Equity and Inclusion Center of Undocumented Student Week of Action Activities at BCC
Berkeley City College celebrated Undocumented Student Week of Action beginning Monday, October 17. This year’s theme is Juntos Podemos (Together, We Can): Collaborative Ecosystems that Support Undocumented Students, which recognizes that we must be intentional about integrating undocumented student success throughout equity initiatives. It serves as a reminder that BCC must collectively engage in this critical work not just during Action Week, but every day of the year.
This year is the Sixth Annual Undocumented Student Week of Action. The California Community College system enrolls the largest population of undocumented students of any segment of public higher education. When undocumented immigrants can pursue their career and professional goals free of institutional barriers and discrimination, they are able to reach their educational goals and, in turn, contribute to the improvement of their communities and our economy.
Students were able to visit the UCRC table on the first floor to share their immigration story and provide words of encouragement for undocumented students written on paper monarch butterflies that were then posted around campus, covering BCC’s halls with colorful and uplifting messages. The monarch butterfly is a symbol of migration, as it travels freely across North and South American borders.
The UCRC organized a series of presentations throughout the week, including a Platica with Julissa Arce, author of You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case For Rejecting Assimilation and Becoming a Leader with Eva Jimenez, Northern Regional Organizer with CHIRLA.
We thank UCRC and Student Equity and Achievement Coordinator Carolina Martinez and Associate Dean of Educational Success Dr. Martín De Mucha Flores for their work in organizing the week. In fact, their efforts were given a special shout-out by Mendocino College in the statewide CCC Undocumented Student Week of Action webinar for creating a model website for resources serving Undocumented scholars. As President-Elect of COLEGAS, Dr. Garcia participated in the USWA statewide planning committee, which also highlighted effective practices of the Undocumented Community Resource Center at BCC. It’s a reflection of BCC’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and educational success of everyone in our community.
Educational Master Plan & Guided Pathways Covered at BCC Mid-Semester Flex Day
On Wednesday, October 19, Berkeley City College hosted its mid-semester Flex Day program. The day started off with music and a slideshow showcasing the various events that have taken place on and off campus during the Fall semester.
The executive team provided an update on the development of the 2024-2028 Educational Master Plan with a presentation led by President Angélica Garcia and an overview of data compiled by Berkeley City College in partnership with WestED led by Senior Research and Planning Analyst Dr. Phoumy Sayavong. Faculty and classified staff were then prompted to enter breakout rooms to examine preliminary priorities for the EMP:
- Student Completion
- Teaching and Learning
- Data-Informed Processes & Innovations
- Community Partnerships
- Human Capital Development
- Fiscal Sustainability
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & the Global Community
- Advanced Technology & Facilities
Each breakout room was facilitated by a member of the executive team and attendees were asked to fill out a slide with notes on each topic. The teams then reported back and shared their notes.
The program moved to two workshops about Guided Pathways and the development of Academic Career Communities (ACC), one facilitated for faculty and one for classified staff. Facilitators Melina Bersamin and Linda McAllister invited classified staff to share coffee, snacks, and their ideas about what it means and what it takes to build an inclusive and welcoming experience for students. Guided Pathways ACC facilitators and counseling faculty worked with faculty members to share their experiences and recommendations as we build out the foundational supports for the six ACCs. It also informed ways for faculty to get involved in Guided Pathways work by partaking in future workgroup activities this semester.
The Guided Pathways workshop was followed by lunch brown bag mini-sessions with the following topics: What is Grading for Equity? Peer to Peer Support at BCC, Supporting Inclusion in Study Abroad for the Success of BCC Students, Applying for a Sabbatical, and Q&A with Student Accessibility Services (SAS).
The program moved into three afternoon concurrent sessions: The Impact of Assessment hosted by Assessment and SLO Coordinator Kelly Pernell, Join the Movement: Dual Enrollment for Equity hosted by Katie Koelle, Dri Regalado, and Joya Chavarin, and an Undocumented Students Solidarity Seminar with Luis Chavez and Angelica Pena.
