Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
I am pleased to inform you that we have finalized the terms of the Major Events policy that governs planning for and presentation of Major Events sponsored by Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and other non-departmental users.
As you may recall, an interim version of the Major Events policy was implemented on August 14, 2017 with the intention of revising it based on experience and public comment. We then solicited feedback from the campus community, campus event stakeholders, and the general public throughout October 2017. Nearly five hundred comments, most of which came from students, were carefully reviewed and considered, leading to a number of revisions now incorporated into the policy, which can be found in full here: deanofstudents.berkeley.edu/content/procedures-non-departmental-users-request-access-campus-facilities
We also urge you to review the FAQ that addresses key provisions that have changes, and provides explanations for the policy’s finalized provisions and requirements: deanofstudents.berkeley.edu/content/procedures-non-departmental-users-request-access-campus-facilities-faq
Now, as in the past, the University of California, Berkeley is committed to free speech as essential to its educational mission and as a vital component of its identity. The University is also committed to enabling student organizations and other groups to host a variety of events on campus and thereby to supplement and enrich students’ educational experience. The new Major Events policy will be applied without regard for perspectives or positions expressed in connection with those events. Criteria for assessing Major Events are applied in aviewpoint-neutral manner and without regard to the content of any performance or speaking aspect of the event.
I want to express our appreciation and gratitude to all who took the time to provide us with the input and feedback that were an essential part of the finalization process. I am confident that we have in place a policy that is, at once, consistent with our values and supportive of our students’ needs and interests.
Sincerely,
Stephen C. Sutton, Ed.D.Interim Vice ChancellorDivision of Student Affairs
If you are a manager who supervises UC Berkeley employees without email access, please circulate this information to all.