Berkeley City College Participatory Governance Retreat Summer 2023
On Tuesday, May 30, Berkeley City College hosted its summer Participatory Governance Retreat. The purpose of the retreat was to convene members from governing bodies and committees across the college and begin exploring and synthesizing ideas for the college’s Strategic Master Plan based on the shared vision road map published in the 2023 – 2028 Educational Master Plan.
Sessions included small group breakouts to examine the 5 strategies for success:
- Practice Data-Informed Processes and Innovations
- Institutionalize Culturally Relevant Professional Development
- Invest in BCC’s Vision & Goals
- Advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
- Secure Strong Community Partnerships
Report outs from the small group discussions dozens of ideas, including bringing in outside and internal experts working to advance anti-racist policies to institutionalize culturally relevant professional development, and providing avenues for feedback in governance committees to prioritize improvements to advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
The break-out sessions moved into a discussion to prepare BCC for a culture of assessment and reflection that expands beyond the institutional learning outcomes. One way identified in accomplishing this goal would be to leverage the existing governance structure to create more avenues for assessment and reflection upon relevant data and identifying strategies for improvement.
Chairs from the governing bodies reported on preparations for their first committee meetings in the Fall 2023 semester, with the idea of institutionalizing the EMP and completing a college strategic plan by the end of Fall 2023. Participation and feedback from all areas of the college will be crucial to meeting that goal.
BCC Summer & Fall 2023 Enrollment Update
Summer session began at Berkeley City College on Tuesday, June 20, and we are happy to report BCC overshot its enrollment goals by almost 7% while staying within the allocated budget, with a productivity of 18. We thank BCC’s administrators, marketing & institutional researchers, admissions & records colleagues, counselors, and outreach specialists for continued messaging and support for enrollment. BCC leveraged email campaigns, texting, and phone banking to reach out to students who applied but had not enrolled in classes to support them with the registration process and inform them of classes available. Outreach will continue as Berkeley City College works to retain students for the Fall 2023 semester, a benchmark goal outlined in the 2023- 2028 Educational Master Plan. The methods are working so far – BCC’s enrollment is 26% higher than this time last year. BCC’s team will continue to work to meet the gap.
Berkeley City College also launched its “Discover Your Community at BCC” marketing campaign for Fall 2023, incorporating the Peralta Fall is Free campaign. You may have already seen the billboards around Berkeley, Emeryville, and parts of Oakland, as well as postcards in your mailbox. In the Spring semester, students were invited to a Free Headshot Day and were given professional headshots that could be used on their LinkedIn and resume. The headshots were also incorporated into the “Discover Your Community at BCC” images seen around the community today. “Discover Your Community” encompasses the efforts BCC is making to meet students’ needs in equity, inclusion, and access, in the framework of Guided Pathways.
Berkeley City College Launches 2023-24 Digital College Catalog with Curriqunet Meta
On Friday, June 23, Berkeley City College launched its first-ever digital catalog on the Curriqunet Meta platform. The innovative new catalog will provide enhanced accessibility to new and current students to learn about courses, programs, and vital student services.
“The college catalog is an extensively detailed and long document, and it may be hard for students to navigate in its printed form or as a big PDF file,” said Tom Rizza, BCC Public Information Officer. “We hope that by launching this digital catalog with quality-of-life enhancements, such as breaking down areas by sections and robust search capabilities, the user experience will be much easier for the community to navigate. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Curriqunet to improve the catalog in future iterations.”
We thank BCC’s Public Information Officer Tom Rizza VP of Instruction Kuni Hay, VP of Student Services Dr. Stacey Shears, and Curriculum Coordinator Nancy Cayton for leading this project. You can find the 2023-24 catalog by clicking the Classes button on the Berkeley City College homepage.
NOVA Dual Enrollment Summer Program Begins at BCC
Entering its 4th year, NOVA is a dual enrollment summer pathway program co-led by counselors Skyler Barton and Adriana “Dri” Regalado, as well as a dynamic team of scholar interns representing our UMOJA, Puente, and AAPI communities. NOVA stands for “Networking, Opportunities, Vision, & Action”. In partnership with the RISE program at Berkeley High, NOVA scholars are completing a series of two BCC Career Exploration courses, filled with enrichment, networking, and exploration of their interests, skills, and sources of motivation that support their personal and academic growth. NOVA scholars are introduced to academic and career pathways while earning college credits and getting connected to key resources at Berkeley High School and BCC that will support their transition into high school and beyond. Many of the NOVA scholars continue taking classes with us throughout their time at BUSD. Scholars are visualizing lifestyle dreams and goals, accelerating forward with a “College and Career Ahead” mentality!
Welcoming BCC’s Financial Aid Director, Ernesto Nery
Berkeley City College is pleased to welcome Ernesto Nery as Financial Aid Director. As a multiracial, first-generation college student, Ernesto was once called El Desvalido (“The Underdog”) because he struggled with speaking. He had difficulty connecting the words in his head to have a conversation, reading, and writing. As a result, he had a fear of speaking. Ernesto used this as a tool of empowerment and an opportunity to learn. The challenges he faced early in life enabled him to set a high standard for himself, particularly when it came to career aspirations.
With a passion for leadership and mentoring those who faced similar life obstacles, Ernesto found an opportunity to do so through education and financial aid, having been provided a path to a degree through his early interactions with financial aid, which also showed him first-hand the complex system that students face to pay for college. Ernesto previously was the Financial Aid Director at Merritt College and is excited to return to the Peralta District at Berkeley City College where he started as an hourly worker. El Desvalido Brilla, the underdog shines. Ernesto’s vision as the Financial Aid Director is to work with the dynamic team at Berkeley City College to support the success of students.
This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Denise Richardson, Berkeley City College Interim President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. To view it as a pdf, click here.
