Berkeley Connect: Building Belonging on Campus

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Berkeley Connect empowers undergraduates to make a successful transition to college life, building a sense of belonging that helps students thrive academically and personally. The program now partners with 16 academic departments and programs, enhancing the Berkeley experience of more than 2,100 students each year. This year, Berkeley Connect launched a pilot program to extend its mentoring model to better serve students with special needs and diverse identities. The initial satellite group was held in partnership with the Disabled Students Program and the Student Learning Center.

Berkeley Connect has enhanced the college journey of countless students

Here’s what one student says of her experience:

"Enrolling in Berkeley Connect was one of the best decisions I could have made in my first semester at Berkeley. As I adjusted to the pace of Berkeley in all its dimensions, the class was an invaluable space in which to voice my own experiences as they evolved week by week, and hear others articulate their challenges alongside me. Our grad student mentor and faculty mentor were exceptionally open, helpful, and proactive in guiding us towards resources and helping us tackle big questions about our goals and expectations. Berkeley Connect was a no-pressure, generous community in which it was acceptable to work through all the emotions of adapting to the school.”

Your gift also helped fund scholarships for the UC Washington Program (UCDC), which offers students unparalleled opportunities for experiential learning and public engagement in Washington, D.C. UCDC students spend a semester living and taking classes at the UC Washington Center in the heart of D.C., while interning three to four days a week in federal agencies, private firms, think tanks, and leading domestic and international nonprofits. Your commitment provides grants to make UCDC more affordable, especially for students who rely on paid employment on campus but have unpaid internships in D.C.

The semester in D.C. has been transformational for many Berkeley students. One recent participant stated, “I have never felt more academically, professionally, and personally fulfilled than I have while in DC.” Another said simply, “UCDC changed my life.”

Berkeley Career Engagement (BCE) helps students discover a career that suits their values, interests, strengths, and goals. In addition to hosting large career fairs on campus, BCE offers numerous opportunities for students to meet one-on-one or in small groups with potential employers. Incoming students now have the opportunity to connect with Career Advisors and learn about BCE services through virtual summer sessions before they arrive on campus. More than 700 students have participated in these sessions; 98 percent later attended a BCE workshop or event for assistance with their job search or career development.

BCE also offers the Iris Photo Booth, which helps level the playing field by providing all students with access to free, high quality photos for professional use. Since it was installed, more than 2,100 students have obtained professional photos from IrisBooth.

The Student Learning Center: Comprehensive Academic Support

Your gift to the Cal Fund also helped the Student Learning Center (SLC) provide academic support to approximately 12,000 students during the past year, including more than 5,000 entering undergraduates each semester. SLC services are offered by 25 learning specialists with disciplinary expertise and 300 peer learning specialists, all undergraduates. SLC has also introduced academic coaching that emphasizes executive functioning to address the loss of learning skills resulting from the pandemic.

Offering more than 30,000 group and individual learning sessions each year, the Student Learning Center helps thousands of students thrive at Berkeley and beyond. In the words of one recent graduate:

"The Student Learning Center was the secret to my academic success! If I wasn't at a library, I was at the SLC studying with students in similar courses. I no longer had to worry that I was the only one not grasping concepts immediately. Students at the SLC had the same questions! Peer tutors simplified concepts so we could better understand them, especially because they had taken the courses recently. Writing tutors helped me improve and strengthen my writing skills. The SLC empowered me to succeed, and is essential to the academic success and confidence of so many Cal students.”