Dear Berkeley Faculty & Staff:
The Golden Bear Experience is under way for our fall 2017 incoming first-year and transfer students. While they are preparing for their transition to campus, we want to notify our faculty and staff about how Move-In Day and Golden Bear Orientation will affect you and our campus.
Our primary Move-In Day is scheduled for Monday, August 14, 2017 (a limited move-in will take place Sunday, August 13). This means roughly 7,000 incoming undergraduates and their families will drive to the residence halls, unload belongings, and visit the campus — all within a twelve-hour time frame.
To ease congestion on August 14, campus leadership is asking department chairs and managers to:
Review their business for that day and offer staff alternatives to traveling to campus, such as telecommuting or taking a vacation day
Consider holding planning meetings, retreats, and other activities off site that day
If you need to be on campus that day, please note the following:
Bike, walk, or take public transit, if possible
Campus parking will be extremely limited in most cases
If you must drive to campus, factor in additional traffic congestion and commuting time (for example, thirty additional minutes each way) and be prepared to park in alternative lots away from campus, including public pay lots.
Parking and Transportation will be sending messages to permit holders with more information on parking options
Immediately following Move-In, all incoming undergraduates will participate in Golden Bear Orientation, a weeklong comprehensive orientation, from August 15–22. Throughout campus and the surrounding area, you will see groups of new undergraduates and their orientation leaders. Thank you in advance for being patient with the congestion, and for being welcoming and helpful to these students.
We’ve prepared a list of questions and answers to assist you. Please feel free to contact the staff in New Student Services (nss@berkeley.edu) if you have any questions.
Thank you for your continued support toward making our inaugural Golden Bear Orientation an event that honors both the spirit and tradition of UC Berkeley.
Sincerely,
Golden Bear Orientation Steering Committee:
Cathy Koshland (co-chair), Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education
Stephen C. Sutton (co-chair), Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Bob Jacobsen, Dean, Undergraduate Studies, College of Letters and Science
Jennifer Wolch, Dean, College of Environmental Design