Berkeley City College Educational Master Plan-DREAMing 5 Years Out
The Accreditation Commission for Community & Junior Colleges (ACCJC) sets and evaluates the standards for the California Community College system. BCC’s most recent accreditation peer-team site visit and Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER) highlighted many of the college’s previous strategic priorities, such as growth in Dual Enrollment, increase in equitable transfer rates, growth in career education programs, and comprehensive academic and student supports.
Revising the BCC Educational Master Plan (EMP) includes reviewing successes in previous priorities and generating college and community input for the next five years at BCC. The EMP is the guiding playbook for meeting the needs of the local community in terms of access, comprehensive career and academic preparation, and equitable completion outcomes. Included in the accreditation review are the following standards:
Standard I: Mission, Academic Quality, Institutional Effectiveness & Integrity
Standard II: Student Learning Programs & Support Services
Standard III: Resources
Standard IV: Leadership & Governance
On Wednesday, June 22, the Berkeley City College President’s Cabinet held a retreat to review the College’s work throughout the 2021 – 2022 year for the EMP, as well as plan for the upcoming year’s activities for campus engagement. Berkeley City College has continued its work in earnest to ensure that the mission of the college is met, that students receive a quality education, and that the college is designed for student success and completion with equitable outcomes. The retreat began with a DREAM exercise, in which participants suspended all rules and structures upon reflection on the following:
“What would it look like for BCC to contribute to ending generational poverty in our local community? What would it look like for BCC to reverse the impact of gentrification and support for local community members to continue to live in the area for generations to come?”
The DREAMing session drew upon the very best of BCC, including a commitment to students, culturally and industry-relevant programs/services, collaborative community partnerships, and a focus on student access, success, and equitable outcomes. Amidst the context of a post-pandemic society, topics included access to high wage, high skills job training, partnerships with local industries for impactful work experience for BCC students, student and employee health (physical, mental, fiscal), community partnerships to generate affordable housing opportunities, and developing a truly “free college for all.”
Senior Institutional Researcher, Dr. Phoumy Sayavong presented grounding data on BCC’s current progress towards equitable outcomes. The data focused on disaggregating outcomes for students in the following: learning, completion, transfer rates, and workforce opportunities, all centered around the lens of equity. It is critical that Berkeley City College increases access to programs that lead to higher-wage jobs in the areas of STEM, Business, Health, and Technology for students from historically marginalized and low-income backgrounds to achieve the goal of ending poverty and gentrification. From the data review, some preliminary strategic priorities emerged: a) Student Completion, b) Teaching & Learning, c) Data-Informed Processes & Innovations, d) Community Partnerships, e) Human Capital Development, f) Fiscal Sustainability, g) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & the Global Community, h) Advanced Technology & Facilities. The college community will continue to engage these strategic priorities to further refine and define the EMP for 2022/23 – 2026/27, as well as ensure its connection to the PCCD District Goals, the Board of Trustees Goals, and the California Community College Office ‘Vision for Success.’ In the end, the EMP will provide the blueprint for how BCC will prioritize students, their success, and completion, all while embodying a culture of “Students First.”
Please stay connected to participate in future forums, flex days, and campus-wide meetings, as the college aims to complete the Educational Master Plan by late fall/early spring. Following the EMP will be the revising of the College Strategic Plan, which will set forth benchmarks for success in a three-year cycle.
President’s Message: Celebrating Pride Month
June is Pride Month, a time for recognition and honoring of the LGBTQIA+ individuals in our community and around the world. Pride is a time for celebration, marked by parades, festivals, and artistic expression. It’s also a time for remembrance of the constant civil rights battle fought by the LBGTQIA+ community since its inception after the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
I am proud to say that BCC is an ally in this fight for liberation, inclusion, and equality, and is committed to protecting the fundamental equal rights sought by LGBTQIA+ people. This year we have seen politicians and lawmakers ramp up discriminatory bills across the country that seek to further disenfranchise the community by undermining protections for LGBTQIA+ children and young adults. These bills, numbering over 240 this year, are aimed at restricting discussions about sexual orientation by banning books and censoring speech, barring transgender and nonbinary athletes from participating in sports, and attacking teachers for educating students about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. BCC denounces these attacks and is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators that make up our community.
It is a reminder that we must be vigilant in our support of the LGBTQIA+ community not just during Pride month, but every day of the year. BCC and the Peralta Colleges have a robust Non-Discrimination policy, ensuring that our students, faculty, and staff will be given equal opportunities in our educational programs, employment, and access to services. This policy is core to BCC’s value of commitment to multiculturalism and diversity, and our mission to promote student success and transform lives. It is within our community of inclusivity that we welcome the intersectionalities that we all bring. As a queer woman of color, I am fully aware that I am able to live and move freely in these identities because of those who fought and paved the way before me. I am grateful to each of you for helping to create a safe space for LGTBQIA+ community members to thrive.
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, June 28, 2022. To view as a pdf, click here.
