| HIGHER EDUCATION
BERKELEY
Nurtures Diverse People and Thought
By Grace Austin
T
he University of California its history of diversity of thought and at Berkeley has a long people. Considered to be the premier and storied history of disuniversity in California, not being sident voices on campus. reflective of the state’s demographics Established in 1868 near the San has been an issue for the institution in Francisco Bay, the public research unirecent years. versity currently counts more than Much of this comes from the diffi35,000 enrolled students. It is the culty of admissions. (The average GPA oldest of the ten major campuses in of 2010 incoming freshmen was 4.19, Actor Gregory Peck the University of California system. with SAT scores at 2031.) As is the case In addition to producing countless with many other prestigious universiOlympic athletes, Nobel Prize winties, the lack of qualified candidates ners, and Academy Award winners, from underrepresented populations Berkeley researchers have been creditkeeps these numbers low. Although ed with finding six chemical elements the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and on the periodic table. Diversity’s mission is to “cultivate a Named in honor of a philosopher, welcoming and supportive environmajor donations from the Hearst famment that enhances success and adily more than a century ago helped vancement . . . regardless of personal develop the Berkeley campus. Now experiences, values, and worldviews World Bank Leader Robert McNamara with a $3.15 billion endowment, the that arise from differences of culture university has received funding recentand circumstance,” it faces much adly from BP, Dow Chemical, and the Hewlett Foundation. versity from outside factors. These impediments include Consistently ranked one of the top schools in the world, the barring of affirmative action due to Proposition 209 Berkeley carries both prestige and celebrity—Apple coin 1996, lack of counseling in high schools, budget cuts, founder Steve Wozniak, actor Gregory Peck, and World and the large, bureaucratic University of California sysBank leader Robert McNamara are all notable alumni. tem, which constructs and administers admissions policies and admissions. Diverse Thought and People The diversity department, instead, has focused its efforts Berkeley has long been known for its ample resources on outreach. They carry this out through programs that and open culture—something which draws a wide array focus on fostering a college-going culture and providing of people from diverse backgrounds. counseling and advice at Greater Bay-area high schools A majority of women comprise the undergraduate popand community colleges, says Gibor Basri, vice chancellor ulation, although the gender ratio is relatively even. Asian for Equity and Inclusion, appointed in 2007. Americans represent a plurality of the population, with “That’s an area where we see more hope in diversifying 42 percent of the undergraduate student body. Hispanics the undergraduate student body. The pool we are drawing make up 12 percent of the student population. While from are people that have gathered up and are motivated that may seem high, in comparison, California’s poputo get into UC-Berkeley. That’s been an area of opportulation is 35.9 percent Hispanic. Similarly, the African nity for us,” says Basri. American population is low, a little over 4 percent. This Meanwhile, Berkeley’s Haas Institute for a Fair and underrepresentation has been widely criticized at a school Inclusive Society, formerly the Haas Diversity Research not only known for its prestige and academic focus, but Center, provides an incomparable resource: an in-house
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PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL
July/August 2013