Staff Organizations work together to offer individuals the opportunity to become more involved in campus life.
The affinity staff organizations offer professional development and celebrate the diversity of our staff members while offering a safe space on campus to share, support, and learn about each other. We encourage all staff to be involved in many of these organizations as they are a great way to meet new colleagues outside of your division, find mentors/mentees, learn new skills, and develop leadership skills.
All staff can choose to participate in People & Culture's Sponsored Staff Organizations, which fall under two sections - Affinity Staff Organizations and Communities of Practice. All staff are automatically members of the Berkeley Staff Assembly.
Staff Orgs are open to all UC Berkeley staff members, regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or any other protected class status. UC Berkeley is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that welcomes participants from all backgrounds.
In 2023, Staff Engagement & Belonging launched the inaugural Executive Sponsorship Program. It is a two-year program that pairs Vice Chancellors and Vice Provosts with leaders from affinity staff organizations sponsored by People & Culture.
This partnership enables the Chancellor’s Cabinet to better understand and be more responsive to the needs of historically marginalized and/or underrepresented communities, and for staff organization leaders to elevate their concerns directly to the highest level of the organization.
The Executive Sponsorship Program also plays a key role in connecting our senior leaders with the members of these organizations in ways that otherwise do not exist, serving to remove some of the historical/systemic barriers to access, particularly with respect to sponsorship and mentorship, that these employees often experience.