UC Berkeley News : UC And Berkeley Leaders Hail Legislation That Overturns Enrollment Freeze

Press release from UC Berkeley News:

Public Affairs

2022-03-15

California lawmakers on Monday voted unanimously to pass legislation that overturns court decisions that required UC Berkeley to freeze student enrollment to 2020-21 levels. If the bill is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, at least 3,050 undergraduate admissions slots at Berkeley will be restored for prospective students to fill.

California lawmakers on Monday voted unanimously to pass legislation that overturns court decisions that required UC Berkeley to freeze student enrollment to 2020-21 levels. If the bill is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, at least 3,050 undergraduate admissions slots at Berkeley will be restored for prospective students to fill.

UC and Berkeley leaders released these statements in response to today’s vote:

Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ: “On behalf of the thousands of students who will benefit from today’s vote, I want to thank California’s legislators for their quick and effective response. At Berkeley we are, and will remain, committed to continuing our efforts to address a student housing crisis through new construction of below market housing. We look forward to working in close, constructive collaboration with our partners in Sacramento in order to advance our shared interest in providing California students with an exceptional experience and education.”

UC President Michael Drake: “Today’s action by the state Legislature affirms the University of California’s obligations under CEQA while also safeguarding the bright futures of thousands of hardworking prospective UC Berkeley students. The University shares our campus neighbors’ desire to undertake growth in a way that respects the surrounding community and mitigates impacts on the environment. We believe this bill provides a clearer, more transparent and more predictable process for analyzing and managing the environmental impact of campus populations under CEQA while also ensuring students are not harmed because of ongoing policy disagreements. The University is deeply grateful for the leadership of Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and Budget Committee Chairs Senator Nancy Skinner and Assemblymember Phil Ting in swiftly moving this legislation forward. Their leadership has been essential to our ability to make admission offers to a full class of deserving students in the months ahead.”

This press release was produced by UC Berkeley News. The views expressed here are the author’s own.