After 27 years, the Berkeley Math Circle's flagship BMC-Upper program has shut down because the University of California, Berkeley implemented new background check rules requiring campus visitors to be fingerprinted. As part of the process, prints must be sent off to the state government, and the process can take more than a month. Berkeley Math Circle organizers said the new requirement made it impossible to continue operations. Long known for mentoring top high-school students and producing numerous math competition champions, BMC met weekly on campus with volunteer instructors. Organizers said the rule created prohibitive delays and costs for the large number of short-term volunteers their program depends on.
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