An unprecedented opportunity to create a home of inclusivityUC Berkeley is leading the nation among the largest cohorts of underrepresented minority (URM) applicants. We are more committed than ever to create a campus where students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in graduate education can form a community, get support and know they belong at Berkeley. With this commitment in mind, we saw a need for something new. The Inclusive Excellence HubImagine bringing our diverse community together in a vibrant, inclusive space where underrepresented students can find camaraderie and build multi-disciplinary networks of their peers. A lively, informal space where programs focused on strengthening undergraduate diversity — such as the McNair Scholars and Firebaugh Scholars — are located next to an in-house faculty advisor and graduate student mentors who can help guide students through their academic journey. In partnership with the Division of Equity & Inclusion we have acquired a unique space in a 2-story building at 2515 Channing Way. Built in 1920, the space will be re-envisioned as the first campus-wide community hub exclusively dedicated to increasing excellence through diversity and belonging among Berkeley’s graduate students. The Inclusive Excellence Hub will house innovative programs The Hub will be home to transformational programs that attract qualified graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, becoming a highly visible example of Berkeley’s mission as a beacon of opportunity for students from every background. The Hub will host special learning communities like the Path to the Professoriate and workshops to help students build writing skills for their dissertations. The space will also be a haven of support with resident faculty mentors of color and Diversity and Community Fellows to help guide students or provide a listening ear. Graduate education pilot programs for URM students will also be hosted such as Undergraduate and transfer research programs, or registered graduate students organizations. Programming to be hosted at The Hub Dissertation Writing Workshops – to provide dissertation writing support and scaffolding Writing Space – unrestricted space for graduate students to write in community Path to the Professoriate – a learning community to promote and encourage students from groups historically underrepresented in higher education with preparation for faculty positions Resident Faculty Mentors of Color – faculty members in residence to mentor graduate and undergraduate students and lead by example Diversity & Community Fellows – graduate students who serve as peer mentors providing a listening ear and developing programming to build community for graduate students navigating their academic programs and campus life McNair & Firebaugh Undergraduate Research Programs – supporting undocumented and underrepresented undergraduate students exploring research and graduate education Graduate Affinity Groups Meeting Spaces – spaces for affinity groups catering to graduate students to meet and provide programming Transfer Student Research Intro – workshops and mentoring opportunities in partnership with the Transfer Office specifically designed to introduce undergraduate transfer students to the campus research landscape and graduate education possibilities Inclusive Excellence Hub Giving OpportunitiesBuilding Naming: A rare campus naming opportunity exists for this vibrant diversity programming hub with support at the $10,000,000 level if approved by campus. Inclusive Program Naming: Programming investments will provide the intellectual basis to maintain the innovative scaffolding happening at the Hub. Investments of $1,000,000 – $5,000,000 will endow and provide program naming opportunities for supporting our underrepresented student community. Inclusive Excellence Program Supporter: Invest in the intellectual capital that promotes the success for our underrepresented students. We welcome your partnership, feedback, and ideas as we work to put in place concrete efforts to allow access, build community, and move the needle for underrepresented student support. You Can Make This PossibleOur vision of a welcoming, multicultural space housing student groups, advisors, and small lecture areas can be fulfilled before spring of 2023 with your investment. GiveWhat do you think?As renovations get underway to make the first phase of this project a reality in the coming months, we look forward to hearing feedback and ideas as to how this space could be of great benefit to the underrepresented graduate student community at Cal. Please submit ideas via our Inclusive Excellence Hub Idea Portal.