HSSA was created after a series of meetings between concerned postdocs, visiting scholars, and visiting student researchers met with head officials from the Vice Chancellor's Office, the Division of the Arts & Humanities, the Division of Social Sciences, and the Office of Visiting Scholar & Postdoc Affairs. The participants realized that postdocs and visitors from the humanities, arts, and social sciences had needs and perspectives very distinct from their counterparts in STEM fields and disciplines. As a result, HSSA was envisioned to be the only organization at UC Berkeley dedicated to representing and meeting the social, intellectual, and professional needs of postdocs, visiting scholars, and visiting students across a multitude of fields, disciplines, and units allied to the humanities, arts, and social sciences.