Summerfest has been one day set aside to recognize contributions that UC Berkeley staff have made throughout the year. But this year, Summerfest will be part of an entire week of celebration to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of our staff to help the university improve our operational performance, reduce operational costs, and most importantly, support a high performing culture.
Staff Appreciation Week begins on Monday, June 10, and ends on Friday, June 14, with events scheduled throughout the week. Summerfest, the traditional Berkeley staff celebration with entertainment and food, will take place on Thursday, June 13, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the road on the east side of Doe Library, below the Campanile.
Each day of the week will have a theme: "The Value of Saying Thank You," "Faculty Sharing with Staff," "Developing and Celebrating our Staff," "Acknowledging Our Top Talent" and, of course, "Summerfest." There will also be free and discounted offers and activities throughout the week.
Full details on events, activities and offers can be found on our website in the Staff Appreciation Week section.
Saying thank you is a simple and powerful way to build trust and engagement throughout our campus community. Beginning Monday, June 10, visit the links posted on the website to learn about ways to show gratitude. The tools offered are another means for you to say thank you to colleagues—and for the university to thank you.
As part of building a culture of gratitude and thanks, I want to acknowledge the following members of our campus community who are making special offers available to staff throughout next week, including:
- Free use of the RSF (Recreational Sports Facility) for the week.
- Free coffee from Cal Dining.
- Discounted dining at Crossroads.
- Discounts of 20 percent at the CAL Student Bookstore.
Additionally, faculty will share lectures with staff, both live and streamed. On Monday, June 10, Professor Dacher Keltner will speak about "Survival of the Kindest: A Darwinian Tale of How We Are Born to Be Good.” On Tuesday, June 11, another lecture features Professor Alex Filippenko on “The Accelerating Expansion of the Universe.”
Staff who want to develop their careers at Berkeley or learn how others have done so can check out the "Developing and Celebrating Ourselves" events on Wednesday, June 12, available live or through streaming. Just one example of the activities available on Wednesday is the entertaining and highly praised speech by Daniel Seddiqui, who shared his inspirational story of working "50 Jobs in 50 States" at the NOW Conference in March
And of course, Thursday, June 13 will be our annual favorite—Summerfest—with food, booths and entertainment. You can also be a part of Summerfest by volunteering.
On Friday June 14, learn about the various staff award recipients who have been recognized over the past year. Also on the calendar for Friday is a stroll through campus guided by student ambassadors who will share fun facts about UC Berkeley along the way.
I encourage you to participate in some of the terrific activities available next week. You can either do so live, or for many events, tune into the streaming at your convenience.
Supervisors are encouraged to approve requests from staff for up to 3 hours to be used attending a combination of events of their choice that week.
My thanks to staff for all you do each and every in support of Berkeley’s academic mission.