Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation Reversing UC Berkeley’s Enrollment Freeze

Sidra Asif|March 23, 2022

The news concerning the University of California, Berkeley’s enrollment introduced many seniors to the impact colleges can have on their immediate communities, according to senior Madeleine Young. “I think that the situation with Berkeley really opened a lot of our eyes about the issues of not just housing but environmental impacts, impacts on homeless people, as well as the neighborhoods around college towns,” Young said.
(Photo Courtesy of Kate Hayashi )

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Bill 118 on March 14 which will allow the University of California, Berkeley to admit the previously intended number of students in response to the court-ordered enrollment freeze to reduce Berkeley residential overgrowth, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“It’s very relieving that the court decision was overturned,” senior Madeleine Young said. “I hope that the overturning of this isn’t going to sweep under the rug the actual issues that were brought up by the initial freeze.”

Bill 118 gives California universities 18 months to comply with any court-ordered environmental review before judges can order a mandatory reduction in admissions. In turn, UC Berkeley can now admit 5,000 first-year students for the 2022-2023 school year, according to Fox News.

“I want to thank California’s legislators for their quick and effective response,” UC Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ said in an interview with The Daily Californian. “We are, and will remain, committed to continuing our efforts to address a student housing crisis.”

The increase in enrollment may not change the campus environment, but it has the potential to impact student life, according to UC Berkeley freshman and alumna Kate Hayashi.

“With any increase in enrollment, the competition to get into clubs increases, the competition to find suitable housing increases, the competition to enroll in classes increases and, overall, it just seems like small, barely perceptible details that you wouldn’t notice unless you had been here for a few years and been paying attention to it,” Hayashi said.

Despite issues associated with housing and over enrollment, UC Berkeley remains a popular destination for students to receive a quality undergraduate education. UC Berkeley received the fifth-most applications in the nation in 2020, according to the U.S. News and World Report.
UC Berkeley Ordered to Cut New Undergraduate Enrollment by One-Third
At the bar set to 6-foot-1, senior Aryan Shrivastava practiced solidifying his movement for a jump event that took place on Jan 29. During the event, Shrivastava jumped a personal record of 6-foot 5 and is expecting to compete again in a dual meet against Woodbridge High and Laguna Hills High on the track on March 1.
Senior Aryan Shrivastava Commits to Jumping New Heights at UChicago
The prospect of a National Merit Scholarship has attracted students to take the PSAT, while its role as a preparatory test for the SAT has also been a factor, despite more schools going test-optional or test-blind.
Juniors Take PSAT as UC and CSU Systems Go Test-Blind
To conclude the Student Advisory Board on Education conference, delegates worked on electing the next student board member, a high school senior who sits on the State Board of Education as its seventh member. Each year, SABE hosts an election process that narrows down 12 semi-finalists to the top six, and after, the SBE reduces it to one, according to Tesoro High senior Stephanie Hu.
Student Advisory Board on Education Conference Develops Policy Proposals for State Board of Education