work/life: a guide for the uc berkeley campus

The White House and National Science Foundation Announce New Workplace Flexibility Policies to Support America’s Scientists and Their Families

On September 26, 2011, Chancellor Birgeneau joined First Lady Michelle Obama and others at the White House to announce new family friendly initiatives by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Birgeneau participated in a 40-minute panel discussion about the impact of these new polices with NSF Director Subra Suresh, other academics and students. For more detail, link to the White House press release.

Under Birgeneau, UC Berkeley has been a leader in fostering a family friendly workplace for faculty, students and staff, having established the UC system’s first initiatives to address the work-family issues of faculty and graduate students. Campus researchers Mary Ann Mason, Marc Goulden and Karie Frasch also undertook an extensive examination of the role universities and federal agencies like the NSF play in the loss of promising researchers, largely women and minorities, from the academic pipeline. The recommendations in that report played an influential role in the establishment of the new NSF initiatives.

Welcome to Work/Life: A Guide for the UC Berkeley Campus. This guide provides UC Berkeley faculty, staff, and students with an overview of existing campus work/life policies, programs, and resources designed to support our campus community in balancing their work, family and personal lives.

In support of this goal, the Work/Life Office, part of Faculty/Staff Health Programs at University Health Services, works in partnership with departments, committees and work groups at UC Berkeley and with the surrounding community. The work/life program manager works on issues of policy and program development, and provides consultation to individuals and departments.

If you have questions about the site, please contact Wendy Nishikawa, Manager, Work/Life, and Co-chair, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Dependent Care, at wnishikawa@uhs.berkeley.edu.

University of California Statement in Support of Work-Life Integration

The University of California is committed to the ongoing development of principles, institutional resources, and a workplace culture supportive of personal and family responsibilities. In aspiring to achieve such a workplace culture, the University will foster work-life integration and support work-life strategies that promote civility, citizenship, and community. The University, having accomplished this, will maximize the productivity and successes of its diverse faculty and staff and enhance the quality of life for all.

See the full letter from Office of the President