Merritt College Employees and Students Attend Conferences
Two weeks ago, two different groups from Merritt had the opportunity to attend the conferences that empowered and inspired them. On Wednesday, November 3, five employees attended the first California Community Colleges Organization de Latinx Empowerment, Guidance, and Advocacy for Success (COLEGAS) Annual Conference in Long Beach.
The conference had representation from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Washington, the State Chancellor's Office, and the Community College system Latinx leaders and staff from across the state. The workshops focused on Race Consciousness, Hispanic Serving Institutions, UndocuAllies, Social Justice, Anti-Racism, and more. Every aspect of the conference was intentional, providing people the opportunity to share best practices, expand their professional networks, uplift and validate each other, and support student advocacy work at all colleges.
Merritt College Students Attend State Umoja Conference
The Statewide Umoja Conference commenced on Thursday, November 4, in Anaheim, with our Sankofa Program sending a delegation of three to the event. The conference provided the opportunity for students to examine, explore, reflect, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse traditions of Black identities and culture in the United States. The keynote speaker was Symone D. Sanders-Townsend, who served as national press secretary for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign, and later as chief spokesperson and a senior advisor for Vice President Kamala Harris after the 2020 presidential election. Our students came away with several keys to becoming advocates for change, taking to heart the exhortation for them to be willing to “stand in the gap, confront adversaries when necessary, and be unafraid to take risks. Coordinator Tauheeda Anderson shared that she was particularly impressed with the “intentionality of the conference and the emphasis on collaboration with our Latinx brothers and sisters.”
Partnership Resource Team Held Second Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Visit
On Tuesday, November 8, Merritt College welcomed the Partnership Resource Team (PRT) for its second Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) visit. As Merritt continues to focus on bolstering the leadership skills and expanding the professional expertise of our Classified Professional Staff Members, the college met with the PRT to discuss optimal strategies (from a Menu of Options they developed from our earlier feedback) to help reach our collective goals. Approaches considered included creating an independent Classified Professional Development Committee to plan events and activities, as well as developing a professional development website to serve as a primary repository for information on programming and training. The next step is convening the work of our Drafting Group to create Merritt’s Innovation and Effectiveness Plan. Merritt looks forward to sharing our progress soon.
Merritt Chemistry Instructor Elected to Berkeley School Board
Merritt College congratulates Dr. Jennifer Shanoski for her election to the Berkeley School Board! You may know her as a chemistry instructor at Merritt or as PFT President, but you can now add the title of elected official to her name. When asked why she wanted to pursue this office, Jennifer shared, “I am running for Berkeley School Board because I am passionate about public education and community service. I feel so fortunate that my kids have the stability and strength of Berkeley’s schools and I want to ensure that our schools remain effective, inclusive, diverse, and dynamic.” Well done, Jennifer! The Merritt community wished you great success and we know that you will bring great passion and commitment to your new post!
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, November 15, 2022. To view it as a PDF, click here.
