Dear Student:

Welcome to Cal! As a Professor of Psychology and more recently as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, I've spent more than thirty years as part of the Berkeley community. I'd like to share with you my thoughts about what makes this campus unique and how to tap into the extraordinary opportunities it affords.

Curricular Breadth and Depth

Berkeley is consistently ranked by our peers as the leading public university in the United States and among the very top universities in the world. As a student at an internationally leading research university, you'll have access to courses in every imaginable field, including some you've never encountered before. No matter how focused you are, you'll have a chance to experiment with new interests and explore unexpected directions: sample from the fifty-five ancient and modern languages we teach or investigate cutting edge interdisciplinary fields like bioengineering or digital art and new media. Every Berkeley student participates in our unique American Cultures (AC) curriculum, which spans more than forty departments and has been recognized as a national model for its integrative and comparative analyses of race, culture and ethnicity in the United States. Our library collections are unparalleled and offer many opportunities for discovery. This breadth of curricular choice and resources is matched by depth—so once you find your intellectual passion, you'll be able to pursue advanced level coursework in whatever your chosen field.

World Class Professors

Berkeley's professors are recognized as the best in their fields. Our current faculty includes seven Nobel Laureates, 29 MacArthur "Geniuses," and over 200 members of the prestigious National Academies of Sciences and of Engineering. They are also dedicated teachers who bring the energy of scholarly discovery and new ideas into the classroom. Our renowned Freshman and Sophomore Seminars allow you to take a small course with one of these professors (and no more than fifteen students) in your very first year. Our Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program, one of our many undergraduate research programs, pairs students and professors who work together on cutting edge research. Some of our large courses will be the most inspiring you take; look, for example, for courses taught by recipients of our Distinguished Teaching Award, recognized by their colleagues as the very best teachers on the campus. Outside of class, you'll be able to have one-on-one conversations with your professors during their office hours to get additional guidance and mentoring.

The Cal Community

Your undergraduate experience goes beyond the classroom and your contact with professors. An essential part of your education is your interaction with your peers. It's a cliché to say that the Berkeley community is diverse, but few people realize how rich and complex that diversity is! The campus boasts over 600 registered student groups. Whether you want to work on a student-run science journal, humor magazine, literary or law review; perform in a play, jazz band, or choral ensemble; teach a student-initiated course, tutor in the Student Learning Center, or form a study group; run track, swim, or play basketball; you'll find yourself surrounded by stimulating peers who are just as curious, motivated, and talented as yourself. Cal students represent a range of political viewpoints, cultural backgrounds, and intellectual interests--there's not just one type of Cal student, but Cal students share a respect for difference as an enriching part of their experience.

The Personal Touch

Amid all our diversity and complexity, there are staff and programs ready to help you. Whether you are an incoming freshman, transferring from a community college, or returning after having spent twenty years raising a family, we have an array of services to help make you feel at home on the campus. Our multicultural programs offer activities, services and events, and provide opportunities for students to serve as interns, working with other students, staff, and members of the local community. Our academic support services offer students an opportunity to increase their learning skills and make the most of their classes. Orientation courses, peer tutoring in writing and study strategies, and peer advising are only a few of the activities we offer. I know the myth well: "Berkeley is impersonal because it's so big, and there's no one here to help." In fact, there are literally hundreds of dedicated staff who are eager to help you succeed.

The Bay Area and Beyond

Cal isn't an "ivory tower" campus. We're right in the middle of one of the most vibrant, exciting and beautiful metropolitan areas in the world. Berkeley students have access to world-class cultural events and areas of extraordinary natural beauty, a combination that makes the Bay Area one of the most desirable places to live. Through the Cal Corps Public Service Center, many Cal students engage with the larger community, for example, working as literacy tutors with incarcerated youth or participating in environmental restoration on an alternative Spring break. Or you can choose from dozens of service-learning courses in a wide range of departments that link academic coursework with real world experience. For those who crave even wider horizons, our Education Abroad Programs and the UC in DC and UC Center Sacramento internship programs offer opportunities to take your Cal education on the road for a semester or more.

Building Your Future

At Cal, you'll begin to make the important connections that will carry you through life. Our Career Center offers opportunities to participate in experiential learning and internships on and off campus, as well as a full range of services to help you take the next steps beyond Cal when graduation time comes. While that may seem far in the future, your successful journey begins right now as you converse with professors, staff members, and college advisors who will help you navigate and make the most of the extraordinary breadth of opportunity that characterizes the Berkeley experience.

For more resources for students, visit http://www.berkeley.edu/students.

Fiat Lux,

Christina Maslach
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
and Professor of Psychology