Berkeley Mayor Statement on UC Enrollment Cap

March 3, 2022

The following is a statement from Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín regarding the California Supreme Court’s decision not to postpone the capping of new student enrollment at UC Berkeley.

I am disappointed that the Court denied UC’s request to stay the decision to freeze enrollment at 2020 levels. Freezing enrollment at pandemic levels and denying thousands of highly qualified students a world class education is wrong. The city supported UC’s request for a stay because we believe students are a valuable part of our community. While the University must grow responsibly, it should not come at the expense of closing the door to students. While it may be too late to help thousands of students who are getting rejection letters, I hope that the courts ultimately makes the right decision, and that the Legislature moves quickly to allow student housing projects to move forward without procedural delays.