Dear Colleagues,

This year, Ann and I have come together to reflect on some of our favorite things that happened at Haas in 2022. Here are our top 10, in no particular order:

1. We announced our new five-year Berkeley Haas strategic business plan, serving as a clear roadmap for our school. The plan identifies four key goals that we have been committed to for some time: reputational strength, financial health, principled business education, and elevated student experience and outcomes.

2. Our alumni giving and engagement is stronger than ever! We had the best fundraising year in Haas history, bringing in about $69M, including the $45M raised to transform our undergraduate program. In addition, we had more than 2,000 alumni and guests from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the U.S. register for our Alumni Conference & MBA Reunion Weekend – our first in-person reunion since 2019.

3. We welcomed nine new ladder faculty to Haas this fall, bringing us much closer to our goal of 100. Our professors, seven of whom are women and include our first Black and Latinx women professors, bring a wealth of expertise and hail from the U.S. and around the world.

4. We strengthened Haas’ position among top-tier business programs by making significant innovations in our program offerings and instructional formats. Chief among them are our four-year Spieker Undergraduate Business Program and our EWMBA Flex option, with our first cohort beginning classes this summer.

5. Our staff received high marks from the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation board. AACSB’s report also noted the strength of our academic programs, faculty, research capabilities, and culture.

6. Berkeley Exec Ed (BEE) had a record-breaking year, exceeding all previous financial performance indicators: revenue ($37.4M), Haas margin ($8.2M), faculty payout ($12.5M) and university contribution ($3.4M). BEE’s stellar performance further bolstered Haas’ financial health and allowed the school to support essential operations and new initiatives.

7. We made significant strides toward our goal of making UC Berkeley and Haas the premier destination for “entrepre-curious” students by securing a future home for our Entrepreneurship Hub. It is expected to become an integral part of Berkeley’s innovation system.

8. We also made significant strides in the areas of sustainability and inclusion. We dedicated much of fall’s Dean Speakers Series to sustainable futures, inviting leaders such as Kathryn Hall and Mary Nichols who are focused on the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future. And we successfully raised more than $100,000 for our Haas Thrive and HBCU MBA Fellowships, creating the diverse and inclusive student community that we want to see at Haas.

9. From re-launching [email protected], which brought staff together for happy hours and holiday parties, to holding in-person new employee orientations, our staff found creative ways to build community. And new tools such as #Haas-Connections, powered by Slack’s Donut, also helped new and familiar staff strengthen ties across campus.

10. And finally, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of our EWMBA Program and returned to in-person commencements at the Greek. Together we sent off seven PhD students, about 600 evening & weekend and full-time MBA graduates, and 475 undergraduates!

Before we sign off, we want to thank our wonderful [email protected] Team — Molly Hernandez, Fredie Fausto, Fiona Taft, Justine Roades, Stacey Stevens, Carrie Hults, and Sarah Bottger — who organized a fantastic holiday party! Take a moment to check out the photos. 

We also want to give a special shout-out to [email protected], which is celebrating its 10th anniversary! The program was created to enhance the student experience through experiential learning across all three MBA programs. For the past decade, [email protected] has impacted the learnings of more than 8,700 students.

And finally, we want to recognize Amanda Gill and Renata Jorge who recently won the 2022 Excellence in Advising and Student Services Awards! The awards recognize individuals who have a significant impact on student learning, engagement, and belonging on the Berkeley campus.

We wish everyone a peaceful and very restful winter break. See you in 2023.

Ann & Courtney

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