Laney College Supports System-Impacted Students, Prospective Students with On-Campus Event

On Wednesday, Laney College’s state-renowned Restoring Our Communities Program (ROC) hosted a Clean Slate Clinic in the upper E-Quad on campus where our Learning Communities are located. This event is one of many derived from a partnership with the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office and was attended by roughly 30 people, both students, and future students, who learned about the College, the ROC program, and expungement opportunities.

The partnership to date has led to more the 200 conviction-record changes and the support from Laney College aligns with the tenets of the College’s Guided Pathways framework, specifically the pillars of clarifying student pathways of study, helping them onto the path, and supporting them while on that path.

The ROC program was established at Laney College in October 2016. The goal of ROC is to support and equip formerly incarcerated students to transcend reentry barriers, envision and implement their educational goals, make informed decisions, increase their self-determination, and create positive life outcomes for themselves, their families, and the broader community. The program would not be where it is now without the dedication and leadership of Roger Chung, Vincent Garrett, Cemone Harper, as well as Brendan Woods with the Public Defender’s Office and the County Board of Supervisors.

For more information about our ROC program please visit http://www.laney.edu/restoringourcommunities/

Laney College Counseling Supports Students with October Career Exploration Events

On October 11, 12, and 27, the Laney Counseling Department will host three Career and Major Exploration Workshops.

The College is particularly proud of its efforts as a result of the Statewide Program Mapper Project, which students access to learn about degree & certificate requirements, possible careers, and job market/salary information, but these events will also feature the College’s Superstrong Interest Assessment (https://vitanavis.com/laneycollege), affiliated with the Myers-Briggs company, as part of the workshops offered on these days.

The sessions will be in room A-105 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. on the 11th and 27^th, with a virtual version of the event being held on the 12^th, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Students and prospective students may contact Sarah Backes-Diaz at sbackesdiaz@peralta.edu or call the Counseling Department at (510) 464-3326. No registration is required, and everyone is welcome to show up on the day of the event.

Laney College Undocu-Student Resource Fair 10/20/22:

Laney will be holding its 5th annual Undocu-Student Resource in the quad from 12-2 p.m. on Thursday, October 20^th. As part of the October 17-21 statewide Undocumented Student Action Week led by the State Chancellor’s Office, this is a key event that will provide legal, health, mental health, and other services for our undocumented students, but more importantly, the event represents a celebration and welcoming of many students who define our community. Additionally, a number of other campus and community resources will be made available through tabling at the event, along with live music, food, and drinks.

Information about the resources and services Laney provides to undocumented students may be found at laney.edu/ucrc. Be sure to join us on the quad from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. on Thursday the 20^th.

Laney By The Numbers – Enrollment

As a proportion of our students, Black/African-American and Latinx populations increased by 2.9 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively, but those percentages only tell a small part of the story.

Fall 2022 enrollment numbers show a significant increase in student headcount compared to Fall 2021, with nearly 1300 more students enrolling this fall. Enrollment has increased among nearly all ethnic categories, however, we observed especially notable increases in our Black/African-American (524) and Latinx (500) populations. This means the following compared to a year ago:

• 33% more African American students
• 27% more students identifying 2 or more ethnicities
• 22% more LatinX students
• 9% more Asian students
• 8% more Pacific Islander students
• 15% more students at Laney
• 10% more FTES

Laney By The Numbers – Food Distribution

So far during Fall semester, the College has distributed an average of 374 meals per day to currently enrolled students. Since the effort began in 2020, the College has distributed the following to its students to address food insecurity:

• 108,772 total meals
• 26,663 produce boxes
• 8,816 take-home pantry boxes

Thank you as always to our partners with Oakland Rotary, pictured below participating in food Distribution efforts. Want to hear the story of food distribution efforts at Laney and all of the details? Listen to this 30-minute conversataion with Food Services Manager Neil Burmenko: https://www.kgpc969.org/the-presidents-desk/2022/9/14/the-presidents-desk-with-laney-president-dr-rudy-besikof

This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Rudy Besikof, Laney College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, October 11, 2022. To view it as a pdf, click here.