Dear I-House Alumni and Friends,
In this issue of the I-House Connection, I would like to invite you to share any comments, suggestions, or concerns as we work to reopen the House safely, which we hope and anticipate will be in Fall 2021. Please take a few moments to participate in the short Reopening Survey, linked below. The purpose of this survey is to request your feedback and thoughts as we plan for the reopening of I-House following our temporary closure due to the pandemic. Thank you for participating as we strive to keep the I-House dream alive.
Also in this issue is a message from Roxanne Pifer, Director of Admissions and Housing Operations, with the welcome and exciting news from the Chancellor and the UC President that the University of California is planning for a return to primarily in-person instruction systemwide in Fall 2021. Roxanne is calling on our alumni and friends to help spread the word that I-House anticipates welcoming new and returning residents in Fall 2021, with applications for admissions scheduled to open on February 15, 2021.
In parallel with advice from our alumni and friends, learning from the successes of my predecessors (and the challenges they all faced) continues to be among the most instructive aspects of my role as Executive Director. Continuing the tradition of capturing oral histories that date back to the founder of the I-House movement, Harry Edmunds, and with the first I-House Berkeley Executive Director, Allen Blaisdell, I am pleased to announce the release of a captivating interview of Martin Brennan, the fourth I-House Executive Director, who served from 2007-2012. The UC Berkeley alum and former ambassador brought more than 30 years of international affairs experience to his leadership of I-House, where he initiated Navigating Cultures, the first for-credit UC class offered by I-House. Many thanks to Social Media Ambassador Chan’Cellore Makanjuola and to Ambassador Brennan for this special I-House Spotlight interview.
I welcome your comments and suggestions and wish to thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Shaun R. Carver
Executive Director
International House, UC Berkeley