Berkeley City College Recognized by The Campaign for College Opportunity

Berkeley City College is proud to announce we have been named the 2022 Champion for Excelling in Equitable Course Placement in Black English Enrollment by The Campaign for College Opportunity. The award recognizes Berkeley City College for successfully supporting 100% of Black students to enroll directly into transfer-level English coursework. 

We thank the Campaign for College Opportunity for their recognition and applaud our students, faculty, staff, and administrators for their hard work in achieving this milestone.

Berkeley City College is committed to equity and social justice in our curriculum and engagement with the community. Our administrative mission is to eliminate educational gaps in historically minoritized groups by providing high-quality instruction and paths to transfer and certification. This award helps confirm our commitment to that mission and will act as a springboard for us to continue to be an institution promoting access to education for all.

Berkeley City College thanks Lisa Cook, Dean of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences for helping set this goal and bringing it across the finish line. “It is such an honor to receive this recognition,” said Cook. “Faculty and staff at Berkeley City College truly are champions of equitable placement and outcomes for our Black students. We have already seen a significant increase

in the success and completion of our Black students with the implementation of this practice.”

Since the passage of AB 705 in 2017, the California Community Colleges has increased access to credit-bearing courses across all racial and ethnic groups, doubling the number of students who complete transfer-level Math and English courses. Berkeley City College is proud to be among 40 other California Community that are a part of this life-changing process. We understand access to quality education is a driver in promoting democracy and economic mobility.

The Campaign for College Opportunity will publicly announce all community college honorees on Friday, April 22, 2022, at 10 am on Instagram Live @collegeopp. We invite you to join and celebrate Berkeley City College and our colleagues’ accomplishments.

BCC Vision for Equitable Education for All

Berkeley City College President Angélica Garcia will be hosting a presentation titled “BCC’s Vision for Equitable Education for All” as part of the Peralta Colleges Foundation Distinguished Leaders Community Conversation Fireside Chat. The event will take place virtually on Friday, April 29 from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm and feature distinguished guest speakers State Senator Nancy Skinner and Mayor Jesse Arreguin.

Community stakeholders inside and outside Peralta Community College District are invited to attend. Join us to hear President Garcia’s vision for Berkeley City College leading the way in equity and transfer opportunities for our students. There will also be time for Q&A as well as an opportunity to donate to the Peralta College Foundation to support scholarships, our students' basic needs, and special programs and learning communities. It’s an exciting opportunity to learn more about what’s in store for the future at Berkeley City College! Guests may RSVP at: https://bit.ly/BCCCommunityConversation

ASBCC Election Results

The 2022 ASBCC Election results are in, producing the new student government leaders at BCC! President-Elect Mazin Saeed served as Vice President of Public Relations in the previous administration and currently works as a Student Ambassador. His goal is to continue to build comfort and community for students returning to in-person learning. “Now that we’re coming back from all remote learning, I’m trying to have people feel a lot more connected,” said President-Elect Saeed. “Just feeling that sense of community whether it’s holding events, club rush, returning that feeling in the air of being a community college rather than a city college.”

The results in the other races are as follows: VP of Administration: Denise Vergara, VP of Public Relations: Donna Lin, Senators: Yasmin Alrawi, Li Wan, and Rachel Yeung. BCC Student Ambassador Sarah Latinho was elected Peralta Community College District Student Trustee.

PCCD Student elections also saw the passage of the AC Transit Easy Pass Proposition. The proposal would bring back the EasyPass service for PCCD students, allowing for free unlimited travel both locally and Transbay. 86% of voters approved the proposition, winning in a landslide.

Berkeley City College would like to recognize all who participated in this year’s election cycle, including the voters. Berkeley City College had a commendable turnout for the election with 248 votes cast. The candidates worked hard to message and advocate for voters to participate and have a voice in the operations at Berkeley City College.

