The mission of the University of California Museum of Paleontology is to investigate and promote the understanding of the history of life and the diversity of the Earth’s biota through research and education.
Community Values
This is a living document, reflecting the current views of the UCMP community. It will evolve as our community does.
The UCMP’s mission is to promote the understanding of the history of life and the diversity of the Earth’s biota through research, education, and outreach. To achieve this mission, we, the UCMP community, aim to create and maintain a safe environment that welcomes and values all community members and their perspectives, respecting their uniqueness as individuals, as well as but not restricted to their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, country of origin, age, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, ability, political affiliation, academic standing, and role they play in the museum.
As part of the broader UC Berkeley community, the UCMP is committed to upholding our shared principles of community, and to comply with UC Berkeley’s rules and values. Within the UCMP, we expect community members to enact these values in our interactions and work by:
- Actively fostering an environment in which individuals are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion, as we develop our personal and professional relationships.
- Actively fostering an environment free of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination.
- Being aware of and accountable for our personal behaviors and the behavior of others.
- Affirming behaviors that uphold our shared values and standing against behaviors that violate our shared values.
- Seeking opportunities to broaden and deepen participation in our scientific community.
We have made our values explicit in full acknowledgement of, and in response to, the systematic racism, and other exclusionary practices, that are part of history and present state of the academy, with the goal of combating them within the UCMP.
Visiting UCMP
The UCMP is primarily a research museum and thus our collections are only open to the public during our annual open house on Cal Day. However, we have a limited number of fossil exhibits on display outside of the collections, including a magnificent Tyrannosaurus rex mount and some other dinosaur fossils. These can be viewed, free of charge, any time the Valley Life Sciences Building is open.
Hours
Although UCMP is primarily a research institution, there are a limited number of exhibits open to the public. The exhibits can be viewed any time the Valley Life Sciences building is open. Building hours change during holidays and summer, but generally follow the hours of the Bioscience & Natural Resources Library.
Location
UCMP is located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The main museum office and collections are located in Room 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building (on the bottom floor). Public exhibits are located in the atrium areas outside of the museum and on the second floor.
