Graduate Students, As a member of our university community, your well-being is of utmost importance to us, and to me personally as Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. Pursuing a graduate degree often requires a great deal of self-direction, and academic writing, along with competing for grants, fellowships, and publications, can be exhilarating, stress-inducing, and discouraging. While some of you may be enjoying a summer away from university coursework and academic schedules, others may feel more adrift in your life and work. If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, I encourage you to reach out to Amy Honigman, our Graduate Student Wellness Center counselor, to schedule a consultation. Additionally, regardless of your insurance plan, you may also schedule a Let’s Talk appointment to discuss other campus services and resources. Those of you on our Student Health Insurance Plan can seek individual, group, or couples counseling by contacting Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Berkeley’s recalibrate website also offers one-click resources when seeking support for yourself and others. Our campus has been working to significantly strengthen the mental health supports available to students, including the Graduate Division hiring five new mental health fellows to support you, our graduate student community, as you return to campus. But we still have much work to do. We need to shift our academic culture to be more collaborative and less competitive, do a better job emphasizing wellness and well-being as key to academic success, and work to foster supportive, inclusive departmental cultures where everyone can thrive. I look forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall and — with your help — continuing to build a positive and supportive academic culture that values student wellness as much as it does academic success.
Graduate Students, As a member of our university community, your well-being is of utmost importance to us, and to me personally as Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. Pursuing a graduate degree often requires a great deal of self-direction, and academic writing, along with competing for grants, fellowships, and publications, can be exhilarating, stress-inducing, and discouraging. While some of you may be enjoying a summer away from university coursework and academic schedules, others may feel more adrift in your life and work. If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, I encourage you to reach out to Amy Honigman, our Graduate Student Wellness Center counselor, to schedule a consultation. Additionally, regardless of your insurance plan, you may also schedule a Let’s Talk appointment to discuss other campus services and resources. Those of you on our Student Health Insurance Plan can seek individual, group, or couples counseling by contacting Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Berkeley’s recalibrate website also offers one-click resources when seeking support for yourself and others. Our campus has been working to significantly strengthen the mental health supports available to students, including the Graduate Division hiring five new mental health fellows to support you, our graduate student community, as you return to campus. But we still have much work to do. We need to shift our academic culture to be more collaborative and less competitive, do a better job emphasizing wellness and well-being as key to academic success, and work to foster supportive, inclusive departmental cultures where everyone can thrive. I look forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall and — with your help — continuing to build a positive and supportive academic culture that values student wellness as much as it does academic success.