Undergraduate Education at UC


	UC students themselves contribute to the richness of their education: they represent the broadest possible range of backgrounds, beliefs, academic and social experiences. The educational value of this diversity in the classroom is hard to overestimate.

	Finally, being a system, we can pool our resources and provide opportunities for students to study beyond the walls of their own campuses: the off-campus programs of Education Abroad (4,000 students), UCDC (1,000 students, and UC in Sacramento (60 students) are well-known. In addition, thousands of undergraduates take classes at different UC campuses, particularly during the summer term.

	And, we use technology to teach across campus lines, particularly useful in teaching “Less Commonly Taught Languages” which would possibly have to be eliminated if available on one campus alone. For example, starting in fall 2006, students from all campuses will be able to enroll in the web-based Berkeley course, “Arabic Without Walls” and in 2007, they’ll be able to enroll in the Santa Barbara-based Punjabi program.

	In summary, by capitalizing on our size, our research mission, the strengths of our students, and the fact that we are a system, campuses provide undergraduates with a wealth of learning opportunities and unparalleled educational experiences that match their particular academic interests.

	Now I’m now going to invite Academic Council Chair John Oakley to describe very briefly the goals of an undergraduate education, and the faculty’s role in developing and approving the curriculum.