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Posted

I am one of the acceptance at Berkeley that just popped up on the results page. I'm excited, of course, but I wonder what people think about Berkeley's future, considering California's budget crisis. Is it normal to worry that if I enroll, my advisor will be bought up by another university, leaving me without a real fit, or that my funding will be cut, or that Berkeley itself will tank? The last idea is probably too much, but I want to know what people think (or know) about how the department stands now. Should I be as happy as I am about getting in?

Posted

Yes, you should be very happy about getting in, enjoy it!

As far as the state of Berkeley and the future of pubic education, we should all be mourning, not just you.

Posted

I don't think the budget crisis will cause Berkeley to start hemorrhaging faculty. What worries me is that as the university tries to tighten its budget, class sizes will start to swell. It's a change that will be particularly painful for grad students in departments like English, where grading is such an involved process, and where our funding is often contingent upon completing a teaching assistantship or serving as a graduate instructor.

Posted

I am one of the acceptance at Berkeley that just popped up on the results page. I'm excited, of course, but I wonder what people think about Berkeley's future, considering California's budget crisis. Is it normal to worry that if I enroll, my advisor will be bought up by another university, leaving me without a real fit, or that my funding will be cut, or that Berkeley itself will tank? The last idea is probably too much, but I want to know what people think (or know) about how the department stands now. Should I be as happy as I am about getting in?

Nah, from the info posted about the funding situation, it looks like they'll be putting you guys right to work. And given that grad students are the cheapest available labor, I have a feeling your funding would be the last thing to go. Your workload might go up, but you'll be paid! Also, I would be surprised if the tenure-track faculty are going anywhere. Berkeley prides itself on having superstars at the top, and I feel certain they'll do whatever it takes to keep those folks happy. A hiring freeze might be in order (if it isn't already), and more adjuncts will probably be brought in to take care of undergraduate courses, but the grad students will continue to work with top-flight faculty members. A school's reputation is built in large part by the PhDs they churn out, so you're probably the safest person on campus. Congratulations to all of you who got in! Part of me really wanted to be a part of the program, but another part wonders if I would've been a good fit out west anyway...

Posted

I am one of the acceptance at Berkeley that just popped up on the results page. I'm excited, of course, but I wonder what people think about Berkeley's future, considering California's budget crisis. Is it normal to worry that if I enroll, my advisor will be bought up by another university, leaving me without a real fit, or that my funding will be cut, or that Berkeley itself will tank? The last idea is probably too much, but I want to know what people think (or know) about how the department stands now. Should I be as happy as I am about getting in?

Congrats! I was accepted into Comp. Lit. at Berkeley a few weeks ago, and share many of your worries. After speaking with some people and doing some of my own research, I've decided not to stress it. I really don't think the top faculty are going anywhere because, while Berkeley might have been hit particularly hard by the economic situation, other universities have been hit as well. This article helped to relieve some of my stress: http://www.dailycal.org/article/108111/number_of_uc_berkeley_graduate_school_applicants_o. I'm not as worried about faculty leaving or rankings changing as I am about my fellowship package, which I haven't yet received.

Posted

I'm also contemplating a Berkeley offer. To complicate matters, I know the department--and it's strange funding structure--fairly well.

From what I can tell, Berkeley isn't hemorrhaging faculty. Berkeley faculty (like professors at other top programs) are routinely courted, but they also routinely rebuff the offers. I believe that they will lose one professor this year...from nearly 70 tenure/tenure-track profs. My home program (which I'd rather not disclose) is half that size and lost FOUR faculty members in one year. That's hemorrhaging.

UC funding is tough. There's no getting around the fact that it has severely limited resources. But Berkeley's funding is comparable much higher than that of the other UC's (I should know). Their TA's are better paid, and their fellowship offers tend to be higher as well. If any admitted students are interested in discussing the details, please do pm me. Most importantly (to me), Berkeley English--I can't speak for other departments--is very good about under-promising and over-delivering (unlike other programs). My partner accepted a non-fellowship offer last year, which doesn't guarantee funding for the first two years (funding IS guaranteed for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th years). Every person that he talked to explained that it's very likely that he'd have some form of support the first two years anyway, but avoided making promises and emphasized that he won't know until close to the start of the semester. As long turns out, the amount that he actually received from Berkeley this year is MUCH higher than TAships in other programs, while his teaching load is much lower. Obviously, this varies from year to year, but in general, funding practices are far more generous than the letter would lead one to believe. Definitely talk to the current graduate students if you do visit.

Posted

Thanks guys.. I feel a lot better now. I think what everyone has said are things I knew, but it's nice to hear them reaffirmed.

Yeah! Cal grad students as a whole were maybe a little too apathetic during the walkouts, if anything. At least, compared to undergrads and profs, we have less to lose once we're in the system. I'm in a literature department here.

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