The program ended with a Deans’Virtual Coffee Hour. It was an opportunity for classified professionals and faculty to pose questions and tackle challenging topics relating to navigating change facing our campus and ways to be included in improving the professional experience on campus and supporting students. The meeting was hosted by Dean Lisa Cook, Dean Christopher Lewis, Associate Dean Martín De Mucha Flores, Associate Dean and Director of Student Life John Ngyuen.
We thank Head Librarian Heather Dodge for her work in leading the organization of this event, her first as Professional Development Committee Chair. We also thank the rest of the Professional Development Committee members and all the participants who led another successful Flex Day at BCC!
BCC Scholars Travel to Hispanic Association of Colleges and University Conference
Sixteen BCC team members, including classified professionals, faculty, administrators, and scholar leaders, attended the annual HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities) conference in San Diego, CA. The theme of the conference was “Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success: Rebuilding a More Resilient and Inclusive America”. Aligned with the mission of our Title V DHSI grant, Conocimiento Los Caminos (CLC), the team engaged in a series of workshops centering strategies and frameworks for transforming our institution to more intentionally serve our Latina, Latino, Latinx and low-income scholars.
Scholar leaders Grecia Barajas, Sarah Latino, Shelsea Reyes, and Sonja Garcia engaged in a series of professional development workshops focused on interview preparation, working through imposter syndrome, networking protips, and the power of showing up fully as our authentic selves in academic and professional spaces. “I really enjoyed was the Corteva agriscience imposter syndrome workshop because it gave me tips and insights on how to manage imposter syndrome and how to support people who may be experiencing it,” said Sonja Garcia.
BCC scholar leaders representing Puente, Undocumented Community Resource Center, and ASBCC programs took the opportunity to visit San Diego State University while attending the HACU Conference! The trip was led by CLC-Puente counselor Dri Regalado. Together they explored campus resources & intentional community spaces that celebrate, support, and advocate alongside BIPOC scholars! BCC scholar leaders Sonja, Sarah, Shelsea, & Grecia networked with folks in SDSU’s Center for Intercultural Relations, Latinx Resource Center, and EOP office.
BCC Student Artwork on Display at “Judge a Book by its Cover” Exhibition
On Wednesday, October 12, the Berkeley City College library hosted an exhibition of artwork featuring book jackets created by students in the Beginning and Intermediate Figure Drawing class. Students used free books provided by the library and gave them their own flare, drawing from inspiration for projects they may want to create in the future. Molly Anderson used the opportunity to create a cover for Vaulted Sky, a graphic novel they have been working on and hope to publish one day.
The library hosted a reception and provided drinks and snacks for attendees. The exhibit was made possible by a collaboration between Jenny Yap of the BCC Library and art faculty member Lisa Cralle. We thank them for providing students with the opportunity to exhibit their work!
BCC in the Community Spotlights BCC Returning Student & Local Entrepreneur
Berkeley City College’s “BCC in the Community” is about meeting students where they are. We visited student Carla Appleberry at her dance studio, Creations Berkeley. Appleberry is a Berkeley native and returning student to BCC who was inspired to enroll in BCC’s Multimedia Arts program to support her 8-year-old daughter in creating professional social media videos and promoting her business. “I took the class and I really figured it out. Love my classmates, love the program, and now I want to get the AA in multimedia and transfer to Berkeley for my master's,” said Appleberry. “I’m here to fulfill my dreams and move forward and bring the community along with me.” Appleberry is expecting to graduate from BCC in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024.
President Garcia presented her with a “BCC Welcome Bag” and was impressed with Appleberry’s entrepreneurial spirit. “It’s so exciting to see our students not only learning, but supporting others in the community in their work,” said President Garcia. “I love that she is using dance to support historically minoritized communities and those with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health issues.”
BCC Scholars Enjoy First Ever Society of Scholars Picnic
On Thursday, October 13, Berkeley City College hosted its first-ever Society of Scholars picnic at Ohlone Park in Berkeley. It was an opportunity for BCC’s API Lead, Umoja, Puente, Undocumented Community Resource Center, and Ignite communities to come together for games, dancing, and celebrating the power of community. Over 60 scholars attended.
We’d like to give a huge shout-out to our scholar leaders from across our Learning Communities for coming together to organize this beautiful event, as well as a huge shoutout to Associate Dean Martín De Mucha Flores for all the support to be able to bring these visions to life!
