A New Internship Pilot Program Is Launching this Semester at CoA

CoA’s Internship Pilot Program is set to kick off this Fall 2023 Semester. The initiative marks a significant milestone for the College, as it is one of only two community colleges in the state of California participating in the Internship Pilot program to support the Learning Aligned Employment Plan (LAEP). This partnership not only benefits CoA students but also contributes to the growth of the local economy. 

The Pilot Program is designed to provide CoA students with valuable real-world work experience while fostering partnerships with local employers in the City of Alameda, including ABB Optical, the Alameda Chamber of Commerce, and the Alameda Post. Students participating in the program will dedicate 20 hours per week to their internships and will receive competitive compensation at a rate of $21 per hour for a total amount of $4,200. The inaugural cohort will accommodate up to nine students.

CoA is the only community college with an Internship Pilot Program that collaborates with a county-funded workforce development department and the CoA Career and Employment Center, to provide comprehensive support to students. The program aims to serve as a model for other community colleges with similar county-funded workforce development grants, showcasing how these services can be leveraged to support LAEP.

The College’s partnership with the Foundation for California Community Colleges has been instrumental in making this program possible. The Foundation will serve as the employer of record, hiring students as short-term employees, and handling payroll processes.

The LAEP Internship Pilot Program is being administered under the co-direction of Eva Denise Jennings, Dean of Career and Workforce Education, and Stefanie Bradshaw, Director of Workforce Systems. The program represents a significant step forward in the College’s commitment to providing students with practical, career-relevant experiences.

Dr. William Ramos Ochoa to Serve as Acting Dean of Liberal Studies and Language Arts

Dr. William Ramos Ochoa has been appointed as the Acting Dean of the College of Arts (CoA) with a focus on Liberal Studies and Language Arts (LSLA). Ochoa brings a wealth of experience in higher education, particularly in the realm of dual enrollment initiatives and dedicated service to underserved students. His journey in higher education began at Laney College, where he was a student himself. In 2020, he returned to Laney College as the director of the Gateway Program, a role dedicated to facilitating the transition of high school students into the college environment. In the interim period between his time as a student at Laney and his directorship of the Gateway Program, Dr. Ochoa earned both a Master of Arts and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Throughout his career, he has also served as an instructor and held various leadership positions in coordinating community college programs. Dr. Ramos Ochoa is a passionate and dedicated educator whose primary goal is to empower students to succeed in their educational journeys.

CoA Meets with the California Community Colleges Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Partnership Resource Team

Last year, the College of Alameda initiated a partnership with the California Community Colleges Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) Partnership Resource Team to enhance and improve the college's outcomes. IEPI plays a pivotal role by offering valuable technical assistance through its Partnership Resource Teams and facilitating participation in a "community of practice" among collaborating institutions.

On September 13, 2023, the College of Alameda convened with the Partnership Resource (PR) Team for the third time to evaluate progress on the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) Grant. During this meeting, CoA presented outcomes in three key areas of focus:

• Strategic Training: CoA has established an overarching strategic training framework under the Professional Development & Learning Center (PDLC).
• Equitable Student Access and Success – Efforts have been made to improve equitable student access and success while stabilizing enrollment.
• Fiscal Responsibility – The college continues to prioritize fiscal responsibility by leveraging resources and fostering a collaborative, solution-oriented mindset.

Significant progress has been achieved in each of these focus areas. The following are a few highlights that have been achieved:

Strategic Training

Throughout the Spring 2023 Semester and into the summer, CoA's Acting President, Dr. Bajrami, along with the executive team and the classified professionals' leadership team, collaborated to form the College's inaugural Classified Professional Development Committee. This committee is set to commence its work this semester, aiming to identify the professional development needs of classified professionals and secure funding for training, with completion anticipated by the end of the Fall 2023 Semester.

Equitable Student Access and Success

Responding to evolving enrollment trends, which demand a collaborative enrollment management approach, the College has established an Enrollment Management Taskforce, comprising classified professionals, faculty, and administrators. This task force commenced its work during the Spring 2023 Semester, with a primary focus on determining the appropriate class modality ratios and additional supports necessary for achieving positive enrollment outcomes. Moreover, it has been charged with building partnerships with the community and K-12 institutions to ensure seamless transitions from high school to college.