Berkeley City College Art Participates in SFMOMA Soapbox Derby

On Sunday, April 10, Berkeley City College Studio Art Instructor Lisa Crallé and her husband Clarke Selman participated in SFMOMA’s Soapbox Derby at McLaren Park in San Francisco. Crallé and Selman designed the car with a paper maché shell and named it “Crumple Car.” It was built in tribute to a friend that passed away from Covid-19 in January. Selman drove the car, which is propelled entirely by gravity, down the winding, hilly John F. Shelley Drive and performed admirably. In fact, a photo of the car was selected as the top-of-the-fold photo in the SF Chronicle’s write-up of the event. Over 5,000 people attended the outdoor event, including many Berkeley City College art students who were there to cheer on Crallé and Selman.

The 2022 SFMOMA Soapbox Derby is a revival of an event that hasn’t taken place since 1978. SFMOMA says “We are delighted to bring back this joyous, free community event to honor Bay Area creative ingenuity and resilience during this challenging time.” Around 30 local artists were selected by committee to compete. The judging was not based on speed, there weren’t even time trials. Rather, eclectic categories like “slowest,” "least serious,” "best of the worst,” and “car that looks worst after crashing halfway down the track.” Some drivers reported hitting 35 miles per hour during their race.

Crallé learned that their car was selected for display at SFMOMA. Keep an eye on @berkeleycitycollege and @berkeleycitycollege_art on Instagram for updates on when and where to see their car on display. Berkeley City College congratulates both and is so proud to have our distinguished faculty using their creativity and ingenuity at public events. Congratulations!

Puente Registration Pizza Party

On Wednesday, April 13, BCC’s Puente Project hosted a Priority Registration Pizza Party! 22 scholars showed up to register for Summer and Fall classes, collaborated on selecting courses to continue taking together aligned with their educational goals, and chowed down on free pizza. The Society of Scholars team will be conducting over 20 enrollment workshops with local high school community partners this Spring.

Open Enrollment for Summer and Fall began on Monday, April 18. Berkeley City College is hosting Express Registration virtually and in person through the end of April. Check out www.berkeleycitycollege.edu for more information!

Berkeley City College Participating in Black Student Success Week

Berkeley City College Career and Transfer Coordinator Andrea Williams will participate in a panel discussion for this year’s Black Student Success Week, April 25 - April 29th.

The panel titled “The Path to Transfer Success- A Clear Highway or a Traffic Jam” will be held on Wednesday, April 27th, 2022 at 12:00 pm. Williams will discuss intentional programming to prepare Black Students for transfer to 4-year institutions and instill the importance of agency to access support through their educational journey. She will also discuss institutional practices that the Career and Transfer Center in collaboration with other constituents at BCC have implemented to support Black students holistically to ensure transfer goals are realized. You can register for this webinar and more at: https://linktr.ee/cablackstudents

President’s Message: Acknowledging the Passing of a Berkeley High School Student

It pains me to share that a tragic incident that occurred outside of our building yesterday afternoon involved the death of a Berkeley High School student. I am heartbroken by this loss of a young life and would like to share my condolences to their family, friends, and the rest of the Berkeley High School community. So many Berkeley High students pass through our doors and become members of our community. This loss is close to home.

When a student passes the impact is felt throughout the academic community. In response, BCC Wellness Center Coordinator Janine Greer led a healing circle for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to grieve, share their feelings and experiences, and hold space to support each other. This is a tragic moment, but it was inspiring to see our college community come together and embody the true meaning of community. We use this word so often in our communications, and to see it in action reminded me of how special BCC is as a college.

The BCC Wellness Center offers services and can support you via the Mental Health Referral application. The mental health team offers telehealth services and is here for you in this time of need. You may also contact our partners at the Roots Community Health Center for access to individual and group therapy sessions. They are located at 7272 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland and their phone number is (510) 533-1248. Additionally, the Wellness Center has curated a list of outside referrals for mental health resources.

You can also receive immediate and additional support by calling the following hotlines for students with immediate needs:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7): 1-800-273-8255
• Alameda County Crisis Text Line (4-11 p.m./7 days/week): text SAFE to 20121
• Berkeley Mental Health Mobile Crisis (11:30 a.m-10 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday): 510-981-5254

I hope that you are able to find some solace and comfort with your loved ones during this time. Our BCC community is here for you.

In Community,

Dr. Angélica Garcia (she| her| ella)
President
Berkeley City College

This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Angélica Garcia, Berkeley City College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. To view as a pdf, click here.