Berkeleyan

Letter to the Editor

18 August 2004

Wendy Edelstein’s July 22 article, “Free (or nearly free) tuition available for many campus employees,” has had a positive impact on many staff. Several were surprised to learn that that Career Development Opportunity Program funds, along with those available through the Reduced Fee Enrollment Program, would cover the cost of their education at Berkeley. The three staff members profiled in her companion article — Susan Roach, Michael Sacido, and Catalina Estrada — are wonderful examples for other staff who have similar dreams of resuming their education. They now know that these dreams can become a reality.

One manager, after reading the article, apologized to a staff member for not having been as supportive as she might when the staffer enrolled as a student here several years ago. I’m sure that many managers now have a greater understanding of the benefits of supporting staff in their educational goals. By embracing the principles of lifelong learning, they are also supporting the university’s mission of serving all the people of California. As the writer George Eliot said, “It’s never too late to become what you might have been.”

Helen Johnson, former director,
Centers for Transfer, Re-entry, and Student Parents