To raise awareness about dual enrollment opportunities for high school students and concurrent enrollment, the College hosted a Community Night event, inviting families from underserved communities for FAFSA application support. Additionally, a series of Free Enrollment Festivals were organized for families and the community before the Fall 2023 Semester. The Enrollment Management Taskforce, representing classified professionals, faculty, and administrators, will play a pivotal role in analyzing enrollment data and providing recommendations for the development of class schedules. This includes identifying the proper class modality ratio and necessary additional support. The committee will also assess the college's performance related to fall enrollment and engagement with special student populations from the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

CoA has implemented a comprehensive college-wide communication and outreach calendar and strategies to promote awareness of course offerings and degree/certificate programs. The college is now utilizing targeted marketing for cohort and course modalities, including in-person and online courses. A revamped website, directing students to the new and effective "Enroll Now @ COA" webpage (alameda.edu/enroll), has been put in place. Collaboration with the district marketing team for inter-college communication is underway to enhance marketing efforts.

Fiscal Responsibility

To ensure the highest standards of fiscal responsibility, the College conducted a fiscal professional development workshop for administrators and classified staff. This two-part training series held in Spring Semester 2023 addressed the needs of classified professionals and administrators, focusing on various topics, such as chart of accounts, budget setup, procurement, SCFF calculation, accounts payable, project expense, categorical funds, quarterly categorical reporting, leave banking, enrollment revenues, 50% law calculation, accounts receivable calculation, compliance, and internal controls.

For more information about the California Community Colleges Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative, please visit: IEPI Information

CoA Receives $1.5 Million Rising Scholars Juvenile Justice Grant

The College of Alameda is the recipient of a Rising Scholars Juvenile Justice Grant offered by the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO). The grant award is $1.5M for five years. The grant was co-led and co-written by Dr. Shalamon Duke, Dean of Counseling and Special Programs, and Stefanie Bradshaw, Director of Workforce Systems.

For this grant, the College partnered with the local juvenile hall in San Leandro to provide transitional age youth (TAY), ages 18-25, with education and workforce services while detained and post-release. The College of Alameda Rising Scholars Juvenile Justice Grant Project is slated to begin in Spring 2024.

Project Focus:

• Provide an inter-generational holistic service delivery model for Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) and their families through access to education, certification attainment, and free career services.
• Leveraging the existing partnership between CoA and the Alameda County Workforce Development Board Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant, which currently serves justice-impacted residents within Alameda County with free career services.
• Partnering with Laney Restoring Our Communities (ROC) program to leverage the existing work Laney does inside juvenile hall to avoid duplication of services.

*The state will provide CoA with an official grant award letter once the awardees go to the CCCCO Board meeting on September 25, 2023.

Welcome Week Pancakes with the President & Fiesta Lunch with Faculty

Tasty Tuesday

During Welcome Week on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, the College of Alameda Basic Needs Center kicked off the semester by welcoming everyone back to campus with hot dogs from local Alameda vendor The Pampered Pup. In addition to serving lunch, students were greeted with a continental breakfast, including coffee, orange juice, and fresh pastries. The Basic Needs Center has unveiled its rebranding for its programs and services. In addition to Tasty Tuesday, The Market provides fresh produce on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Additionally, The Market is CoA's official student pantry, providing shelf-stable food products and personal care items. Dates for upcoming Markets will be posted on the CoA website calendar. A new endeavor, The Boutique, will be launched this semester offering gently used clothing items available to students on a first come, first served basis.

Pancakes with the President and Fiesta with the Faculty

On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, Dr. Diana Bajrami, Acting President, welcomed and served scores of pancakes, breakfast burritos, fresh fruit, and an assortment of beverage options during the second annual Pancakes with the President event. Students had the opportunity to meet the President, Interim Vice President of Instruction Maurice Jones, and other faculty, staff, and administrators.

On Thursday, August 24, 2023, faculty members hosted a delicious free Fiesta Lunch for students. Students were warmly welcomed and enjoyed the fun and informal opportunity to meet their professors.

CoA Holds an In-Person ESOL Orientation

College of Alameda hosted a two-hour English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Student Orientation on Thursday, August 31, 2023. The event included free lunch and prizes, and was organized by ESOL Faculty-Department Co-chair Dr. Didem Ekici and ESOL faculty members. At the orientation, approximately 80 ESOL students learned about various student services, academic integrity, credit and non-credit course options, and modality of classes, including in-person, Hy-Flex, and online.

Additional College faculty and staff also presented at the event on a variety of topics, including:

• Health & Wellness Services: Lisa Sawadago and Team
• ACCESO: Paul Gonzalez
• SALAAM: Fathia Mohamed
• EOPS: Fathia Mohamed, and
• College Administration.

CoA Fall Cohorts Kick Off with 14-Week Classes on September 11^th

CoA students can earn full-term course credit by enrolling in a 14-, 10-, or 8-week session. Classes are offered in-person, Hy-Flex, and online.

For information on 14-week classes: https://alameda.edu/14-week/

For information on 10-week classes: https://alameda.edu/10-week/

For information on 8-week classes: https://alameda.edu/8-week/

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, September 26, 2023. To view it as a PDF, click here.