In this President's Report

Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) Has Reopened for In-Person Instruction

College of Alameda Art Students are Creating Meaningful Art Inspired by the Pandemic

College of Alameda Kudos

$3,800 in Food Grants Have Been Distributed this Semester at CoA

College of Alameda Financial Literacy Workshop Series Event Will Be Held on May 6

COA Strategic Enrollment Management Update

Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) Has Reopened for In-Person Instruction

On April 19, 2021, ASTI reopened its doors on the College of Alameda campus for the first time in over a year. ASTI Principal Tracy Corbally held a Town Hall meeting earlier in April, briefing faculty, staff, and families on new procedures, safety considerations, guidelines, and protocols for a safe return to campus instruction. 

Principal Corbally remains enthusiastic about the return to in-person instruction. “We are very excited to have this smaller number of students return, and we hope that for the upcoming fall the public health setting is such that we can have plans and a program in place for even more!”

All ASTI staff are returning to campus, along with approximately 30% of the 9th and 10th grade classes. According to Principal Corbally, the 9th and 10th graders will participate in a hybrid program that includes a mix of Zoom synchronous learning with their classmates, who will remain online, combined with additional in-person instruction on campus three days per week. Since ASTI 11th and 12th graders are exclusively enrolled in CoA online college classes, they will remain 100% online with other college students.

Individual safety protocols will be in place including mask wearing, social distancing, hand sanitizing, and screening for signs of illness before entering classrooms.

In order to provide a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff, ASTI has made significant improvements to their mechanical ventilation systems. These changes include:

• Increased outside air ventilation, where possible;
• Modified HVAC equipment to increase air changes per hour;
• Installation of MERV-13 air filters in the HVAC system, where applicable; and
• Installation of Portable Air Purifiers with HEPA filters.

Principal Corbally wants the greater community to be aware that ASTI students are returning to campus and she also encourages drivers to watch out for students walking and riding to, from, and across the CoA campus.

College of Alameda Art Students are Creating Meaningful Art Inspired by the Pandemic

CoA Art Instructor Drew Burgess is inspired by his students’ dedication and creativity as they continue to make art in a remote learning environment. He reports that during the pandemic the College of Alameda Art Department has moved forward with a full range of classes, including Art History, Drawing, Painting (Oils/Acrylics), and Watercolor.

Rising to the occasion, his students have been creating meaningful works of Art. Even while sheltering in place, one student in particular has found inspiration looking out of her apartment window. CoA student Ms. Shanna Gerlach’s drawings are great examples of our students’ determination to embrace the challenges of online learning with the breath of life.

Ms. Gerlach submitted the following discussion statement in Canvas for the assignment:

“Here's my ink drawing of the view from the top of my apartment building's fire escape, with a few process photos. I had a lot of fun with this one, and did it over three different days, sitting in the same spot. I started with some really general sketching of the basic shapes with pencil but didn't use a ruler because I wanted it to stay loose and look fresh and in the moment. Then I went in with my 0.5 Micron pen and did the basic building outlines, then did the details one building at a time, just based on what I felt like drawing and moved around when I got bored. The last thing I did was the tree because I was kind of nervous about how it would turn out, since it takes up so much of the page. It was tough and I think the shading didn't turn out super great, so I'll have to work on trees more. The crane moved before the day that I finished it up, so I decided to just draw over it, with the crane at the new angle.”

College of Alameda Kudos

English Professor and Author Wanda Sabir’s evocative poem “Night Rain for Brianna” was selected as the poem of the day by the San Francisco Public Library. Professor Sabir also serves as an arts and culture editor for the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper.

$3,800 in Food Grants Have Been Distributed this Semester at CoA

Distribution of Emergency Food Grants in the form of $100 Safeway gift cards began on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Thirty-eight eligible applicants have picked up their award out of those who were eligible. Eligible applicants were notified and asked to confirm a pickup time via email.

College of Alameda Financial Literacy Workshop Series Event Will Be Held on May 6

CoA's Umoja program in collaboration with the CoA's ACCESO program is offering for free the Money Matters: Financial Literacy Workshop Series.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Matthews Financial and Insurance Solutions Jason Matthews is presenting the virtual workshops (on Zoom) aimed at introducing and familiarizing students with budgeting, saving, credit, building and repairing credit, and investing. The final workshop,

Investing for Beginners: Myths and Misconceptions, Value in Investing, Starting Now, will take place on Thursday, May 6, 2021, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Registration is in advance.

COA Strategic Enrollment Management Update

CoA is ramping up for a major outreach campaign that will include:

• A new Student-Centered Services Campaign, including a website redesign, call center, targeted advertising and outreach, and a virtual enrollment Hub;
• Expanded student support services: 24/7 counseling and financial aid chat service, Chromebooks, calculators, lab kits, and curbside library pickup;
• New Dual Enrollment Partnerships for late Spring 2021 and AY 2021-22; and
• Increased Spring 21 Intersession & late start course offering (est. 150 FTES additional).

This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Nathaniel Jones III, College of Alameda President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.