UC Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ to retire in 2024
BERKELEY – Carol Christ, the chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, announced Thursday that she plans to step down from her role in leading one of the state's most prestigious universities next year.
"It is with decidedly mixed feelings that I am writing to let you know I will be stepping down and retiring next summer, at the end of June 2024," Christ said in a letter to the school community. "My time in office has been meaningful and rewarding beyond compare, and I will sorely miss the challenges, the opportunities, and the daily interactions with the members of Cal's amazing extended family."
The first woman in the school's history to serve as chancellor, Christ's ties to the school date back more than five decades. In 1970, she began her academic career at Cal as an assistant professor, at a time when only three percent of the faculty were women.
Christ stayed on at Berkeley for more than 30 years, serving in a variety of roles, including chair of the English department, dean of humanities and executive vice chancellor.
In 2002, Christ left Berkeley to become president of Smith College in Massachusetts, a role she held for 11 years.
Christ returned to Berkeley in 2015 to serve as interim executive vice chancellor and provost. She became the school's 11th chancellor in 2017.
In her retirement statement, Christ said that she had only expected to lead the school for three to five years, but that changed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"What I, or anyone else, never expected was a global pandemic that descended quickly upon the world and had the effect of slowing everything down, including our university's most important efforts and endeavors. I simply could not imagine parting ways with so much left to do," she said.
In her final year as chancellor, Christ said she plans to focus on "key initiatives and projects" which include the new Gateway academic building, student housing and strengthening the school's financial foundations.
According to Christ, a national search would take place for her successor, which will be held by the University of California Office of the President.
"Whoever that may be, I will surely share with them what a wonderful privilege it is to serve and lead this campus, to have an opportunity to further fortify and evolve our incredibly strong and vibrant university, to be a part of a community unlike any other," she said.
