Phi Theta Kappa Honors Laney College Student

On Thursday, March 23, the College community was warmed with the news that student Nicholas Rothman was one of the select 75 honorees in the state to receive a Phi Theta Kappa California Community College award. These awards are made by the Community College League, honoring students who “have persevered and excelled in their college efforts and deserve recognition for their achievements.” We congratulate Nicholas, who among other honors will be featured in a statewide yearbook that features all winners. Laney is proud! 

Laney Faculty Member Admitted to Doctoral Leadership Program

The College is pleased to share the news that Professor Dana Grisby has been accepted to Fresno State’s Online Educational Leadership Program, efforts for which she will be earning her Doctor of Education Degree.

Professor Grisby joined the College in 2018 and fully embraced the role of a full-time community college faculty member in ways that set standards for her colleagues. Having earned tenure status last year, she now leads the Ethnic Studies Department as its Chair and serves on the Laney College Faculty Senate, placing her at the heart of leadership at Laney College and its participatory governance structure. This comes as no surprise, as she took initiative from the beginning with efforts such as curriculum development and program review efforts for her department. Outside her role as teacher, from 2016-2017, Dana has published scholarly work, taken on fellowships, served as a visiting lecture, and contributed to the Ethnic Studies/African American Studies curriculum here at Laney College. Considering the question of what embodies an educator, one need not look any further than Dana Grisby.

Midsemester Flex Brings Laney Employees Together

Laney FLEX Day was one that featured collaboration, learning, and renewal. March 14 opened with a breakfast by Laney Food Services and the tone was set from the beginning, with classified professionals, faculty and administrators offering thanks to each other for working together to plan the entire day. Additionally, District FLEX Coordinator Inger Stark was thanked, and Classified leaders Hope Lane and Katrina Santos shared news of Laney’s commitment to be part of the Caring Campus Classified Professional Development, an initiative sponsored by the State Chancellor’s Office. Photos below also feature updates from President Rudy and Director Amy Marshall, along with a lecture offered by Geography Professor Mark Rauzon and a campus-wide hip-hop dance session.

At midday, a delicious lunch prepared by Laney’s Food Services team was served at the Bistro by college administrators.

Thanks to the many colleagues who came together and made the day one that was focused on student success and the support of fellow employees and their workplace growth efforts.

Laney Student Government Holds International Food Fair

The Associated Students of Laney College (ASLC) hosted a March 22 Food Fair on the Quad, which was a big hit. A lot of students came out and ate a great assortment of delicious African food, pizza, churros, and more. The purpose of the event, besides this digestive venture, was to provide students the opportunity to explore the equally diverse range of student clubs Laney College has to offer. Students or community members wanting more information about student life should please contact laneyaslcvp@peralta.edu. Look out for more upcoming events from ASLC!

Laney Staff & Faculty Volunteer at Pantry

Last week Laney employees kicked off a volunteer pantry campaign with Laney staff, administration, and faculty putting forth additional hours to support the College’s food distribution efforts (Pictured above are Becky Opsata and Shanice Millican.). With the high volume of students, staff gave some of their time to serve lunch and pantry items Laney staff, each in an hour-long shift. As these efforts evolve, staff will work to streamline the process for students to pick up lunch and pantry items in less time. Employees and community volunteers wishing to participate should contact Food Services Manager Neil Burmenko at nburmenko@peralta.edu.

Joint African American Male Achievement Program (AAMAP) Program Brings Laney, OUSD, Future Collegians Together

Through a partnership between Laney Employment Services, Athletics, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, along with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), 80 high and middle school students who are part of the AAMAP. They came from four different OUSD schools and benefited on March 24 from a day-long introduction to College and the Laney experience. Schools that participated were Oakland Tech, Skyline High School, Claremont Middle School, and Montera Middle Schools, not only the students but also the OUSD educators that were part of the effort to arrange this peek at these young men’s educational futures.

Their day was kicked off by welcomes from President Besikof and Deans Gary Albury and Alejandria Tomas, but the day was then kicked into high gear, as all received a stirring pep talk from Laney Professor and Football Defensive Coordinator Josh Ramos. Then, these future Laney students visited a number of CTE departments/learning spaces before being treated to lunch. Having heard about how Laney makes students part of the campus community, the AAMAP Students had direct engagement with college learning community offices, including the Veterans Center, Umoja/Ubaka, Restoring our Communities, the Black Student Union, SOAR, and Financial Aid.

As if that was not engagement enough, the group heard from community and industry partners, as the College welcomed the Oakland Fire Department, Tesla, and East Bay MUD to present, with engagement including opportunities for all participants to start a new TESLA. To end the day, each school attended 20-minute breakout sessions with Laney Counseling, East Bay MUD, Tesla, and Oakland Fire.

Laney appreciates Raya Zion, Dean Ally Thomas, Gary Albury, Dr. Marlon Hall, Coach Josh Ramos, Jean Carey and the Laney Veterans center (co-sponsors), Charles Bradford and the folks at the Welcome Center, Laney Athletics, Doug Cobb, Umoja Ubaka, the Black Student Union, SOAR, ROC, Financial Aid, ASLC, Laney's Facilities, Amy Marshall and all the wonderful departments who opened up their classrooms for the visiting students.

Laney CTE Again Spotlights Women in the Trades

College Career and Technical Education Programs continue with events on campus, holding its annual Women in the Trades event in March 2023. The panel consisted of women leaders from Eco Performance Builders, Lawrence Livermore Labs, CPI Communication, and alumni who studied Carpentry at Laney.

As with so many events on the Laney Quad, the event was well attended, with over 60 students and community members on hand. As the College gears up for the April 29 Open House that will be held in the very same venue, it appreciates all who planned and work to make students and the community see the values of programs that land Laney students in viable, profitable careers that have possibilities for advancement and professional enrichment.

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, March 28, 2023. To view it as a pdf, click here