Dear student leaders –
As we approach Ramadan, observed from February 28 to March 29, 2025, and the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, we want to express our support for students who are part of the Muslim faith.
In your role as an officer of a Muslim-affiliated student organization, we seek your partnership in sharing information about the services and resources available to support students during this important time. Please forward the details below to your members and any peers who may find them helpful. Thank you for helping us foster an inclusive campus environment.
Academic Accommodations
Most students settle their academic accommodations by Feb. 3, but if you still need to complete that process or your circumstances have changed, please immediately consult with your professor or graduate student instructor. If you need assistance, please submit a request to evcp@berkeley.edu or visit the academic accommodations hub. You can also learn more about the accommodation of religious creed policy.
For further guidance, the Academic Senate provides policies on religious accommodations, and the Muslim Student Association offers resources specific to Ramadan and Eid.
Dining Services
From February 28 to March 22, all dining commons (Café 3, Crossroads, Clark Kerr, and Foothill) will be open and offer carry-out containers/meals for Muslim-identifying guests observing Ramadan. March 23 to March 29, Crossroads will be open and offer these services. Hours of operation for each location may be found online.
Those observing Ramadan have the following to-go options when visiting any dining common. They may:
- Request a pre-assembled to-go breakfast meal bag from the cashier. These pre-assembled meal bags will contain: hard boiled eggs, a banana, dates, yogurt, juice, milk, a bagel, an english muffin, peanut butter, and jelly cups.
- Request up to 2 to-go containers from the cashier to assemble their own meals with items being served in the dining commons.
Halal-certified chicken and beef are served at the allergen-friendly station in each dining hall at all times. Cafe 3’s menu is created to be Certified Halal.
When requesting a to-go container and/or breakfast meal bag from the cashier, guests should communicate that this request is in observance of Ramadan. These services are available for all Ramadan observing guests, with or without a meal plan.
Meal plan holding guests are welcome to bring friends and family to dine with us and may utilize their flex dollars to pay for their guests’ meals. Non-meal plan holding guests can also enjoy our services and information about pricing may be found online.
This year, we will have specialty meals at the beginning and end of Ramadan, which use halal-certified proteins (provided by Mary’s Chicken and Creekstone Farms). Our plans include:
- A Ramadan welcome meal on Friday, February 28, 2025 which will include jeweled basmati rice, chicken tikka masala, roasted vegetables, naan, dolma, kheer coconut rice pudding
- An Eid al-Fitr celebration meal on Saturday, March 29, 2025 which will include braised halal lamb with dates, roasted salmon, mujaddara, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, dolma, and baklava.
Prayer and Meditation Spaces
- Berkeley Muslim Student Association has a list of prayer spaces on campus and the surrounding area. Some are included below.
- Southside: Eshleman Hall room 40 (open 8am-10pm Monday-Friday, Saturday 10am-6pm).
- Northside: Sutardja Dai Hall meditation space, accessed via Yali’s Café (open 8am-3pm Monday-Friday).
- Hearst Memorial Gym: Reserved meditative and contemplative space every Friday from 1-3 p.m. in Hearst Memorial Gym room 237 for the academic year, when classes are in session, with the exception of RRR week and the week of final examinations each semester.
- On-campus housing: For Ramadan, additional prayer and meditation spaces will be available at:
- Unit 1 Christian Hall room L08 (open 8am-8pm, Monday-Friday), for Unit 1 residents only
- Unit 2 Towle Hall room L17 (open 8am-8pm, Monday-Friday and 9am-6pm Saturday), for Unit 2 residents only
- Foothill Library in Building 8 room 818L (open 1-8pm, Monday-Friday), for Foothill/Stern residents only
- Clark Kerr Campus CK3-116 aka Seminar Room C (open 1-8pm, 7 days/week), for Clark Kerr Campus residents only
- Blackwell Hall presentation room (open 8am–5pm, Fridays), for Blackwell Hall residents only
- Anchor House reflection room, floor 4 (open 8am-8pm, Monday-Friday)
Recreation
Berkeley Recreation and Wellbeing (RecWell) will be offering increased hours at Memorial Stadium Fitness Center. From February 28 to March 21, the facility will be open on weekdays from 10 AM to 11 PM. Please note that it will be closed on weekends and during Spring Recess from March 24 to March 27. RecWell also has online classes that students may follow/use at their convenience.
Transportation to Berkeley Masjid
Looking for transportation to Berkeley Masjid for prayers?
- The Student EasyPass provides free access to AC Transit, which operates in the evening hours. Nearby bus stops include the 6, 51B, 604, 605, and 851. The 51B stop is near Berkeley Masjid at College Ave. and Derby St.
- Consider using Night Safety Services (nightsafety.berkeley.edu), especially after dark, in poorly lit areas, or when walking alone. 3am-5:30am there are door-to-door shuttle services that can be requested in advance. (Note that Night Safety shuttles will run per normal hours except for the week of Spring Recess, March 24-28)
We hope these resources will help support you and your members during this special time of reflection and celebration.
In community,
Stephen C. Sutton (he/him/his)
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Fabrizio Mejia (he/him)
Acting Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion