The Peralta Colleges are often mentioned in news media outlets. Recently, our colleges have seen a lot of positive press from national news outlets, such as when Dr. Angélica Garcia was appointed to a presidential committee including celebrities resulting in the mention of Berkeley City College in publications ranging from InStyle (12 Million readers) to Telemundo Puerto Rico (471 Thousand readers). Here are a few other recent news items mentioning our colleges.
Merritt College Selected to Participate in Leading From the Middle (LFM) Academies
The RP Group and the State Chancellor’s Office have joined forces to develop Leading From the Middle (LFM) Academies to provide college stakeholders an opportunity to delve into relevant research and develop new ways to lead. Using themes from the Merritt College equity plan (and at the suggestion of faculty member Lowell Bennett), VPI Denise Richardson submitted an application on behalf of Merritt College. On April 28, we were notified that Merritt was selected.
Laney College Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Increasing Number
As Laney College closes 2022-23, it does so providing nearly double the disability accommodations that it did five years ago. In the last 4 years, Student Accessibility Services (SAS) has met more student needs by doubling its staff, creating outreach with external groups, creating certificates for students with disabilities, and opening a Test Proctoring room. The work has been a team effort from the Assistive Technology Specialist to the Test Proctor, the Staff Assistant, and counselors under the leadership of faculty coordinator, Dr. Nathan Failing, Dean Diane Chang, and Vice President Marlon Hall.
President’s Roundtable Meets for First Time Since Pandemic
The College of Alameda President’s Roundtable held its first post-pandemic breakfast meeting on April 19, 2023, at the College’s Liberal Arts Center Conference Room. The Roundtable was formed in 2015 to include key individuals from business, industry, government, education, and the philanthropic sector who would serve as the College’s strategic advisors and play an important role in helping ensure the success of College programs and students. Roundtable Members also participated in the virtual College’s 50th Anniversary Online Gala in 2020. The last time that the Roundtable met in person was in October 2019.
AAPI Heritage Month Celebrations and Events at BCC
May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. To mark the occasion, students with Berkeley City College’s AAPI LEAD club covered BCC’s campus with information flyers highlighting AAPI trailblazers and heroes including Chinese American Labor Organizer Sue Ko Lee and former US Congress Rep. Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink. Other flyers display flags of Asian cultures sharing facts about the many diverse countries that make up the region.
The Laney College Women's Track & Field team began championship season this past week, flocking to the podium and walking away with 4 medals. With the conclusion of the Coast Conference Championship, the Eagles are now headed to the NorCal Championship at Yuba Community College.
The Northern California Championship Trials are in the books and Merritt College Track and Field is moving on to the NorCal finals this coming Friday with strong showings across the board. Both the 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay teams advanced to the final 9 which is always nerve-racking and satisfying because the precision and teamwork of the relays often impacts all the rest of the individual performances (dramatic videos below).
On Saturday, April 29th, Laney College hosted its Annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Open House. We had 437 potential students, parents, and community partners visiting our campus. In addition, 14 industry and community partners, including labor unions, tabled to demonstrate the pathway of how our certificates and degrees lead to fulfilling careers. With about 100 Laney College employees supporting the event, students were able to register on the spot. Over the weekend, we gained 122 new students and 236 seat enrollments for the Fall 2023 semester. We also gained 114 new students and 151 seat enrollments for the Summer 2023 session.
The Peralta Community College District is proud to celebrate the granting of tenure to seven members of our faculty by the Board of Trustees in March, with tenure taking effect with the 2023-24 academic year. These seven join the ranks of tenured faculty at our four colleges, adding ever more experience and talent to the core of our distinguished faculty, the foundation of our ability to help our students reach their educational goals. Congratulations to all for earning this distinction and for your dedication to our students.
To view all the photos taken during the event, click here.
Yemisi C. Obalade Jr. tells a personal story of success and accomplishment:
“I wear many hats here on Laney’s campus. For Instance, I am vice president of Laney’s Black Student Union, one of the Senators for the ASLC (Associated Students of Laney College), and an intern at Laney’s Athletics as a student trainer. I am also a part of Umoja-Ubaka, a learning community, where I've got many opportunities, one of them being a participant of the Huston-Tillotson University recruiting visit to Laney.
