Merritt College: Spring 2022
Merritt College appreciates everyone who has demonstrated a genuine commitment to heading into the Spring 2022 academic term with a renewed sense of hope and purpose. The Merritt community is all well-aware of the challenges that everyone continues to face, so please know that the dedication, circumspection, and sacrifice that Merritt faculty, staff, and administrators are bringing to bear on behalf of our students and each other does not go unnoticed.
With that said, I want to start by sharing with you some of the positive and exciting things that have transpired in the past few weeks.
Merritt College Serves Local High School Students
On Friday, December 17, Tauheeda Anderson, who serves as the Project Manager for Merritt College’s Umoja Sankofa Program, took the opportunity to connect with the faculty, staff, and students at Castlemont High School in East Oakland. In addition to distributing PPE, “Merritt Swag Bags,” and apprising everyone of the resources and support available to students participating in Sankofa (counseling, book vouchers, financial support, etc.), Ms. Anderson was addressed the questions students had about our many academic programs. Based upon the feedback she received, the Castlemont students were most interested in Merritt College’s Allied Health Programs (particularly radiologic science, EMT, and nursing). What was most exciting, however, is that we were able to get a commitment from the Castlemont coaches that they would constitute a cohort of dual-enrolled student-athletes to pursue a pathway in the health sciences starting next fall semester.
Merritt College Partners Contributes to Howard University Report
Merritt was one of four institutions credited with contributing to a report published by the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center at Howard University. Titled, Engaging College Students in 21st Century Law Enforcement, and funded by the Community Policing Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the report identified best strategies for incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion approaches to transform recruitment policies for law enforcement agencies. Given the reputation of our Administration of Justice program, and the reach of our faculty (particularly that of our recently retired department chair Ms. Margaret Dixon), Merritt College was asked to convene student focus groups to talk about student perceptions of policing, police-community relationships, and law enforcement careers. The final report detailed the focus group findings and summarized students’ suggestions for mending and strengthening police-community relations and recruiting young people (particularly students of color) to professions in law enforcement. Our contribution to this effort was summed up by the Director of the Public Policy Center in this way: “Without the participation of the focus group volunteers from Merritt College, we would not have been able to conduct this critical study.”
Merritt College Welcomes New Staff and Faculty
The Merritt community offers a warm welcome to some of the folks who are new to the college family (or new to their positions)!
Maria Valencia, Admissions & Records Clerk
Stephanie Le, Financial Aid Specialist
Joan Pinkney, Staff Asst/Business Office
Pheng Kim, Custodian
Stefani DeVito, Health Services Coordinator
Kevin Sibucao, Chemistry Instructor
Merritt College looks forward to you doing amazing things for this college and the Peralta District!
This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. David M. Johnson, Merritt College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. To view as a pdf click here.
