Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month at Berkeley City College
Latinx Heritage Month kicked off on September 15, and Berkeley City College is celebrating with a series of vibrant events highlighting Latinx culture, creativity, and community. Throughout September, students explored Latinx Book Displays at the Berkeley City College Library, featuring a diverse collection of works by Latinx authors. On September 25, the BCC Auditorium hosted a screening of “American Agitators”, a powerful documentary telling the story of activist Fred Ross, who helped invent modern organizing. The celebration continued into October with a variety of hands-on cultural activities.
During the Piñata Making Workshop on October 1, students gathered in the Student Lounge to learn the art of crafting colorful piñatas. On October 7, artist Viviana Rodriguez Smith led “Honoring Our Cultura: Decorating Nichos,” where participants created their own nichos while learning about the history and significance of Latinx Heritage Month. On October 8, the Student Lounge came alive with Lotería! Lotería!, a lively game day that featured delicious food and prizes. Throughout October and November, BCC honors Día de los Muertos, inviting the community to celebrate departed loved ones by visiting the campus ofrenda (altar) and leaving a memento in remembrance.
We thank Lissette Flores, Zaira Sanchez, Carolina Martinez, and the rest of the HSI grant team for their work in organizing these great events!
BCC holds PCCD Transformation Plan Town Hall
On Thursday, October 9, BCC held its first Town Hall related to Peralta’s 2025-27 Transformation Plan, presented at the Chancellor’s Road Show last September. President Denise Richardson, Academic Senate President Matthew Freeman, and Classified Senate President Tom Rizza led a presentation that reviewed the plan, the timeline, and the proposed options for restructuring the district. BCC Faculty, Classified Professionals, and Administrators shared their thoughtful feedback and questions about the processes that will guide implementation. The facilitators encouraged BCC stakeholders to be involved in the shared governance decision-making occurring during this period of change. BCC will continue to host these town hall meetings twice per semester.
Sip & Paint at the BCC Wellness Center
The BCC Wellness Center, in collaboration with Tania Herrero of East Bay Art Therapy, hosted a relaxing Sip & Paint session during College Hour on Monday, October 6. Students enjoyed hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and a cozy, creative break while engaging in guided watercolor painting with an art therapist. The event offered a fun and stress-relieving space to unwind, connect, and express creativity. Thank you to Janine Greer, the P2P Navigators, and Tania for providing this warm and welcoming environment for students to explore and thrive!
Students Explore Opportunities at BCC Transfer Fair
Berkeley City College hosted its Transfer Fair on Thursday, September 25, welcoming 39 colleges and 276 students to the Atrium. Students connected directly with university representatives from UCs and other institutions, enjoyed free lunch, and took part in prize raffles while exploring their transfer options and next academic steps. Thank you to Andrea Williams and the BCC Career and Transfer Center for organizing another engaging, fun, and informative transfer fair!
Patelco Hosts Financial Wellness Workshop for BCC Classified Professionals
On Thursday, September 25, Berkeley City College Classified Professionals attended a financial wellness workshop led by Patelco Credit Union. The session covered key strategies for creating and maintaining financial stability, including budgeting using the 50/30/20 rule, value-based spending, and savings techniques such as automated transfers and roundup programs. Participants also learned about credit building and management—understanding how credit scores are calculated, the differences between hard and soft credit pulls, and methods for paying down debt responsibly.
The Classified Senate thanks Annie Liu and the Ad Hoc Professional Development Committee for their work in organizing, and Andrew Farrell of Patelco for presenting.
Enrollment On the Rise at BCC
BCC has seen a year-over-year increase of Resident and Total FTES of 2%. BCC is pleased to see enrollment growth overall and in many of our learning communities. We are examining this data to assess how best to continue this momentum.
BCC Learning Communities Enrollment and Success Trends
In four years, BCC’s enrollment in the Society of Scholars learning communities grew by 16%. We follow the enrollment trend with student success metrics as defined by students successfully passing a course.
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, October 14, 2025. To view it as a PDF, click here.