Mayor Ashcraft’s State of the City Outlook Is Optimistic
The Alameda Chamber and Economic Alliance hosted City officials for the Alameda State of the City 2023 aboard the USS Hornet on Thursday, March 30, 2023. College of Alameda and Peralta Community College District participants included PCCD Trustee Bill Withrow, Professor Andrew Park, Dean Eva Jennings, Director Stefanie Bradshaw, President’s Office Staff Services Specialist Chungwai Chum, and Acting President Dr. Diana Bajrami. Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft began her keynote address, to a packed house, extolling the City's many attractive attributes, including its natural beauty, panoramic views, inviting beaches, tree-lined walkable and bikeable streets, plentiful parks, distinctive downtown, and welcoming atmosphere. She also highlighted the Dignity Village project, a transitional housing development to house and support formerly homeless individuals, and a recent $12.3 million development grant. The Mayor lauded the City Council's support of local economic development, and recognition that several innovative businesses have recently moved to Alameda.
CoA California Guided Pathways Team Attends Statewide Conference
California Guided Pathways organized a conference with the theme of California Guided Pathways, from March 22, 2023, to March 24, 2023. President Dr. Diana Bajrami, Vice President of Instruction Maurice Jones, Vice President of Student Services Mildred Lewis, Counseling & Special Programs Dean Dr. Shalamon Duke, Classified Senate President Louie Martirez y McFarland, LRC Director Anna O'Neal, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Faculty/Co-chair Didem Ekici represented College of Alameda at the conference. The three-day conference focused on addressing obstacles to equitable practices in community colleges and developing strategies to promote student success and engagement. The event started with a student panel where students shared their concerns and insights on equity, and it continued with various panels, workshops, and college team strategy sessions that provided opportunities for participants to reflect on the things they learned during the sessions and develop strategies for their institutions for equitable practices.
College of Alameda Puente scholars Attend Puente Day
College of Alameda's Puente scholars attended Puente Day at the University of California (UC) Berkeley on March 23, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students received a warm welcome from Puente State Office Executive Director Julia Vergara and heard from a panel of current UC Berkeley students. Additionally, participants learned about financial aid opportunities at UC Berkeley and the transfer pathway. The conference ended with a lunchtime address from Constituent Services Representative for the Office of United States Senator Alex Padilla, Mr. Roberto Arteaga, and a tour of the UC Berkeley campus. Under the direction of Hispanic Serving Institution Grant ACCESO/Puente Programs Director Horacio Corona Lira, Puente Counselor Danna Chavez Baquero coordinated CoA's participation in this event.
ACCESO Program Concludes Its Spring Financial Literacy Series
The ACCESO Program kicked off its Financial Literacy Workshops series on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, with a workshop on personal finances. Participants learned the basics of managing a personal budget including ways to track money flow, how to categorize expenses, and the 50/30/20 rule. Additional workshops were held in March and April. The series concluded on April 12, 2023, with a workshop on Savings and Retirement. The ACCESO Financial Literacy Workshops focus on budgeting, investing, savings, and retirement, and are facilitated by Financial Coach Gavina Avila. ACCESO Financial Literacy Workshops are open to all students at the College of Alameda.
This article is an excerpt from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Diana Bajrami, College of Alameda Acting President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. To view it as a pdf, click here.