last updated: Sun, January 17, 2021 10:13 AM
There is no doubt that taking classes at Berkeley is a highly stressful endeavor. Because I respect the personal power and intelligence of my students, I tend to push them during the course of a semester. I like being part of helping students discover they are more capable and powerful than they might have thought. That being said, everyone has stretches in their lives where their situation is not optimal for the challenges of classes and everything else. I encourage you talk connect with me. I, like most instructors, care about you more than you might guess. I am watching and celebrating your successes and worrying about you when things don't seem right. Please come to office hours and share with me your aspirations and concerns, both.
My email: jwallace@berkeley.edu
Office hours / Make an appointment
Once in a class some years ago, we were reading suicide letters in one of my literature classes and, by coincidence, I had been to a suicide prevent workshop the month before. At the workshop I was asked if I carried certain phone numbers with me always and I had to say "no". These are good numbers to have on your cell, I think, so I'm sharing them for your convenience. You might be able to help someone at a critical moment in his or her life.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS SUICIDAL
If you are concerned about a UC Berkeley student who is not in any immediate danger of harming themselves, then please call the UC Berkeley Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) at (510) 642-9494 for a consultation on how best to help. If you are worried about the safety and well-being of someone else, then it is important to respond and take action. We all share the responsibility of protecting the safety and well-being of our community. You don’t have to struggle with this on your own; we are here to support you as well. See the Gold Folder guide to assisting students in distress.
How to practice emotional first aid | Guy Winch
WikiHow: How to Deal With Stress
HelpGuide.org: "Stress Management"
UC Berkeley: PATH to Care Center
PATH to Care Center Mission Description:
The PATH to Care Center leads the efforts to transform our campus into a community that is free of sexual violence, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking through prevention, advocacy, training, and healing. We collaborate with the campus community to make social change with the goals of preventing, intervening in, and responding to harassment and violence, eliminating oppression, and creating the culture and environment we all aspire to and deserve.
The ASUC Student Advocate's office sent me this via our department, which I include here not as a class policy, nor as an endorsement, but for your information: