The Berkeley Math Circle has closed its flagship BMC‑Upper program after 27 years because UC Berkeley now requires visitor fingerprinting and state processing, which can take over a month. Organizers say the delays and expense make it impossible to rely on the many short‑term volunteer instructors the program depends on. BMC met weekly on campus and was known for mentoring top high‑school students and producing numerous math‑competition champions. The closure underscores tension between new campus safety procedures and volunteer‑run educational programs.
Berkeley Math Circle Shuts Flagship BMC‑Upper After 27 Years Over New Fingerprinting Rule
The Berkeley Math Circle has closed its flagship BMC‑Upper program after 27 years because UC Berkeley now requires visitor fingerprinting and state processing, which can take over a month. Organizers say the delays and expense make it impossible to rely on the many short‑term volunteer instructors the program depends on. BMC met weekly on campus and was known for mentoring top high‑school students and producing numerous math‑competition champions. The closure underscores tension between new campus safety procedures and volunteer‑run educational programs.
08:55 PM, 11/17/2025Society
Berkeley Math Circle ends BMC‑Upper program after new UC Berkeley fingerprint policy
After 27 years, the Berkeley Math Circle (BMC) has closed its flagship BMC‑Upper program following a new University of California, Berkeley policy that requires campus visitors to be fingerprinted as part of background checks. Under the revised procedure, fingerprints are sent to the state for processing, and clearances can take more than a month.
Organizers say the lengthy wait times and added costs made it impossible to continue running BMC‑Upper, which relied on a rotating pool of short‑term volunteer instructors who taught weekly on campus. For decades the program was known for mentoring top high‑school students and producing numerous math‑competition champions.
Volunteers and participants relied on the program's flexible, on‑campus format; BMC leaders said the new requirement created prohibitive delays that disrupted scheduling and recruitment. With many instructors committing only for short teaching stints, the extended clearance timeframe and administrative burden undermined the program's operation.
The closure highlights the broader tensions between campus safety policies and community‑run educational programs that depend on volunteer labor and rapid onboarding. Organizers and members of the local math community are now considering alternatives, but for now BMC‑Upper is shut down after nearly three decades.