OAKLAND, Calif., May 24, 2023 – Last night, the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dr. Denise Richardson to serve as Interim President of Berkeley City College effective July 1, 2023, and extending to June 30, 2024, or until a permanent president is hired. Dr. Richardson is currently 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.

The Peralta Association of African American Affairs (PAAAA) hosted a lovely event in honor of seven outstanding students on May 4th, 2023, at the Peralta Community College District headquarters in Oakland.  Dr. Lawrence VanHook (PAAAA President) led attendees through the program that included Libations by Dr. Marlon Hall (Laney College Vice President of Student Services) and a thrilling performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by Laney College student Alison Fletcher. 

BCC Multimedia Art students are holding an exhibition in the Jerry Adams Gallery titled “Rethink Your Drink”, displaying poster advertisements promoting water of sugary sweetened beverages. This art exhibit is sponsored by CHEI, a community grantee of Healthy Berkeley, a program of the City of Berkeley’s Public Health Division. Students Jerry Hsaio and Brian Travis Williams won awards for their pieces “Water Wins” and “Don’t Listen to the Devil.”

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 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.

On Wednesday, April 19, New York Times Best Selling Author Javier Zamora visited Berkeley City College to discuss his recent book Solito: A Memoir. The event was organized by the Berkeley City College Library in partnership with the Berkeley Public Library. The free, sold-out event filled the BCC Auditorium with over 200 people made up of BCC students, Berkeley High School students, and community members.

Berkeley City College hosted its first “Give a Dream, Make a Reality” event on Thursday, April 13th to support students with the Undocumented Community Resource Center. Donations collected from the event will go toward funding workforce development programs for undocumented scholars, emergency grants to assist with basic needs, and school supplies. Attendees included UCRC students, BCC faculty and staff, PCCD Board President Dyana Delfin Polk, and representatives of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce. Over 50% contributed by direct donation, check, or signing up for PCCD monthly salary contributions with the Peralta Foundation.

The Campaign for College Opportunity announced Berkeley City College is a 2023 Champion for Excelling in Equitable Course Placement, receiving awards for Campuswide English Enrollment, Latinx & Black English Enrollment and Black Math Success.

Give a Dream, Make a Reality for UCRC Scholars

Berkeley City College hosted its first “Give a Dream, Make a Reality” event on Thursday, April 13th to support students with the Undocumented Community Resource Center. Donations collected from the event will go toward funding workforce development programs for undocumented scholars, emergency grants to assist with basic needs, and school supplies. Attendees included UCRC students, BCC faculty and staff, PCCD Board President Dyana Delfin Polk, and representatives of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce. Over 50% contributed by direct donation, check, or signing up for PCCD monthly salary contributions with the Peralta Foundation.

OAKLAND, Calif., April 18, 2023 – Course registration fees are being waived for the Fall 2023 semester at all four of the colleges within the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) for a second year. Available to all California residents regardless of documented status, the fee waiver has no minimum course requirement.