Recently, horrific stories of unacceptable hate crimes toward the Asian American Pacific Island (AAPI) community have flooded both the local and national media. As an AAPI serving institution, Laney College, and all of the Peralta colleges, remain committed to providing a welcoming learning environment that celebrates diversity and inclusivity.

The Office of Student Activities and Campus Life and the Associated Students of College of Alameda (ASCOA) have planned a series of monthly events for Spring 2021 semester to help students battle quarantine fatigue and have fun.

Given Merritt’s history and cultural significance, and the fact that half-way into February, here are some thoughts about Black History Month. Carter G. Woodson—the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard, and the founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History—was the driving force behind the creation of Black History Month. 

To guarantee a strong start to the semester for Laney students, faculty and staff members joined together to create two virtual One-Stop Saturday Enrollment Events, January 23rd and 30th, as well as several Ask Me sessions, which took place during Welcome Week. This effort was led by Vicki Ferguson, Vice President of Student Services, and was made possible by our innovative and dedicated staff members.

The event took place via Zoom, where Laney representatives answered general questions, offered one-on-one support, and referred students out to specific Zoom rooms, hosted by each department. This event was supported with a Google ad, Facebook events, and posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, as well as a student-wide text message, generating over 4,200 impressions.

The events received advertising support from the District marketing office, with Google ad search helping drive prospective students to the virtual events. 

At the beginning of the fall 2020 semester, Berkeley City College President Dr. Angélica Garcia called for a President’s Task Force on Equity & Racial Justice in response to community input on the need for BCC to be responsive and supportive to fostering an inclusive community that values diversity. Berkeley City College is committed to state Chancellor Dr. Eloy Ortiz Oakley’s Call to Action and the guide to engage in practices that promote open dialogue and address campus climate, create inclusive classrooms and anti-racist curriculum, review and update the College’s Equity Plan, and fully implement the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Integration Plan.

According to the independent web-based research site, Intelligent.com, College of Alameda has been ranked in the top 50 nationally for the Best Associate in Psychology Degree Programs. Their comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 2,277 accredited colleges and universities. Programs are evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The College’s Psychology for Transfer AA-T Degree also was ranked as the best in the area of mindfulness training.

As of January 13, 2021, Berkeley City College is at 75.51% of the Resident FTES target. With multiple Express Registration sessions managed by Student Services as well as communications going out to students, the enrollment number is going up on a daily basis.

CoA Music Professor, Department Co-Chair, and President of Academic Senate Foundation for California Community Colleges Silvester Carl Henderson was featured this month in Intelligent HQ’s Higher ED Thought Leadership Series.This thoughtful interview covered the breadth of Professor Henderson's career in higher education, including his numerous professional accomplishments and awards.

Part of the Peralta Colleges' commitment to the full breath of it's community is efforts at the college and district level to provide targeted services for groups typically underserved by higher education.

Merritt College's Next UP program works to provide a smooth transition to college for current and former foster youth students, with the goal of creating an engaging, inclusive, and equitable community in which current and former foster youth can attain their educational, career, and personal goals. The program provides a “One-Stop-Shop” that offers personalized assistance with educational goals by offering holistic services such as academic counseling, personal support, book grants, transportation, tutoring, food, emergency housing, and referrals to community resources like transportation; tutoring; food; and emergency housing. 

To strengthen Laney College’s relationships with local Asian & Pacific Islander business and community-based organizations, Dr. Rudy Besikof hosted two virtual meet and greet sessions on January 13 and 14. Special thanks to community leaders Tomoko Ha (TKO Consulting) and Jessica Li (Justice and Logic LLC), who gave their time as well as their incredible talent and wisdom toward hosting these two virtual receptions introduce Dr. Besikof to the community and discuss not only needs but ways to come together and collaborate.