I-House Connection

Our monthly newsletter, I-House Connection, keeps you informed about programs, events, and community updates. 

Shaun Carver's executive newsletter, Global Perspectives, is sent quarterly.

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International House Strengthens Leadership Team to Enhance Student Experience and Operational Excellence

November 18, 2025
Strategic reorganization positions I-House for centennial campaign and next phase of growth

International House Berkeley (I-House Berkeley), the multicultural residential center promoting a more just and peaceful world, today announced key leadership promotions designed to strengthen operational excellence and elevate the student experience. Nayeli Vivanco has been promoted to Chief Student Experience Officer, and Ernie Costello has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer.

The new organizational structure represents a strategic evolution that...

The I-House Connection: November 2025

November 14, 2025

Dear I-House Community,

Every Wednesday night this semester, something special happens at I-House. Residents gather for DiversiTEA & Coffee Hour, a tradition that dates to the 1970s when resident leaders helped launch evening gatherings to break down cliques and build genuine connections across cultures.

The concept was simple then, and it remains powerful today: bring people together, share food, share cultures, and discover what connects us.

This semester, we’re celebrating 12 different countries and regions. Resident committees plan each event, bringing their...

Global Perspectives: I-House Berkeley Quarterly Updates

October 30, 2025

Dear I-House Community,

Since our first Global Perspectives newsletter, the world has not stood still. Much has happened – on campus, in the US, and across the globe – reminding us how valuable open dialogue becomes when tensions rise. In moments of division, spaces that foster listening and understanding matter more than ever.

At International House at UC Berkeley, we’ve held to a mission that has guided us for nearly a century: to foster understanding across lines of nationality, belief, and identity. That mission matters most when the climate around us grows heated. In...

The I-House Connection: September 2025

September 11, 2025

Shaun Carver at the resident retreat campfire

Dear I-House Community,

Last weekend, 272 residents embarked on I-House's annual resident retreat, a tradition many of you will remember as the magical beginning of your own I-House journey. For the first time, we ventured to Cal's Lair of the Golden Bear Camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where residents...

The I-House Connection: October 2025

October 9, 2025

2025 Resident Leaders on the front steps of I-House

Dear I-House Community,

Every fall, I'm reminded why resident leadership is so central to what we do at I-House. This year, we welcomed an exceptional group of student leaders who are already making their mark: our newly elected Resident Community Council members, program leads, marketing leads, resident advisors, and front desk assistants. You can...

The I-House Connection: August 2024

August 8, 2024
The I-House Connection: Exciting Updates: Reunion Brunch, New Board Members, Gateway Fellows, and Meal Plans!

The I-House Connection: August 2025

August 18, 2025

I-House in 1930 with model T Ford car

Dear I-House Community,

Today is a special day: International House opened its doors 95 years ago on August 18, 1930. We're celebrating this milestone while welcoming a new group of residents who will join our vibrant community.

As I look out the window, I see families and friends helping move in...

From the Archives: The Rockefeller Letter

August 18, 2025
On the occasion of our 95th Anniversary, we are sharing a piece of I-House history in the letter from our benefactor, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to UC President Robert G. Sproul. Written on September 29, 1930, the year International House Berkeley opened its doors, this letter outlines the vision and purpose behind the establishment of International House on the West Coast.

My dear President Sproul:

The completion and opening of International House in Berkeley and its acceptance by the University of California, suggest to me the advisability of sending you a...

The I-House Connection: June 2025

June 12, 2025
The past month has been eventful for International House with news about the ban on international students at Harvard and the delay in interviews for student visas. These actions have created uncertainty, fear and confusion for international students across campuses nationwide. I see the toll this is taking on international students here at UC Berkeley and across campuses nationwide. These students are not only learners, but also researchers, entrepreneurs, and future leaders. Ensuring international students feel welcome and supported is not just good policy — it's essential for strengthening our communities and maintaining America's leadership in research and education. Welcoming and supporting international students is at the core of I-House's mission. Our team is working hard this summer, preparing to welcome our new residents for the coming academic year. We stay committed to ensuring international students always have a home at I-House.

The I-House Connection: July 2025

July 9, 2025
As we start our final summer school session this week, you can feel the shift happening around International House. Students are arriving early to squeeze in one last class, and the familiar rhythms of campus life are returning. The Great Hall is filling with residents settling in for study sessions or a chess game while excited conversations flow around the tables in the Dining Commons. Next month will bring another wave of energy as we welcome our academic year cohort. Our team has been busy preparing — planning a resident retreat in the Sierra Nevada mountains and putting together something special for I-House's 95th Anniversary celebration. We're also looking forward to August 10 for our Annual Alumni Reunion Brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be wonderful to see familiar faces back in these halls and catch up with old friends over stories about your time here. I hope to see you then!