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.

Berkeley City College Awarded Second Hispanic Serving Institution Grant

We are excited to announce that Berkeley City College has been awarded a Title V Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grant from the Department of Education to continue advancing the educational attainment of Latino students and low-income students. Building on the work of Conocimiento Los Caminos -BCC’s original five-year Title V Developing HSI grant awarded in 2020- the Adelante Project will increase the number of students earning certificates and attaining postsecondary degrees.

Student Stories: BCC Poetry Student’s Short Story Memoir Published

Presidential Finalists Meet with BCC Community at Public Forum

Berkeley City College and the Peralta Community College District hosted a Public Forum for three finalists selected to serve as the next President of Berkeley City College. The three finalists for consideration are Dr. Denise Richardson, Dr. John al-Amin, and Dr. Rafe Trickey, Jr.

Welcome Week Opens BCC’s Fall 2023 Semester

Berkeley City College kicked off the first week of the Fall Semester with Welcome Week activities to help students feel at home. Activities included free coffee and pastries on Monday, a very popular Boba Tuesday, a campus resource fair where students met with a host of student services and pizza on Wednesday, and a Latinx Bienvenida event with music and burritos on Thursday organized by Conocimiento Los Caminos HSI grant and the Undocumented Community Resource Center.

Fall is Free in 2023 and the semester kicked off on August 21, 2023. Welcome Week at the Peralta Colleges marks the beginning of a fresh adventure for both new and returning students.  Each College was bustling with events tailored to welcome incoming students into our tight-knit community. From Ice Cream Socials at Merritt to Pancakes with the President at COA, and from the Campus Resource Fair at BCC to a Block Party at Laney,  it is safe to say that Welcome Week was a great success!

BCC NOVA Scholars Summer Program Gallery Walk

On July 13th, 2023, the NOVA & RISE team hosted a Gallery Walk in celebration of scholars in our fourth cohort of NOVA, which stands for Networking, Opportunities, Vision, & Action. NOVA is a dual enrollment pathway program, co-taught by Skyler Barton and Dri Regalado, designed to support Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) rising 9th graders with their transition into high school.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Amy Lee (she/her), who was recently selected to be Dean of Enrollment Services for Berkeley City College. Dr. Lee has 20 years of experience working in educational institutions including K-12, higher education, and non-profit spaces. Dr. Lee joins us from our sister campus at College of Alameda, where she served as Dean of Enrollment Services since 2013. Dr. Lee believes education is transformative; her passion for educational access, equity, and success is grounded by her experience as a first-generation college student from a low-income, immigrant family.

Berkeley City College Partners with PrepresentEd

This year Berkeley City College has been partnering with RepresentEd Leadership, a workforce development organization connecting underrepresented students and professionals with equity-minded companies. The Level UP Program is part of a dynamic set of career development offerings for BCC students.

Berkeley City College is pleased to welcome Ernesto Nery as Financial Aid Director. As a multiracial, first-generation college student, Ernesto was once called El Desvalido (“The Underdog”) because he struggled with speaking. He had difficulty connecting the words in his head to have a conversation, reading, and writing. As a result, he had a fear of speaking. Ernesto used this as a tool of empowerment and an opportunity to learn. The challenges he faced early in life enabled him to set a high standard for himself, particularly when it came to career aspirations.