Division of Equity and Inclusion, UC Berkeley

10/21/2026

Celebrating accessibility and innovation at UC Berkeley!

How can technology help create a more accessible and inclusive world?

This Disability Awareness Month, we're highlighting UC Berkeley alumni and researchers who are breaking barriers through assistive technology!

From ATDev's innovations in accessible rehabilitation and Augmental's hands-free technology for digital accessibility to suitX's wearable robotic exoskeletons that support mobility, Berkeley innovators are finding new ways to expand accessibility, independence, and inclusion.

These innovations are just a few examples of how the Berkeley community is using technology to make a meaningful impact. 💙💛

🔗 Explore the full collection:https://ei.berkeley.edu/resources/messages/dam

10/19/2026

🎓 It's National Transfer Student Week! 💙💛

UC Berkeley recognizes and celebrates the unique experiences, achievements, and challenges faced by transfer students.

More than 7,200 transfer students make up about 22% of Berkeley’s undergraduate population. Among them, 41% are first-generation college students, and more than 90% graduate within four years of transferring.

We invite faculty, staff, and students to join the UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center and Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence-CE3 in celebrating the experiences, achievements and contributions of Berkeley’s transfer student community.

📸 Brittany Hosea-Small

🔗 Explore the full schedule of events and resources: https://ei.berkeley.edu/resources/heritage-and-awareness-messages/national-transfer-student-week

10/16/2026

UC Berkeley is one of just 29 institutions nationwide selected to receive a 2026 grant! 🎉

The award will help expand opportunities to celebrate first-generation students, recognize their contributions and strengthen community across campus. This recognition comes as UC Berkeley's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) celebrates 60 years of helping students access, navigate, and thrive at UC Berkeley.

Here's to 60 years of first-gen stories, achievements, and community at Berkeley, and all that's still to come! 💛🐻

🔗 Read more: https://ei.berkeley.edu/news/uc-berkeley-receives-national-grant-celebrate-first-generation-students

Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence-CE3

Berkeley, CA – The University of California, Berkeley is one of 29 institutions nationwide selected to receive a 2026 grant supporting this year’s First-Generation College Celebration.

10/14/2026

Celebrating Latinx scholarship at UC Berkeley 📚✨

What can letters, diaries and personal writings tell us about Latinx history?

Through The Archive of Latinx Feelings, UC Berkeley undergraduate researchers working with Dr. Raúl Coronado (Associate Professor of English and of Spanish and Portuguese) are exploring 19th-century letters, diaries, notebooks and books to uncover personal histories and make archival materials more accessible. By combining archival research with AI-assisted transcription, the project is helping bring historical voices and experiences into new conversations.

And that's just one example of the scholarship happening across Berkeley!

From immigrant youth experiences and higher education to environmental justice and culturally responsive mental health resources, Berkeley researchers are exploring questions that connect scholarship, community and lived experiences.

🔗 Explore the full collection: https://ei.berkeley.edu/resources/heritage-and-awareness-messages/latinx-heritage-month

10/13/2026

💙 What does it really mean to support the whole student?

In the latest edition of What's the Word?, Dr. Julian Ledesma, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Equity & Success, explores Empowering Holistic Counseling (EHC), an approach that recognizes that a student's academic journey is shaped by more than what happens in the classroom.

From financial challenges and family responsibilities to emotional well-being, belonging, and career goals, EHC encourages us to recognize the different experiences and needs that shape a student's journey. By bringing together empathy, equity, institutional knowledge, and practical support, EHC offers a framework for helping students navigate challenges while building pathways toward success. 🌱

Rather than only asking: "How can we address a student's immediate concern?" EHC also asks: "How can we support the whole student and help them thrive?"

🔗 Read more: https://ei.berkeley.edu/news/what%E2%80%99s-word-empowering-holistic-counseling-ehc

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"What's the Word?" is a monthly column that introduces emerging language, concepts, and frameworks shaping equity and inclusion work. Each edition offers brief context, shared definitions, and practical insight to help our community build a common vocabulary and deepen understanding.

