Dear Berkeley undergraduate student,
We invite you to take the second Student Pulse Survey of the fall term. These confidential, one-minute surveys capture your feedback so UC Berkeley can better support you. As a token of our appreciation, if you complete the survey, you will have a chance to win a $100 gift card of your choice.
The Fall 2023 Pulse Survey #2 is now open
This Pulse Survey asks for your thoughts on CALperformances, AI technologies, student organizations, and housing insecurity. A link to the Pulse Survey is below and also appears as a task in CalCentral. The survey is confidential and results will be displayed only in the aggregate. The last day to submit your responses is November 3, 2023.
Take Fall 2023 Pulse Survey #2
Results from Fall 2023 Pulse Survey #1
The results from the Fall Pulse Survey #1 are available on the Pulse Survey website. Below are some highlights:
When asked what they were excited about for the semester, about two-thirds of undergraduates (66%, n = 5,655) and over half of graduate students (54%, n = 1,646) selected meeting new friends. The majority of students were excited about taking interesting classes (undergraduates 64%, n = 5,564; graduate students 56%, n = 1,733). Undergraduates also mentioned spending time with friends (63%, n = 5,396). And the most popular selection among graduate students was growing professionally (59%, n = 1,822).
- Read the Berkeley Life Blog article Making Friends: Student Stories for tips on how to find community.
Most undergraduates (85%, n = 6,535) consider 12 or 13 units to be the minimum for full-time enrollment. More than half of undergraduates who were taking less than 15 units this semester (54%, n = 2,490) said their academic workload was challenging enough as is. About two-thirds of undergraduates taking less than 15 units this semester (67%, n = 3,098) said they would likely take an additional one- or two- unit class this semester if the topic were interesting to them.
- DeCal courses (most are one- and two-unit classes) can be a great option if you are looking to add a few more interesting units.
Small, but significant, proportions of undergraduate and graduate students said they would not know where to get help on campus if they had a basic need (14%, n = 1,602) or a social need, such as help about bullying or finding belonging (17%, n = 2,016).
- The Basic Needs Center is a virtual and physical hub located in the lower level of the MLK Student Union that supports students including education, prevention, and emergency relief for food, housing, finances, health, and wellness. All students including undergraduate, graduate, international, and undocumented students are eligible. Students can receive support by completing an Assistance Form.
- Visit the Dean of Student's WellBeing web page for resources like harm reduction and intervention programs such as Bears that Care, support including mental health services, and more. The Centers for Educational Justice & Community Engagement can help connect students to communities on campus to enhance their sense of belonging.
Seventeen percent of undergraduates (n = 1,376) are eager to engage or have already engaged with the Discovery Opportunities Database.
- The Discovery Opportunities Database is your campus search engine to find internships, scholarships, research opportunities, study abroad and more. Log in today!
Survey Drawing Winners
Congratulations to the following recipients of $100 gift cards from Spring 2023 Pulse Survey #2:
- Jon Birchler, College of Letters and Science undergraduate
- Name withheld, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science undergraduate
- Glory Gage, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology undergraduate
- Sakura Kappel, Business undergraduate
- Fiona Grant, School of Law graduate student
- Name withheld, Physics graduate student
Additional information about the Pulse Survey, including results from previous surveys, is available on the Undergraduate Education website. If you have any questions or concerns with the Pulse Survey, please contact UE_DataTeam@berkeley.edu.
Thanking you in advance for your participation in the survey and wishing you every success this semester.
Fiat Lux,
Oliver M. O’Reilly
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Lisa García Bedolla
Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate Division
Stephen C. Sutton
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
This message was sent to all UC Berkeley undergraduate students.