Dear Berkeley graduate student,
We invite you to take the spring 2026 Student Pulse Survey. These confidential, three-minute Pulse 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 Spring 2026 Pulse Survey is Now Open
This Pulse Survey asks for your thoughts on your experiences with Office for Graduate Diversity programs, bereavement policies, housing insecurity, and mental health. A link to the Pulse Survey is below and appears as a task in CalCentral. The survey results are private and will only be displayed in the aggregate. The last day to submit your responses is Friday, February 27, 2026.
Results from Fall 2025 Pulse Survey #2
- Eighteen percent of students said they used generative AI for coursework a few times a week, an increase since Fall 2023 (10%). A higher proportion of students (Fall 2025, 50%; Fall 2023, 37%) said that all of their classes had policies for using generative AI for coursework and that the policies were very clear (Fall 2025, 40%; Fall 2023, 21%).
- The university’s new AI website has a section for students (as well as sections for instructors and staff) that helps connect students to information including guidance, tools and services.
- About half of undergraduate (53%) and graduate (47%) students said they wanted more help with research skills and 41% of all students needed support finding scholarly resources.
- The UC Berkeley Library provides a bevy of tools, including workshops and online guides, to help you level up your research expertise.
- Need to find books, articles, or other sources? Use UC Library Search (first, read the search guide for tips), and check out a primer on finding articles.
- Want one-on-one support? Use the Library’s chat service, reach out via email, or make a 30-minute in-person or virtual appointment with a librarian. You can also schedule a consultation with a subject librarian (see a list online) by email or through the “Book appointment” button.
- Specifically for graduate students:
- The Graduate Writing Center can help support your research, writing or other skills needed to complete your academic program.
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The GradPro team hosts Check In groups to help you keep track of goals, one-on-one consultations and more in efforts to help you get through your program and on to a fulfilling career.
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Events at the Inclusive Excellence Hub like Grad Student Productives help can help with studying, and preparing for QEs.
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Attention, GSIs: The GSI Teaching and Resource Center is available Monday – Friday. The Library offers special GSI and instructor resources and support with scholarly publishing.
- Only 6% of students have downloaded and used the UC Berkeley Safety App, while 59% had not heard about the app.
- Seven percent of students said they experienced housing insecurity and 5% reported frequent or very frequent difficulty focusing on academics due to worrying about housing.
- The UC Berkeley Basic Needs Center offers housing, food, and financial support, including emergency housing assistance.
- The university has a variety of graduate student housing options, whether you are living solo, with a partner, or a family. Applications open today February 17 and will be processed on a rolling basis.
Survey Drawing Winners
Congratulations to the following recipients of $100 gift cards from Fall 2025 Pulse Survey #2:
- Name withheld, College of Letters and Science undergraduate student
- Armon Ofogh, Molecular & Cellular Biology undergraduate student
- Natalie Su, Environmental Sciences undergraduate student
- Natalie Franco, Sociology undergraduate student
- Amber Frank, Law School graduate student
- Name withheld, Computer Science 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,
Lisa García Bedolla (she/her/ella)
Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate Division
Oliver M. O’Reilly (he/him)
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Stephen C. Sutton (he/him)
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs