Dear Peralta Community,I’ve been reading a book entitled, The Alchemist. It’s by Paulo Coelho, an author from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s a really wonderful book. Here is a quote from the inside cover: "This enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a [fortune teller], a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.” |
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Five BCC students received the Artists Resisting Sugar city-wide art contest sponsored by the City of Berkeley and the BCC Public Health Club. Their art will be on display in Berkeley at Lifelong. In December the winning students were awarded prize money. The City of Berkeley has commended the art as outstanding pieces.
The Laney College Art Department is presenting its first online virtual exhibition, End of Semester Student Showcase. The students enrolled in Laney Art Classes – Drawing and Composition and 2D Visual Design – have worked to develop skills in design, drawing and compositional foundations during the Fall Semester.
The Laney Art Department is impressed by the resilience of its students, and the creative expression they have shown despite such unprecedented circumstances. Projects throughout the semester have allowed the students to explore the role art can play in their lives and how art practice can support, enhance, and create a place of expression and joy.
View the virtual exhibit online at the June Steingart Art Gallery Website: https://laney.edu/art/june-steingart-art-gallery/
The June Steingart Gallery at Laney College provides an accessible and professionally managed art gallery, reflecting the rich cultural diversity that exists on the Laney campus and the surrounding Bay Area community. When we are not sheltering in place, contemporary art exhibitions in various media are shown in the physical space ofthe gallery.
The End of Semester Student Showcase exhibition shows the perseverance, creativity and thoughtfulness of Laney’s Art students. Faculty and students have had to adjust to an online studio structure, and we are very pleased to present the amazing work that has come from dedication to the artistic practice. We hope you enjoy!
On January 8, 2021, Governor Newsom released information regarding the California state budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021-22. A District-wide announcement was sent on behalf of Adil Ahmed, Interim Vice Chancellor of Finance & Administration, to provide employees with some of his preliminary thoughts on the proposed budget.
The Governor’s January 8th Budget proposes to buy down a significant portion of the 2020-21 deferrals. That is good news for us as it potentially eases some of the pressures around cash flow management.
We want to update you on the progress we are making on new safety and security services at Peralta Community College District campuses and offices.
Dear Peralta Community,
Yesterday, our nation witnessed a disgraceful display of vandalism, violence, and insurrection at the United States Capitol, during the long held tradition of validating the will of the people. Many political and educational leaders across the country have rightfully condemned the misguided actions of those rioters who breached the Capitol, and the Peralta Community College District denounces their lawless actions as well.
New year, new shows - our Peralta Colleges station, Peralta TV, has great programming to broaden your perspectives. Here are a selection of highlights from January.
Dear Peralta Community, The year 2020 was about lifting each and every one of ourselves up. As individuals, as family members, and as PCCD community members, we all lifted each other up during this year of great struggles and challenges. |
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is visiting (virtually) the Peralta Community College District on December 16 and 17 to follow up on our Colleges’ accreditation submittals, specifically the Special Reports submitted on November 1, 2020.
While the Colleges remain fully accredited during a probationary period announced by ACCJC in January 2020, we are pleased to report that the District and Colleges are making progress on removing that probationary status.
As you may recall, the probationary status was not about academics or education, but solely about finances and organizational matters.
The ACCJC required the Colleges to provide additional evidence of financial improvement. That is exactly what College of Alameda, Berkeley City, Laney and Merritt Colleges have done, and we believe the reported results are excellent.
We are confident the colleges have addressed the ACCJC concerns and have demonstrated each campus meets the requirements to be removed from probationary status.
Each of the four Colleges reported growing enrollments and services to students through online winter and spring intersession offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the campuses successfully conducted marketing and outreach campaigns to potential students seeking online instruction in California State University and University of California-transferable courses.
All of the four Colleges noted increases in their individual “Dual Enrollment Programs,” which offers high school students an early start on their career technical education and opportunities to earn units toward their college degree.
The Colleges partner with high schools in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda to promote educational equity by offering empowering, transformative educational experiences to local high school students.
By increasing the Colleges’ offerings to high schools these new enrollments hopefully mean these students will have already begun their college experience by the time they graduate high school, giving them both a head start in college as well as saving them money.
The Laney Biomanufacturing BIOSCOPE program has developed from a pilot project funded with Strong Workforce Program funds into a National Science Foundation - Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) grant awarded summer 2020 for 3 years. The supply chain project is a partnership between Laney College, Skyline College and BABEC ( a bioscience non profit organization that works to increase access and equity in science education) and local high schools. Laney students make supplies (pouring agar plates used in biotechnology experiments - pictured) that are then sent to local high schools for their biology classes to learn some biotechnology techniques. You can learn more about the BABEC project here.
