Student Organizations

Blue and Gold Certification

What is Blue and Gold Certification?

Blue and Gold Certification is a process through which engineering student organizations at Berkeley demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations. All certified organizations have attended several mandatory trainings, stripped exclusive requirements from their applications, and reflected on ways in which club culture at Berkeley can be improved for all students. In return, these organizations are given access to a wide range of benefits, including funding, publicity, and other resources.

Why are we doing this?

For years ESC has received complaints from students that the club culture at Berkeley is too exclusive and unwelcoming, a description that fundamentally opposes our understanding of the purpose of student organizations. As beneficiaries of campus resources paid for by tuition dollars, we believe that all organizations (including ourselves) have a responsibility to serve the student body. The purpose of Blue and Gold Certification is to reward groups who are already fulfilling this role and entice others to do the same.

All certified organizations have gone through an involved process to assure they are meeting the standards of the program. Some key requirements are listed below, but you can also check out this portal for more information about the process. Applications for the 2021-2022 school year have closed, but if your organization is still interested in becoming certified, we encourage you to check out our Development Program.

Sexual Violence & Harassment Training

Why

This training enables student leaders to effectively prevent and respond to instances of sexual violence and harassement.

Equitable Strategies Training

Why

Student leaders learn how to promote equality and inclusivity in their application process and their organization as a whole.

No GPA minimums / transcripts / resumes

Why

Organizations should admit students based on interest and demonstrated commitment to the organization rather than prior experience.

Demographic Survey

Why

This enables ESC to better understand the demographic of students who are joining Blue and Gold certified organizations.

The Blue and Gold Certification program includes a wide variety of student organizations (competition teams, honor societies, community outreach groups, etc.). All of these organizations have enjoyed incredible success in their fields, and they have each committed to promoting an environment of diversity and inclusion both within their ranks and in the broader engineering community. Check out the full list of certified organizations!

Treasurer Training

All certified organizations are required to send their treasurers to one of our Treasurer Trainings every year, the purpose of which is to educate organizations on how they can apply for and spend funds granted by ESC. We have included the slides on our website for the convenience of those who attended.