Merritt College Makes Presentation at (CAPED) Conference

Earlier this month, Frances Moy—our Student Accessibility Services Coordinator—had the opportunity to present at the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability (CAPED) state-wide annual conference. In collaboration with her Laney College colleague Nate Failing, their presentation focused on a new partnership between the Clausen House, Oakland Unified School District’s Young Adult Program, and the Merritt and Laney SAS programs.

Eagles Nest-Basic Needs Center Distributes Clothing to Needy Students

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the Laney College Eagles Nest – serving as the Student Basic Needs Center - held a clothing pop-up on the Laney College quad. In total, 78 students received items to address insecurities and help them as they navigate the challenges of the Fall semester. This took place on a Wednesday, the same day that take-home food boxes (complete with protein items) are provided to currently enrolled students who show a valid student ID. Billed as a “pop-up”, the event was widely announced thanks to the great social media acumen of Basic Needs Coordinator Katrina Santos.

College of Alameda to Host CATESOL Conference and You’re Invited!

College of Alameda has been selected as the host institution for the upcoming California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL) State Conference 2023, themed “Breaking New Ground.” The conference is scheduled to be held from October 26 to 28, 2023, at the College's Liberal Arts Center. This marks a significant milestone as CoA becomes the first academic institution to host the CATESOL Conference.

Advocacy and Awareness at Undocumented Student Action Week

Berkeley City College celebrated the 7th annual Undocumented Student Action Week with a series of events organized by BCC’s Undocumented Community Resource Center in collaboration with community partners at E14 Gallery, Immigrant Legal Defense, and Freight & Salvage. The events were designed to promote awareness and solidarity with undocumented students and the broader community.

The Citizen, available online at www.peraltacitizen.com, is the student-run publication of the Peralta Community College District. This article comes from Eleni Gastis, advisor to The Citizen and the Journalism Department Chair at Laney College. Thank you, Professor Gastis, and congratulations to you and the student journalists who earned this well-deserved recognition.

Dear PCCD Colleagues,

Public forums for the finalists for PCCD Chancellor are scheduled for next Wednesday, October 25, as detailed below and on the PCCD Chancellor Search website. My colleagues and I on the Board of Trustees encourage you to participate in the forums to hear directly from candidates about their preparation and vision for leading our District. We look forward to reviewing your feedback as part of our process.

With the support of the Aspira Project/HSI Title V Grant, Merritt College will be sending five individuals to the upcoming Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) Annual Conference. The conference will take place from October 28th through October 30^th, and will be held in Chicago, Illinois.

As you have likely heard and seen on the news, the conflict in the Middle East has led to horrific acts of violence and violations of human rights. We are shocked by and condemn the acts of violence occurring in the region.

Dear PCCD Colleagues,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the Screening Committee has forwarded four finalists to the Board of Trustees for consideration as our next Peralta Community College District Chancellor. The finalists are listed in alphabetical order below, and you may access information about them on the PCCD website.

OAKLAND, Calif., October 10, 2023 – During the regular Peralta Community College District (PCCD) Board of Trustees meeting this evening, Dr. Ronald McKinley, Interim Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Employee Relations for the district, announced the appointment of Dr. Denise Richardson to serve as the permanent President of Berkeley City College (BCC). She has been working as Interim President at BCC since July 1, 2023. Previously, Dr. Richardson was the Vice President of Instruction at Merritt College, a role she began in March 2020. She has been an employee of the district for over 20 years, starting as a faculty member at Laney College in 2001.