ESOL Dept. Co-Chair Gabriel Winer Recognized for ESOL Innovations
Berkeley City College’s ESOL Department Co-Chair Gabriel Winer was recently recognized for their work in implementing AB 705 to serve our ESOL students in an article published by the California Acceleration Project. The article focused on Winer’s success in creating a transfer-level English class using Socratic seminars to help students learn and practice the rhetorical moves, language, and norms of academic discussions. The class prepares students with practicing speaking and presenting in class with techniques that demystify class discussion language patterns and framing sentences to help structure and word their thoughts. “I am so grateful to work at BCC and to have the opportunity to participate in this work,” said Winer.
BCC Pachanga Closes Out Latinx Heritage Month with a BANG!
On Thursday, October 6, Berkeley City College took over “La Placita” (the corner of Center and Shattuck streets in downtown Berkeley) to host a Pachanga, closing out its Latinx Heritage Month. The event focused on outreach to the community and especially reaching Berkeley High School, being scheduled during lunch hour. Staff members with Puente, EOPS, Counseling, and other areas of BCC tabled the event and provided information about opportunities at BCC. Peralta Trustee Dyana Delfín Polk also arrived to show support! Community members who participated in the BINGO game by following BCC on our social media accounts and visiting the resource fair tables received a free lunch from Tacos Sinaloa. DJ Ome provided lively music and MCed the event. We thank our partners at the Downtown Berkeley Association, First Floor Group, Tacos Sinaloa, and the Berkeley community at large for making this possible.
President’s Message: Celebrating Filipino American History Month
October marks Filipino American History Month, celebrating the history and contributions of Filipino Americans in American history. The month of October was chosen by the Filipino American National Historical Society to commemorate the first recorded landing of Filipino peoples in 1587 at Morro Bay, California, beginning a long and remarkable legacy in the state.
Filipino Americans were central to the labor movement of the United Farm Workers. In the 1920s and 30s, Filipino immigrants settled on the central coast of California and predominantly worked in the fields near Watsonville. Over the course of the 30s through the 50s, Filipino farm workers successfully organized strikes and formed unions to increase wages and the quality of working conditions. Their organization culminated when the Filipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee under the leadership of Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz formed an alliance with the National Farmworkers Association led by Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and others in a five-year strike against the Delano grape growers. The groups would eventually merge to form the United Farm Workers, reaching collective bargaining agreements with the grape growers and improving the lives of thousands of farm workers. I have shared my experience as a native of the Central Valley and the impact of the interconnectedness of the Filipino community and the Latino community in organizing for farmworkers’ rights. The reverberations of the movement are still felt to this day.
The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) has a massive representation across California, and multiple chapters right here in the Bay Area. The FANHS Museum is located in Stockton, California, only a few hours' commute from the Bay Area, and contains a wealth of information about Filipino American business, entertainment, and labor history. My knowledge and connection to the FANHS Museum are rooted in relationships with colleagues and friends at San Francisco State University. Dr. Dawn Bohulano Mabalon was a fierce scholar and activist for Filipino American and Ethnic Studies. She died on August 10, 2018 and is remembered for her research and for leading cultural immersion experiences at the FANHS Museum for students and educators. Attached to this communication is an article by authors and co-founders of the Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP), which is rooted in Filipino cultures and has knowledge as a foundation for creating critical educators. My personal and professional lens has been forever impacted by these amazing scholar-practitioners and I am proud to share their work with our BCC community.
Here at Berkeley City College, I am proud of our Filipino American representation on campus and the continued support we will offer as a recent recipient of the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) grant. I am excited about the opportunity to better serve our AAPI and APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) communities with the additional resources provided by this grant. The funding will enable enhanced mental health services, academic, and student support services for AAPI/APIDA students, which includes immigrant students, first-generation college students, and English Language learners. As we move toward implementing these improvements, it is our promise we will do so in a way that is culturally grounded and speaks directly to the community we serve. We see you. We recognize you. We welcome you and will support you in achieving your goals.
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, October 25, 2022. To view it as a pdf, click here.
