The STF was voted into place in the ASUC election in Spring 2015. Between Fall 2015 and Spring 2021, it funded about 500 grant projects and licensed all graduate, professional school, and undergraduate students' access to several software including Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, LinkedIn Learning, and ZoomPro.
Other notable accomplishments include the creation of:
- short- and long-term laptop, hotspot, and iClicker lending programs
- free on-campus tech support
- tech-enabled spaces across campus, allowing for webcast lectures and AV-enabled meeting rooms
- makerspaces and computer labs equipped with 3D printers and laser printing
Former Mission
The Student Technology Fund (STF) equitably and transparently stewarded use of student fees in support of technology initiatives that advanced undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students’ academic and co-curricular experiences at UC Berkeley. The STF supported efforts that spanned academic disciplines. It championed initiatives that were both innovative and practical in nature. It conducted this work while paying particular attention to ensuring that the needs of historically underserved students were equitably met. STF centered students' voices as agents of their own resources and included a diverse representation from the community in its Committee and staff composition.
Work in Brief
The Student Technology Fund's committee and staff, respectively, made funding decisions and administered the Student Technology Fee from Fall 2014 through Spring 2021. Voted into place by students in the 2014 ASUC election, the $51/semester fee harnessed students' collective buying power to negotiate software licenses at scale and channel funding to grant-based technology projects that enhanced the student experience. Committee actions were governed by the STF Committee Bylaws.
Transitioning From STF to IREF
2020-2021: STF Renewal Effort in a Closed-Campus Year
In April 2021, although more than 80% of students voted in favor of renewing the Student Technology Fee (STF) for another seven years, the fee did not pass in the ASUC Election due to lower-than-required voter turnout (19.1% students voted, with a threshold requirement of 20%). The STF Committee dissolved at the conclusion of the Spring 2021 semester and the STF ceased to be collected after this point.
Fall 2022: IREF Onset
The Chancellor approved a new course materials fee, the Instructional Resillience Enhancement Fee (IREF). This fee supports some of the areas previously funded by STF.
To learn more about how campus-based student fees are created, see the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Student Service Fees