Dear Colleagues,

It happens every year, but each time, I’m energized by the transformation of our campus from relative summer quiet to all-out hustle and bustle as students rush to class, eager for another year of learning and growth. Here are my highlights for August:

• New year, new students: Class is back in session! We welcomed a total of 1,094 new students to campus, beginning with our EWMBA class, which joined us in late July, followed by our EMBA, MBA, undergraduate, and PhD classes. This was one of our best orientation seasons to date! From the inspiring speeches given by alumni, staff, and faculty to the breakout sessions focused on DEIJB and becoming a Berkeley Changemaker, each of our orientations ran smoothly. Kudos to all of our student-facing and DEIJB teams, technology solutions, events, facilities, and everyone who contributed to a successful start of the year. I’d also like to thank our FTMBA Student Experience Task Force, who helped implement several recommendations to enhance the full-time MBA student experience, including extending orientation and introducing our academic norms. Our collective efforts will surely boost our students’ academic, co-curricular, and career experience outlined in our school’s strategic plan.
• New professors: We also welcomed eight new ladder faculty to campus. They’re a geographically diverse group hailing from as far as Paris to as close as our nation’s capital. Their expertise includes urban economics, consumer judgment, social influence, and more. We also have 20 professional faculty members, four post-doctoral researchers, and three visiting faculty members joining us this fall. We’re so lucky to have them as part of our vibrant community as each brings their intellect, passion, and perspective to shape the next generation of Berkeley Leaders. Moreover, growing our faculty gets us closer to achieving our strategic priorities for faculty growth and excellence.
• Staff connections: On the social and professional fronts, our staff were quite busy this summer. Our Engage@Haas team has been on a roll: In June, many of our Haasome staff members spent the afternoon weeding, turning soil, and harvesting at Alameda Point Collaborative’s (APC) nursery and urban farm, both of which support residents of APC who’ve experienced housing and food insecurities and are working toward securing permanent housing, employment, and other critical services. On the professional front, more than 60 managers and supervisors from across Haas participated in a workshop, co-organized by campus’ People and Culture team and our HR and DEIJB teams, focused on tools for creating an anti-racist community. (Our very own Chief DEIJB Officer Élida Bautista co-developed these learning tools in partnership with the Northern California UC CORO Leadership Collaborative group.) Separately, several teams at Haas organized staff retreats with the aim to outline top priorities for the year ahead and to strengthen bonds. Thank you to all of our staff leaders who help us stay connected to one another and to our communities.

Before I sign off, I’d like to welcome our newest members of our Dean’s Staff Advisory Committee (DSAC): Callum Rutherford, Andrea Brougher, Ishita Rustagi, Jaanvi Chandra, Sherry Perocier, and Thao Phan! Thank you for leadership and efforts toward enhancing the staff experience at Haas. In the coming days, keep an eye out for an email from DSAC about an upcoming retirement planning webinar with Fidelity.

If you’re looking to take your career to new heights, be sure to check out our Jobs at Haas website. Your next promotion could be right around the corner. Feel free to share the website with your friends.

And finally, we hope you’ll join us in the courtyard on September 13 at 4:30 p.m. for our 125th anniversary celebration. You don’t want to miss it! And if you haven’t done so already, check out our digital anniversary logos in honor of our school’s historic milestone (notice my email signature below).

Until next month,

Courtney

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