UC-wide Campus Climate Survey as a springboard, the symposium sought to further "increase dialogue and provide opportunities for relationship-building around efforts to create a more positive campus for students," said Lisa D. Walker, Cross Cultural Student Development Director at UC Berkeley, one of many programs under the Equity & Inclusion umbrella. Walker noted that while the survey revealed that one in four UC students had experienced some form of exclusionary behavior, the purpose of the event was to go deeper than just talking about the data-it was part of ongoing efforts to transform the campus into a more respectful environment for all of UC Berkeley's faculty, students, and staff.

In a follow-up op-ed piece in The Daily Californian, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Equity & Inclusion Liz Halimah offered a three-pronged approach to building a more inclusive campus at UC Berkeley, including increasing the critical mass of the most underrepresented populations at Cal. Halimah added that the improvement of campus climate will continue to be a top divisional priority. "In the coming months, we will be rolling out more projects specifically targeted to reduce exclusionary behavior. Our most recent round of Innovation Grants, which will be awarded later this month, will be chosen based on their ability to to continue to advance UC Berkeley as a place where everyone is respected and valued." 

Links about Campus Climate: