BCC Celebrating 50 Years with a Block Party and Groundbreaking Ceremony
Berkeley City College, the Peralta Community College District, and Peralta’s Bond Program, “Build Peralta” invite you to visit BCC and celebrate 50 years of BCC history, dating back to its founding as the Peralta College for Non-Traditional Study in 1974, with a Block Party on Center Street between Milvia St. and Shattuck Ave. Meet with BCC students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators to learn about programs, services, and community partnerships. Guests will enjoy free food and refreshments. There will also be live music from DJ Pulpo and opportunities to enroll in Summer and Fall 2024 classes.
After the block party concludes, we will look to the future with a ceremony to commemorate the groundbreaking of BCC’s second building at 2118 Milvia Street (at the northwest corner of Milvia St. & Center St.). Community and education leaders will join the festivities and provide remarks followed by a reception in the BCC Atrium. The event is free and open to all.
Thank you, Taxpayers! The 2118 Milvia Street Expansion Project is made possible through the Peralta Community College District’s Bond Program, funded by Measure G bond dollars overwhelmingly approved in 2018 by the voters of Northern Alameda County including residents in Berkeley, Albany, Alameda, Emeryville, Oakland, and Piedmont.
Guest speakers will include: City of Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín, Berkeley City College President Dr. Denise Richardson, Peralta Community College District Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson, Members of the PCCD Board of Trustees, along with other elected officials. Please join us!
ASBCC Candidate Forum and Elections
On Wednesday, April 3, the Associated Students of Berkeley City College (ASBCC) hosted a candidate forum for the upcoming elections. 18 student candidates participated in the forum and gave speeches to their constituents, explaining their goals and vision for the 7 offices in the new administration. Campaigning season is officially open!
The Office of Student Activities and Campus Life has developed a voter guide to get to know the candidates here. Elections will be held on Tuesday, April 9 beginning at 8:00am and open through Wednesday, April 10 at 11:59pm. Students will need a valid student ID to vote. Links to the ballot are being emailed to students.
“Be part of the change you want to see and cast your ballot for candidates who will represent your interests,” said Associate Dean of Student Engagement & Campus Life John Nguyen. “Mark your calendars and make your vote count!”
Puente Scholars’ Southern California University Tour
On March 7th-8th, 28 BCC Puente scholars participated in the program’s first-ever Southern California college tour, visiting CSU Long Beach and UC Riverside! On the first day of the trip, scholars visited CSU Long Beach where they connected with staff and student leaders representing CSULB’s Cultural Resource Centers, including the AAPI, Black, LGBTQ, Muslim, Puvungna, and Latinx Resource Centers. In the evening, they attended a community event at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture where Puentistas connected with BIPOC art and artists. On the second and final day of the trip, Puentistas attended UC Riverside’s Puente Day, where they attended a series of workshops focused on exploring UC admissions processes, resource programs, and UC financial aid opportunities. Puentistas also attended a transfer panel and expanded their networks of support at CSULB & UCR! This trip was led by HSI-Puente counselor Dri Regalado, with a huge shout out to BCC’s HSI coordinator Zaira Sanchez for her support coordinating. We also thank UCRC counselors Angelica Peña and Anthony Zelaya Umanzor for their support on the trip.
Puente Scholar Feedback Quotes:
- “I really enjoyed this trip for a multitude of reasons. I got to further connect with my fellow Puentistas and grew closer to them, I also really enjoyed touring the campuses, especially CSULB, and learning about the resources they have for Latinx students. Another thing I really enjoyed was going to the museum and seeing beautiful art, this was truly one of the first times I actually felt moved by art and I highly believe it was because the artists were Latinx and made art based off their experiences being Latinx.”
“Seeing many community spaces inspired me to want to be active on campus when I transfer.”
“I really enjoyed visiting these campuses and all of the opportunities they offer. As well as noticing how different So Cal is from the Bay. I really liked the Chicano Museum, I’ve never been to one so going there actually made me feel proud in a way. I also feel like I got to make new friends within the BCC Puente group.”
A2MEND Conference Inspires BCC Learners to “Be The Change They Want To See”
On March 6 through 8, seven Berkeley City College (BCC) scholars attended the 17th annual African-American Male Education Network Conference (A2MEND) in Los Angeles, California.
