On the weekend of October 22-24, 2021, Merritt College and the Oakland community celebrated Dr. Huey P. Newton and the the 55th anniversary of the Black Panther Party . Dr. Newton, who along with Bobby Seale co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966, was honored with the unveiling of a bronze bust statue, on Sunday, October 24th, at the intersection of Mandela Parkway and Dr. Huey P. Newton Way...the place where the leader took his last breath.
The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 for another productive meeting. Meeting highlights included a deep dive into how the Peralta Colleges are spending federal relief funds, a preview of the Functional Maps that articulate the division of labor between the District and the Colleges, and a contract extension to keep Dr. Jannett N. Jackson as Interim Chancellor through December 2023.
The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 for a very efficient and productive meeting. The full meeting was divided into three parts: a brief public session, a closed session, then the regular public meeting.
On Wednesday, September 29, Merritt College had the privilege of hosting a critical discussion on the topic, “What does the fight for LGBTQ+ rights have to do with Racial Justice?”
The conversation was led by Ms. Ronit Matabuena-Lev, who is a health educator, the founder of Bird and Bee Education (an organization dedicated to empowering young people to practice self-care for their physical, emotional, social, and sexual well-being), and a former classroom teacher.
Merritt College Planning Summit 2021
On Friday, September 17, Merritt held its annual Fall Planning Summit. Faculty, staff and administrators came together to engage in dialogue regarding the Educational Master Plan and the Accreditation Follow-Up Report. Planning Summit participants had critical conversations around what it means to “put students first,” and how to move beyond platitudes so that we can get to the work of meaningful equity-building.
Merritt College, which was a leader in moving away from assessment tests that wrongly placed students of color in remedial classes, and Barstow College, which has enhanced its student success rates through numerous support services, are the winners of the 2021 John W. Rice Equity and Student Success awards.
On September 14, 2021, the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees met for their first regular meeting since July 27th. While there was a lengthy
agenda
following their month off in August, it was a very efficient and productive meeting at just a bit over three hours. The full meeting recording is available on
YouTube here.
Merritt College Latest Update
Much has happened at Merritt College in the several weeks that have passed since the last President’s Report. Among other things, Merritt initiated the process of bringing students, classified professional staff members, faculty, and administrators back to campus safely. Merritt worked with our sister colleges and with the Chancellor’s Office to make great progress on the college’s ACCJC Follow-Up Report and the Teach Out Plan. And Merritt continues to support students and the institution in the face of the pandemic by utilizing HEERF funding to address pressing needs.
