The Campus Policies page highlights policies and resources instructors may need to regularly review each semester and include in their syllabus.
For a complete list of campus policies and appropriate contacts for more information, visit the Campus Policies and Procedures(link is external) website.
The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost also maintains an Academic Accommodations Hub(link is external) that provides important information about campus policies and services for students.
Academic
Academic Calendar
Office of the Registrar
- Academic Calendar(link is external)
Note that this page includes the "Religious Holidays and Religious Creed Policy" which has an annually updated calendar of religious and cultural holidays - Campus Policies and Guidelines Concerning the Academic Calendar, RRR Week, Exams, and Commencement(link is external)
Commencement
Absences Due to Illness
Instructors are asked to refrain from general requirements for written excuses from medical personnel for absence due to illness. Many healthy people experience a mild-to-moderate illness and recover without the need to seek medical attention. University Health Services does not have the capacity to evaluate such illnesses and provide documentation excusing student absences. However, UHS will continue to provide documentation when a student is being treated by Tang for an illness that necessitates a change in course load or an incomplete.
Should a student experience repeated absences due to illness, it may be appropriate for the faculty member to ask the student to seek medical advice. The Senate guidelines advise faculty to use flexibility and good judgment in determining whether to excuse missed work, extend deadlines, or substitute an alternative assignment. Only the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI) can waive the final exam. However, a department chair can authorize an instructor to offer an alternative format for a final exam (e.g., paper, take-home exam) on a one-time basis as per COCI's Temporary Change(link is external) guidelines.
Academic Integrity and the Honor Code
Center for Student Conduct
- Academic Integrity(link is external)
- Reporting Academic Misconduct(link is external)
- Code of Student Conduct(link is external)
Associated Students of the University of California
Division of Student Affairs
Accommodations and Supportive Measures
Accommodations for People with Disabilities
- Disabled Students' Program (DSP)(link is external)
- DSP Faculty Liaisons(link is external)
- Disability Management Services(link is external)
Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
Accessibility
University of California Office of the President (UCOP)
Accessible Course Content
- Campus Resources for Faculty(link is external)
- Course Content Accessibility Guides(link is external)
- Video Captions & Transcripts(link is external)
Web Access
Course Approval
Enrollment
Office of the Registrar
EVCP
Final Exams
Office of the Registrar
- Academic Scheduling: Final Exam Guide and Schedules(link is external)
- Campus Policies and Guidelines Concerning the Academic Calendar, RRR Week, Exams, and Commencement(link is external)
Committee on Courses of Instruction Handbook
Grades
Committee on Courses of Instruction Handbook
Academic Senate
RRR Week
Committee on Courses of Instruction Handbook
Office of the Registrar
Privacy
U.S. Department of Education
Information Security Office
Compliance Services
Religious and Academic Scheduling Conflicts
Academic Senate
Division of Student Affairs
Office of the Registrar
- Academic Calendar(link is external)
Note that this page includes the "Religious Holidays and Religious Creed Policy" which has an annually updated calendar of religious and cultural holidays
Textbook Affordability and Accessibility
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA)(link is external) has provisions to reduce costs to students while supporting instructors' ability to select high-quality course materials. HEOA requires that course book information be made available to students before they enroll in a course.
UC Berkeley complies with HEOA by asking faculty to submit book orders to the Cal Student Store(link is external) even in cases where faculty place orders with independent bookstores, so they can be listed in the course catalogue. Providing book lists to the Cal Student Store, regardless of where books are ordered, also makes it possible for the store to buy back books at the end of the semester and offer them at a discount in the future.
In addition, each faculty has the responsibility to identify instructional materials for their courses far enough in advance of the semester so that the Disabled Students’ Program has adequate time to convert them into an accessible format, e.g., Braille, large print, digital/electronic. Timely submission of textbook adoptions enables the University to meet its legal requirement to provide students with disabilities an equal educational opportunity to learn course subject matter, to participate actively in classroom discussions, and to meet assignment deadlines.
The Division of Undergraduate Education announces each year the deadlines for submitting textbooks to meet these affordability and accessibility deadlines on the UE News(link is external) portion of it’s website.
To ensure a record of your adoption, email text@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) or submit online using the Faculty Portal(link is external).
Student Support
Basic Needs and Hardships
Hardships such as housing or food insecurity, uncertain documentation and immigration status, serious medical and mental health concerns, and significant familial distress, directly affect a student’s ability to be present and committed to their educational endeavors. While instructors are required to respect accommodations requested through DSP, well-founded requests may also come from other sources, such as the Center for Support and Intervention.(link is external) We encourage you to work with the notifying office to determine whether an adjustment, even if not required by law, might still be appropriate to allow. Instructors are encouraged to refer students to the Center for Support and Intervention to advise students experiencing significant hardships.
Resources are also available at the Basic Needs Center(link is external).
Mental Health
- University Health Services, Social Services Counseling(link is external)
- ASUC Mental Health Commission(link is external)
- Gold Folder(link is external)
The purpose of this folder is to help faculty and staff recognize potential symptoms of distress in students and identify appropriate campus resources
Parenting and Pregnancy
In alignment with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and with the California Education Code, Section 66281.7, it is the policy of the University of California at Berkeley to not discriminate against or exclude any person on the basis of pregnancy or related conditions, and to provide reasonable accommodations to students as appropriate. Instructors are reminded of their responsibilities for excusing medically necessary absences for pregnancy and related conditions and making reasonable accommodations in the areas of class sessions, exams, tests, project deadlines, field trips, and any other required activities. For graduate students, faculty advisors are reminded of policies regarding parental leave and the extension of normative time for academic milestones, as set out in the Guide to Graduate Policy.
While we anticipate that most academic accommodation issues can be resolved quickly between students and faculty, if a mutually satisfactory arrangement cannot be achieved, a student may seek further assistance or file a complaint using the campus appeals process or the complaint process in the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination(link is external).
Resources are also available at the Student Parent Center(link is external).
Sexual Violence and Harassment
- Office for the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination(link is external)
- PATH to Care Center(link is external)
Confidential services and 24/7 Urgent Support Care Line: (510) 643-2005. - Center for Support and Intervention(link is external)
- UCOP: Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy(link is external)
- Addressing Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment(link is external)
For urgent concerns, please call (510) 642-9494 and ask to speak with an available counselor that day. For after-hours support, please call (855) 817-5667 or use the Crisis Text Line(link is external). Text "HOME" to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.