Who is the current dean at UC Berkeley and what do they do?
I'm a high school senior who's been researching colleges, and I'm pretty interested in UC Berkeley. I keep seeing references to the 'dean,' but when I look it up, there seem to be multiple deans for different colleges within UC Berkeley.
Can someone explain who the main dean is for the university? Also, what kind of things does the dean actually do? Is it more academic stuff or dealing with student life?
If anyone who goes there has ever interacted with the dean (or any of the deans), I would really appreciate hearing about what that's like. I'm just trying to get a sense of how accessible or important these deans are to students.
Can someone explain who the main dean is for the university? Also, what kind of things does the dean actually do? Is it more academic stuff or dealing with student life?
If anyone who goes there has ever interacted with the dean (or any of the deans), I would really appreciate hearing about what that's like. I'm just trying to get a sense of how accessible or important these deans are to students.
4 months ago
•
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Kathy Jayanth
• 4 months ago
Advisor
UC Berkeley doesn’t have a single 'main dean' for the whole university. Instead, the university has multiple colleges and schools—like the College of Letters & Science, College of Engineering, and so on—and each one has its own dean. The overall leader of UC Berkeley is called the Chancellor (currently Carol Christ as of early 2024), who is like a university president. The highest academic officer under the Chancellor is the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (currently Benjamin Hermalin).
Deans are basically in charge of a specific college within the university. For example, the Dean of the College of Letters & Science manages that entire division—overseeing academic programs, faculty hiring, budgets, and student affairs specific to that college. Their job is a mix of academic leadership, administrative work, fundraising, and sometimes dealing with student issues at a high level. They typically don’t get involved in everyday student matters—those are more handled by academic advisors or student affairs staff—but they do have a big impact on policies, the curriculum, and the college's direction.
For day-to-day student life questions or academic concerns, most Berkeley students interact with staff members like advisors, department heads, or professors rather than deans. That said, deans sometimes attend campus events, give talks, or send out emails about important updates. It’s pretty rare for an undergraduate to have a personal meeting with a dean unless it’s for something significant, like an awards ceremony or a major academic concern.
For instance, one student I know only met the Dean of Students when they were chosen for an annual leadership award. The meeting was more ceremonial but left an impression about how much the staff at UC Berkeley cares about student achievement.
If you want a sense of how engaged or visible the deans are, you can check out the websites for each college within Berkeley and see if they have videos, messages, or initiatives led by their deans. You may also find open forums or events where the dean speaks—these can be a good way to see their priorities and level of student involvement.
Deans are basically in charge of a specific college within the university. For example, the Dean of the College of Letters & Science manages that entire division—overseeing academic programs, faculty hiring, budgets, and student affairs specific to that college. Their job is a mix of academic leadership, administrative work, fundraising, and sometimes dealing with student issues at a high level. They typically don’t get involved in everyday student matters—those are more handled by academic advisors or student affairs staff—but they do have a big impact on policies, the curriculum, and the college's direction.
For day-to-day student life questions or academic concerns, most Berkeley students interact with staff members like advisors, department heads, or professors rather than deans. That said, deans sometimes attend campus events, give talks, or send out emails about important updates. It’s pretty rare for an undergraduate to have a personal meeting with a dean unless it’s for something significant, like an awards ceremony or a major academic concern.
For instance, one student I know only met the Dean of Students when they were chosen for an annual leadership award. The meeting was more ceremonial but left an impression about how much the staff at UC Berkeley cares about student achievement.
If you want a sense of how engaged or visible the deans are, you can check out the websites for each college within Berkeley and see if they have videos, messages, or initiatives led by their deans. You may also find open forums or events where the dean speaks—these can be a good way to see their priorities and level of student involvement.
Kathy Jayanth
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley | Economics & Slavic Studies
Experience
5 years
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