Students of color
Many students feel isolated when they go to college, and this experience can be intensified if you find yourself to be the only person of color in a classroom, department, or residential unit. Fortunately, a variety of support services and student organizations exist that can help both graduates and undergraduates:
Professional Development Program (PDP)
Academic Achievement Programs
Volunteering and Internships
Student Organizations
Academic
Ethnic Studies provides a multi-disciplinary and comparative consideration of Native American, Asian American, and Chicano experiences and communities (ethnicstudies.berkeley.edu; 506 Barrows Hall; ethnicst@berkeley.edu; 510/643-0796).
The Graduate Diversity Program provides support services in an effort to increase and retain underrepresented students at UC Berkeley. Students seeking advising, mentoring, and strategies for successfully negotiating graduate school are encouraged to contact the program (grad.berkeley.edu/diversity/diversity.shtml; 318 Sproul Hall; grad.diversity@berkeley.edu; 510/643-6010).
Publications include:
Continue the Journey: An Introduction to Graduate Education at the University of California (ucop.edu/journey).
Summer Research Opportunities for Underserved Undergraduates, see page 68.
The McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program prepares Berkeley undergraduates for graduate study leading to a PhD. Twenty-seven sophomores or juniors are selected by competition to participate in academic year seminars, summer research internships mentored by Berkeley faculty, advising, and academic strengthening activities. Low-income, first-generation college students and members of groups underrepresented in graduate studies are encouraged to apply (aap.berkeley.edu/mcnair; Academic Achievement Programs; 2515 Channing Way; 510/642-7935).
The Charles Tunstall Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP) aims to increase the number of underrepresented students who enroll and graduate with bachelor’s degrees in engineering from Berkeley. MEP provides counseling and advising, academic support, and information on financial assistance and research opportunities. MEP works closely with the industry to provide professional workshops, seminars, internships, and scholarships for students (coe.berkeley.edu/cues/mep; 222 Bechtel Engineering Center; 510/643-5600).
Support
bridges, the campus multicultural resource center, works to unify efforts to help students of color in schools, and to increase representation of students of color. The bridges coalition assists in forming collaborative activities among the student recruitment and retention centers, and sponsors events, such as Diversity Fest (www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~bridges; 516A Eshleman Hall; bridgesinfo@berkeley.edu; 510/642-3914).
The California Alumni Association (CAA) Cal Mentorship Program grants UC Berkeley students access to an online database where students may select one or more Cal alumni member as a mentor. Search criteria include: career experience, cultural identity, area of study, campus group affiliation, and more (alumni.berkeley.edu/mentor).
Student Life Advising Services/Educational Opportunity Program (SLAS/EOP) offers academic counseling and advising to Educational Opportunity Program students (low income, first generation, California residents), historically underrepresented students, as well as undergraduate students who participated in pre-Cal academic preparation programs. SLAS/EOP provides students with alternatives when confronted with decisions, concerns, or problems that may affect their progress toward graduation, as well as guidance and resources to facilitate the attainment of their personal, academic, and career goals (slas.berkeley.edu; 119 Cesar Chavez Student Center; 510/642-7224).
The Multicultural Center, which is housed in Heller Lounge in the MLK Jr. Student Union, has recently been awarded funding to expand and improve its facilities and services. The Center encourages intercultural dialogue, analysis, education, support, and celebration, and will temporarily move to a facility in lower Sproul Plaza during the renovation (www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2008/04/mc-mou.pdf).