Discourse at Berkeley is a DeCal intended for students who are interested in exploring the rich history of discourse, activism, and political movements at UC Berkeley, all of which are particularly relevant to campus today. This includes dissecting the Free Speech Movement, understanding the 2022 UC-UAW Strike, discussions on the role of the ASUC, and more.

Discourse at Berkeley is a two-part engagement-based class in which students will attend a weekly lecture and at least 6 of the approximately 12 in-person events hosted by the Berkeley Forum throughout the S23 semester. Students can expect to be exposed to a wide range of disciplines as event speakers come from a range of diverse fields. For example, this semester our guests include Olympic swimmer Ryan Murphy, Buzzfeed filmmaker Aria Inthavong, Rare Beauty CMO Katie Welch, a panel on psychedelics, and many more.

Class activities include learning about the history of discourse at Berkeley, followed by in-depth discussions. Students are allowed two excused absences from class. Homework consists of 2 readings per week in preparation for the upcoming discussion. There are no other assignments or exams required for the class except the final presentation.

Enrollment is first come, first serve. Should we run into issues of capacity, we will then defer to the strength of the student's application. Given that this is an engagement and discussion-based class, we are looking for enthusiastic, thoughtful, and conscientious students. [Please note that members of the Berkeley Forum cannot enroll in this DeCal. If you are a potential applicant to Forum this cycle, do not apply to both the DeCal and the organization.]