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When U.C. Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Birgenau took office in 2005, he presented a vision of Cal as a more equitable and inclusive university. He quickly established a new diversity research center and appointed Cal’s first Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, whose office led a campus-wide effort to develop a plan for making the Chancellor’s vision real.
With a $16 million gift from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Cal has shifted from planning to doing. With the launch of the U.C. Berkeley Initiative for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the university is undertaking a sweeping effort to make equity and inclusion a priority in every corner of the Cal campus. Cal’s total investment will grow to $31 million because of challenge grants included in the Fund’s gift, plus matching support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Among the key components of the Initiative for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is the creation of five endowed chairs in the U.C. Berkeley Diversity Research Center. Faculty serving in these positions will lead colleagues and students in inter-disciplinary studies that focus on such crucial topics as disparities in health, education and economics; equity for gay and lesbian Americans; and how democratic principles adapt to an increasingly diverse population. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that these issues remain a focal point for research and teaching at Cal for decades to come.
The Haas, Jr. Fund grant also includes substantial support for undergraduate scholarships for students from low-income families. When fully matched by other donors, the scholarships will provide significant support for community college transfer students, with an emphasis on students displaying community and public service leadership.
Last but not least, the Cal initiative includes a broad range of programs that make equity and inclusion a campus-wide priority through enhanced course offerings, diversity training for faculty and staff, and more. It marks a major effort to embed Chancellor Birgenau’s commitment to equity and inclusion into every part of Cal’s operations, from research and teaching to administration.
Shared Values
Robert D. Haas, who serves on the board of trustees of the Haas, Jr. Fund, said the U.C. Berkeley initiative is founded on an understanding that public institutions must reflect the diversity of the society they serve – a society that includes people of widely varying economic means, growing numbers of racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants, individuals with disabilities, and a significant LGBT population.
“California’s future depends on initiatives like this,” said Haas. “We need to make the most of our state’s rich diversity by expanding educational opportunities and by preparing all students for life and leadership in a diverse and complex world where intercultural competence is vital.”
The Haas, Jr. Fund shares the values at the heart of the U.C. Berkeley Initiative for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is a longtime supporter of Cal. Rooted in the Haas family’s tradition of involvement with the University, the Fund has invested in several major efforts to help Cal enhance its commitment to academics, athletics and excellence. These have included: support for the Haas School of Business; and construction of the Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion, home of the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams.
Another campus project being supported by the Haas, Jr. Fund is construction of Cal’s Student Athlete High Performance Center to help students excel in sports as well as the classroom. The Fund also supported renovations and improvements to the university’s Bancroft Library – creating greater access to the world-class facility for students, scholars and the public.
In other recent grants, the Haas, Jr. Fund supported the planning effort that produced the design of the U.C. Berkeley Initiative for Equity and Inclusion. The resulting plan, issued in late 2009, called for the transformation of Cal into “an equitable and inclusive academy of the highest caliber.”
With the U.C. Berkeley Initiative for Equity and Inclusion, Cal is striving to make this transformation real – so the university can fulfill its historic public mission as a center of opportunity for all people.
Read the U.C. Berkeley press release