Attending the conference was transformational for scholars. As exclaimed by one of the scholars, “After experiencing the summit, the way I look at academic settings is forever changed”. Another thought shared by one of the scholars was “Given the name of the conference, I thought I would be one of the few women in attendance and was pleasantly surprised to be in the company of many accomplished women”.
Renowned activist and scholar, M.K. Asante graced the stage as the keynote speaker emphasizing, “if you make an observation, you have an obligation”. Based on conversations with learners, one of them inferred that saying as we as a people have a responsibility to “be the change we want to see”. If we notice unjust treatment, we must do or say something to help make the situation just. Being around so many like-minded people of African ancestry in a positive environment was life-changing. One scholar went on to share “attending the conference was truly an honor”, and it would have been cool if we had some school swag to present a united front for others to know the school we were representing without having to tell them.”
Faculty member, Jimmy Crutison, Ed.D, shared the responsibility with many other faculty, administrators, and staff in making sure scholars were prepared for the conference by solidifying flights, lodging accommodations, and funding to help support students with meals that were not included in the meals provided by the venue. Students were encouraged to have copies of their transcript, curriculum vitae, and resume available.
The 17 annual A2MEND Conference was one of many opportunities for BCC to provide scholars contingency to support students’ personal, academic, and professional development in the near and distant future. One of our scholars apprised Professor Crutison “my hope is that they (BCC) will be able to get even more folks to attend the next one”. In addition, a different scholar suggested, “I felt so grateful to share space with people who looked like me but had varying experiences and educational backgrounds.”
Personally, it was astonishing to see scholars return to campus with their heads high, shoulders back, and their academic esteem heightened because of the energy they contributed and embraced at the A2MEND Conference. I am honored to have been chosen to share in an educational environment with scholars who were gracious during their travels, and grateful for an opportunity to grow and see themselves as part of academia that all too often negates their existence in traditional academic environments.
BCC’s HSI Honors Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, & Cesar Chavez
On the evening of March 21st, the Berkeley City College HSI team hosted the Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong & Cesar Chavez Commemoration Event, an evening honoring the contributions of farmworkers to our lives and to our food systems. This year’s theme, “Environmental Justice Starts with Us,” called attention to our collective responsibility to educate ourselves and our students about the intersection of health, social and environmental justice.
The event was organized by UCB Chicanx Latinx Student Development Center, Berkeley City College, Latinos Unidos de Berkeley, UC Berkeley Public Service Center’s Mario Savio Social Justice Program, UCB Latinxs and the Environment, BUSD, City of Berkeley.
Classified Senate Retreat
On Friday, March 22, the Berkeley City College Classified Senate hosted its second Classified Senate Retreat of the academic year. Thirty-seven Berkeley City College classified professionals gathered at the Berkeley City Club for an opportunity to connect, reflect, and focus on professional development at the historic downtown Berkeley club.
The agenda started with a breakfast and ice-breaker activity of Peralta Trivia, quizzing teams on fun facts about BCC and Peralta they may not have known. After that, College of Alameda Psychology chair Sarah Peterson-Guada led a presentation on workplace mindfulness, teaching techniques that colleagues could use to center themselves while working at their jobs.
Breakout sessions ensued focusing on financial wellness led by partners at Patelco Credit Union. Sessions included debt management, fraud prevention, investing, and a keynote on the Sandwich Generation, which addressed strategies for employees supporting children at home while also preparing to care for their parents in the future. The breakout sessions were split up with lunch.
After the breakouts, Peralta’s SEIU 1021 Chapter President Richard Theole gave a presentation about union benefits. The retreat closed with the BCC classified professional’s third community of practice session, where they were able to drill down and identify achievable goals to improve Berkeley City College for students and classified professionals.
The event was organized by the BCC Classified Senate Ad-Hoc Professional Development Committee: Roberto Gonzalez, Vanessa Philip, Jasmine Sumandal, Patrick Wallace, Zaira Sanchez, Natalia Fedorova, and Tom Rizza with funding from the college’s Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Grant. Big thanks to those committee members for putting together this great event, and our partners Sarah Peterson-Guada, Patelco Credit Union, SEIU 1021, and the Berkeley City Club for hosting.
This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Denise Richardson, Berkeley City College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. To view it as a PDF, click here.
