UC Berkeley Chancellor Faces Budget Shortfall As Academic Year Kicks Off

Wednesday marks the start of classes at the University of California, Berkeley. Like other colleges and universities across the country, the school is trying  to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic while also facing a $340 million budget deficit. At the same, the nation is grappling with demands for social justice and racial equity — struggles Berkeley has long wrestled with. “I don’t know of any time more difficult in my lived life as this one,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ earlier this month during an address to the campus community. In this hour, we talk with Christ about how the university is responding to the pandemic, student needs, and financial challenges.