Letter from the chancellor

Chancellor Robert Berdahl Peg Skorpinski photo

16 August 2001 |

To the campus community:

More than thirty years have passed since President Johnson ordered federal contractors to “ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during their employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” Today, we proudly fulfill this obligation through the vigorous pursuit of our campus policy to ensure that all employment actions are based solely on an individual’s qualifications, without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, cancer-related medical condition, disability, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, ancestry, citizenship, or marital status.

As one of the most prestigious public universities in the world, UC Berkeley is committed to principles of equal employment opportunity, affirmative action and diversity. I welcome this opportunity to affirm my personal commitment to these principles and to the conscientious and consistent application of our campus policies that support our obligations as a federal contractor.

As public officers, each one of us should strive to be an example of fairness and equal opportunity, especially to meet the demands of rapid growth and change in California’s population. To build a campus community that is at once a competitive employment leader in the Bay Area and a humane and safe environment for all who work or learn here, we must maintain our longstanding and unwavering commitment to equal opportunity by actively recruiting a qualified and diverse workforce, and make every effort to provide a work environment that is free of illegal discrimination and harassment.

We will remain committed to seeing that all qualified applicants receive every opportunity to be fairly evaluated, and that all staff receives equal opportunities, as well as the support and encouragement to pursue those opportunities.

The 2001-2002 campus Staff Affirmative Action Plan is available on the World Wide Web http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/aaeeo/aaplan.htm. The most recent campus Academic Affirmative Action Plan is available on the World Wide Web http://www.chance.berkeley.edu/apo/aaaplan.html.
Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action commitments are established by campus policies and delegated in accordance with the line organization of the campus, and the ultimate responsibility is mine. I ask that you share in meeting these responsibilities by incorporating these policies in day-to-day decisions and activities. The creation and maintenance of an inclusive, fair, and supportive work environment for all staff will return organizational effectiveness and efficiency many times the initial investment. Through our mutual efforts and resolve, we can ensure Berkeley’s academic leadership and excellence through diversity.

Robert M. Berdahl
Chancellor