Dr. Angélica Garcia, President of Berkeley City College (BCC), a dynamic leader, educator, and fearless advocate for equity and social justice, has been honored by inclusion in a list of 25 outstanding educators published by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The March 4, 2021 issue of Diverse, published in honor of Women’s History Month, is the publication’s 10th anniversary of highlighting women who have made a difference in the academy by tackling some of education’s toughest challenges.
Dr. Garcia, BCC President since May 2020, is widely recognized as an effective and collaborative higher education leader with emphasis on innovation, social justice, and equity while promoting academic excellence. Berkeley City College is an awarding winning institution known for civic engagement, student support services including those for veterans and the undocumented community, and a top college for Fulbright scholars and students transferring to four-year schools including UC Berkeley. Dr. Garcia's profile appears on pages 25-26 of the March 4, 2021 issue of Diverse.
In November of 2020, Berkeley City College received the Campaign for College Opportunity’s inaugural “2020 Equity Champion of Higher Education” designation for exemplary work in awarding Associate Degree for Transfer (ADTs) degrees to Black and Latinx students. BCC was also cited for having “one of the highest shares of ADT conferrals for the 2018-2019 school year.” Michele Siqueiros, president of Campaign for College Opportunity, commented, “With your leadership, the Associate Degree for Transfer pathway is making college dreams a reality for thousands of Californians.”
“I’m thrilled to receive this recognition from a highly regarded national publication like Diverse, and I’m humbled to be included with twenty-four other amazing womxn,” commented Dr. Garcia. “I have dedicated my career’s work to promoting equitable access to higher education, closing equity gaps in student success, and cultivating an educational institution that is prepared and committed to student completion. As a first-generation college student and Chicana, I understand fully the impact that higher education has on a person’s life. The esteemed faculty, classified professionals, and administrators at Berkeley City College work collaboratively to provide students with an equity-minded, comprehensive, wholistic, and transformational educational experience.”
Dr. Garcia was born in the Central Valley (Fresno) and lives in the East Bay with her wife and two young daughters. She is a graduate of San Francisco State University where she received a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She also holds a Master’s in Social Work from San Diego State University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Liberal and Civic Studies from St. Mary’s College.
Prior to Berkeley City College, Dr. Garcia served as a Vice President of Student Services at Skyline College where she led the design and implementation of the Promise Scholars Program, a program focused on increasing two- and three-year graduation rates. She created and launched the Student Equity & Support Programs division, provided leadership for the implementation of Guided Pathways, and led college and district-wide efforts to address food and housing insecurity experienced by students.
“I’m so pleased that President Garcia has received this well-deserved honor from Diverse,” said Dr. Carla Walter, Interim Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District. “Those of us who have the pleasure of working with her see her commitment to equity in education every single day.”
Dr. Garcia was a 2019 Leadership Fellow of the National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC). Additional professional affiliations include serving on the Board of Directors for HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) focused on leadership development of women in higher education. Dr. Garcia is a co-founder and executive board member of the California Community College Organización de Latinx Empowerment, Guidance, & Advocacy for Success (COLEGAS), which is focused on cultivating equity-minded practitioners to close racial equity gaps.
She has served as a lecturer for the San Francisco State University Ed.D. Educational Leadership program, as well as a service term on the program’s Advisory Board. She has also served on a local PTA board for her daughter’s elementary school. Dr. Garcia earned the Distinguished Alumni Signum Fidei award in 2019 from St. Mary’s College “for outstanding participation in higher education.”
