Division of Equity & Inclusion, UC Berkeley

“Success is not an exit. It is an inheritance of responsibility.” ✨ Dr. Amber Johnson, Assistant Vice Chancellor & Chief of Staff for Equity & Inclusion at University of California, Berkeley, introduces "Social Mobility as Stewardship," a powerful reframing of how we understand student success in higher education. Rather than measuring mobility only as individual upward movement, this framework invites us to see it as something more relational and enduring: a practice of stewardship rooted in reciprocity, institutional care, and collective responsibility. When students rise, they are not simply leaving systems behind. They are shaping what those systems become for future generations. At UC Berkeley, this perspective is already visible in the everyday work of staff, faculty, and students who design programs, build belonging, and strengthen the institutions that made their own journeys possible. 🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/49u1Kv8 *What’s the Word? is a column that introduces emerging language, concepts, and frameworks shaping equity and inclusion work.

"When we invest in connection, we expand what's possible." 💙💛 This summer, University of California, Berkeley welcomed HBCU scholars from across the country for a campus-wide gathering celebrating research, mentorship, graduate pathways, and belonging. Photo 1: Chancellor Lyons with Environmental Scholars, CREEO, and MCB students and staff. Photo 2: Group photo of the campus wide staff that support our HBCU programs and engagements. Thank you to our campus partners, faculty, staff, and students for making this community possible. We look forward to seeing all that these scholars will accomplish. Read more: https://bit.ly/4fxxrG6

Meet Nathaly Santos, a UC Berkeley graduate student who reflects on her academic journey and the importance of building community, representation, and support for Latinx students. 🌟 Through the Latinx Thriving Initiatives, University of California, Berkeley continues fostering an environment where students can feel connected, celebrated, and empowered to succeed.

Share widely! Looking for a leader with strong and demonstrated supervisory experience and a deep commitment to Inclusive Excellence. See below for the full details.

Help create a mural celebrating disability culture at University of California, Berkeley! 🎨✨ The Disability Culture Center is forming a Disability Mural Committee and is looking for 5-10 students to help shape this exciting project. Committee members will help gather community input, review proposals, and support the creation of a mural celebrating disability identity, culture, and community. Interested in joining? Submit to this interest form: https://lnkd.in/eiP_MMXP

✨ 2026 Equity in Action Summit recap Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year's Equity in Action Summit on Mon. 6/15! Together, we explored Thriving as a Collective Practice, Freedom as an Organizing Principle through a day of learning, reflection, dialogue, and connection. We were honored to learn from inspiring voices including Ericka Huggins, Gina Ann Garcia, Terisa Siagatonu, and Dominic Malone, whose insights challenged us to imagine new possibilities for equity, belonging, and institutional transformation. Thank you to our speakers, facilitators, panelists, planning committee, and every attendee who shared your wisdom, care, and commitment. The conversations don't end here. We look forward to continuing this work together. 📸 Reagan Calaguas

LTI Research Convivencia Recap The LTI Research Convivencia brought comunidad together to spotlight Latinx-centered research and the power of shared knowledge at @ucberkeleyofficial. From poster presentations to conversations around servingness, education, identity, and community impact, the gathering created a space to learn from one another and celebrate the research shaping Latinx thriving on campus. Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, and contributed to this meaningful day of connection.

Starting Wed. 7/8, registration for Berkeley Art Studio fall classes are open 🎨 Looking to explore a new creative outlet? Choose from ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, textiles, design, and more. ✨ Scholarship opportunities are available for eligible University of California, Berkeley students, including: • Low-income undergraduate EOP students Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3) • Low-income graduate students UC Berkeley Graduate Division • Helen Diller Anchor House residents Whether you're trying art for the first time or building your creative practice, these scholarships help make classes more accessible. 🗓️ Early Fall: August 31-October 19 🗓️ Late Fall: October 21-December 13 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/epWv2YaX

Meet Alexis Meza, M.A., a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Education, who shares his journey, reflections, and the impact of finding community through UC Berkeley’s Latinx Thriving Initiatives. 🌟 The Latinx Thriving Initiatives continue supporting all students by creating spaces of belonging, connection, and empowerment across University of California, Berkeley.

“Treat ‘no’ not as a dead end, but as data worth examining.” ✨ In this edition of What’s the Word?, Dr. Fabrizio Mejia, interim Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion at University of California, Berkeley, explores “contextual courage,” a leadership practice grounded in curiosity, collaboration, adaptability, and values-aligned action. Rather than viewing resistance as failure, contextual courage asks us to pause, listen deeply, build coalitions, and examine what systems, assumptions, or structures may need to shift in order for equity and belonging to thrive. This reflection invites us to rethink how meaningful change happens across higher education, through clarity, care, and collective responsibility. 🔗 Read more about contextual courage: https://bit.ly/4vhEk4D *What’s the Word? is a column that introduces emerging language, concepts, and frameworks shaping equity and inclusion work.