Berkeley Connect sets out to impact students in specific, measurable ways. Students who participate in Berkeley Connect should:
- Meet other students who share their academic interests.
- Increase their awareness of educational opportunities and resources on campus.
- Deepen their knowledge of a specific academic discipline.
- Become better prepared to approach professors in office hours.
- Learn about post-college career options.
- Increase their sense of belonging at UC Berkeley.
- Increase their confidence that they can succeed at UC Berkeley.
Berkeley Connect has demonstrated remarkable success in achieving these outcomes. In Fall 2017, on the end-of-semester exit survey that all students are required to complete:
- 97% of participants reported that they increased their awareness of educational resources
- 94% deepened their knowledge of an academic discipline
- 89% felt better prepared to meet professors
- 87% got new ideas about post-college careers
- 90% increased their confidence that they can succeed at UC Berkeley
- 92% increased their sense of belonging at Berkeley
Click here for more data demonstrating that Berkeley Connect has a positive impact on students’ academic performance.
We can also measure the success of Berkeley Connect in student comments like these:
“Through Berkeley Connect I was able to have a mentor who encouraged me to excel and made my transition to college much easier….Our one-on-one meetings helped me work through numerous challenges and feel much more confident with my decisions.”–first-year student in Berkeley Connect
“During my first semester, I do not think I ever felt particularly safe in the quality of my academic knowledge, or even my experiences as an individual. In Berkeley Connect though, that was never the case….Berkeley Connect allowed me to not only feel comfortable amongst my peers, but to also realize that my skills, intellectual curiosity, and yearning to bond with my fellow peers would be reciprocated.”–transfer student in Berkeley Connect
For more about Berkeley Connect, see: