Since April, the Office of International Education (OIE) received $34,500 in funding to support fourteen F-1 international students thanks to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Emergency Student Funding (ESF) relief! The ESF provides financial support to international students when emergencies in their home countries, or globally such as COVID-19, threaten to jeopardize the completion of their studies.  

Oakland, CA – Laney College’s APASS (Asian Pacific American Student Success) program was awarded a prestigious $1.5 million U.S. Department of Education AANAPISI (Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution) grant to support job training, job placement and career pathways for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and Asian American Pacific Islander students. While Laney College has received two previous AANAPISI grants, this is the first grant that specifically supports job training and placement for AAPI and ESOL students.

Berkeley City College President Angélica Garcia kicked off the first of her campus community check-ins in her “Cafécito “Zoom, on Thursday, August 27, 2020. Faculty, staff, and students joined the President in this question and answer session focused on BCC updates and what to expect for the 2020 – 2021 academic year. Some of the questions from the event centered on getting to know President Garcia and the goals of the college. Some of the highlighted questions:

Peralta TV, which celebrated its 40th Anniversary earlier this year (see Peralta Gems #9), continues to broadcast educational and Peralta community content 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Peralta TV is available on Comcast (Channel 27 in Alameda and Berkeley, and Channel 28 in Oakland, Emeryville and Piedmont) and on AT&T U-Verse (Channel 99). Here are some upcoming program highlights in September. 

Welcome students and educators to the Fall 2020 Semester at the Peralta Community College District! 

On August 20, 2020, Acting Chancellor Dr. Carla Walter introduced the first of three Budget Webinars to help the Peralta Community learn more about the budgeting process for California Community Colleges in general and specifically for the Peralta Community College District. 

Season Five of the Netflix series Last Chance U. debuted on July 28, 2020 and features coverage of Head Football Coach John Beam and the Laney College Eagles Football team over the course of the Fall 2019 season. The series has received positive reviews and in a way has turned Coach Beam and student-athletes Dior Walker-Scott, RJ Stern, Nu'u Taugavau, and Rejzohn Wright into celebrities. Have you watched the series yet? 

The free food giveaway programs at the Peralta Colleges we first announced in May and which now include all four colleges are certainly good news for students and the community.  And now the program is in the news!  Maaziq Madyun, a reporter for KRON TV Channel 4 recently stopped by the College of Alameda and filmed the following story, "East Bay grab-and-go lunch program helps fight food insecurity during pandemic," which was broadcast across the Bay area. The story is also available online here:  https://gems.peralta.edu/all-four-colleges-now-offering-free-meals

At their regular meeting on July 28, 2020, the Board of Trustees confirmed the appointment of Dr. Carla Walter as Acting Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District until an Interim Chancellor is hired. Dr. Walter, previously the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration at the District, assumed the role of Acting Chancellor on July 18, 2020 per the Board Policy on Chancellor succession.  

The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees were extremely busy in July following the unexpected resignation of Chancellor Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud on July 16, 2020.