Those of us who spend significant time working in direct support of students learn very quickly that the issue that brings someone into our spaces is rarely the only issue that matters.

10/11/2026

“Define your own life. You can do it. Study hard, ask questions, find mentors, and accept help.” -Judge Emily Vasquez

From California's Central Valley to Berkeley Law, Judge Emily Vasquez made history as the first Latina judge in Sacramento County Superior Court history.

On Sat. 9/26, the UC Berkeley community gathered for the campus premiere of A Job in the Shade: The Emily Vasquez Story, a documentary celebrating her journey, commitment to public service and lasting impact.

The evening brought together students, alumni, and community members to celebrate her legacy and reflect on the power of education, mentorship, and opening doors for the next generation. 💙💛

🔗 Read more about the celebration and watch the film trailer:

Years after Judge Emily Vasquez walked the halls of Berkeley Law as a student, she returned to the UC Berkeley campus with a story that can help a new generation imagine what is possible.

10/07/2026

✨ Did you know? Thriving extends into the classroom, too.

The Provost’s Thriving in Teaching Mentorship Program brings UC Berkeley faculty together to build community, learn from one another and strengthen racial equity in teaching through peer mentorship, reflection and feedback.

The yearlong program is a collaboration between the Office of the Provost, Division of Equity & Inclusion, Division of Undergraduate Education and Center for Teaching & Learning. 💙💛

🔗 Learn more: https://teaching.berkeley.edu/programs/provosts-thriving-teaching-mentorship-program

10/05/2026

Join the LTI Book Club 📚

UC Berkeley faculty and staff are invited to a three-session discussion of Dr. Gina Ann Garcia’s The HSI Movement: Strategies Driving Change at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Led by Dr. Garcia, the series will explore what it means to move beyond enrollment toward truly serving Latine students, with conversations focused on strategy, liberatory education, and the power of community.

📅 Tues. 10/20 · 11/17 · 12/15
⏰ Noon-1:30pm
📍 Berkeley Way West, Room 4500

Space is limited to 20 participants, and participants must commit to all three sessions.

🔗 Register to reserve your spot:

Thank you for your interest in participating in Dr. Gina Garcia's Book Club. Part strategy guide, part love letter, Dr. Gina Garcia’s latest book, The HSI Movement, celebrates the educators and leaders transforming Hispanic-Serving Institutions from within and explores what it means to truly serve...

10/04/2026

We’re coming together again! 💙💛🐻

Join students, staff, faculty and alumni for Building AA & PI Futures at Berkeley and Beyond on Fri. 10/9 as we celebrate the legacies and future of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA & PI) communities at Berkeley.

Hear from faculty leading the new Asian American and Pacific Islander Transpacific Futures Initiative and learn how the initiative is strengthening research, teaching, and community at UC Berkeley and beyond.

📅 Fri. 10/9 from 10-11:30am
📍 Pauley Ballroom, MLK Jr. Student Union

🎟️ Visit homecoming.berkeley.edu or call 888.UNIV.CAL (888.864.8225) to register. Free with promo code CAMPANILE510; currently registered students receive a free Class Pass.

Celebrate Cal community, connections, and culture. Oct 9–10, 2026.

10/02/2026

October is Dating and Domestic Violence Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness, support survivors, and strengthen our commitment to safer communities. 🧡

Throughout the month, UC Berkeley’s PATH to Care Center is sharing resources and opportunities to learn about healthy relationships, recognize signs of abuse, prevent relationship violence, and support those impacted by harm.

If you or another University of California, Berkeley community member experiences sexual violence or harassment, stalking, or relationship violence, support is available. Berkeley offers confidential resources and options for reporting concerns.

🔗 Visit the SVSH site to learn more and explore available resources and support: https://svsh.berkeley.edu/datingdomestic-violence-prevention-month