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.
President Besikof Meets With API Community Leaders
On September 22, 2021, President Besikof conducted a virtual meeting with Asian Pacific Islander (API) community leaders from the East Bay. The meeting was a forum to provide leaders in the API community to speak directly to the President about ways Laney College can be an effective partner and better serve the community.
The goal of the meeting was to identify ways that Laney College can be more responsive to API community needs, including career services and job training programs to help students establish careers that will contribute to the East Bay economy.
Attending the meeting were leaders from the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Lao Family Community Development, East Bay Asian Youth Center, and the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation. President Besikof invited attendees to establish and ongoing dialogue with the college, and announced future opportunities for more in-depth discussions.
Mam Group Performs at Warriors Kick-off Game
On Oct. 6, Laney's Mam group performed at the first Warriors game of the season. Henry Sales and Tessa Scott have been holding Mam workshops at Laney College sponsored by the Latinx Cultural Center for almost two years, offering a Certificate of Achievement in Mam Language and Culture as well as 3 courses (for Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced students).
They will also be performing at the Chase Center, November 11th and December 6th!
Laney College Awarded $125,000 in CAI & HRTP Grants
As announced by the State Chancellor’s Office on Sept. 16, Laney College is one of four colleges across the state that were awarded a $125,000 California Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) High Road Training Partnerships (HRTP) Planning Grant. The goal of Laney College’s grant is to create a detailed pre-apprenticeship/bridge curriculum that will help guide and prepare students for careers in the manufacturing, automotive, and water/wastewater sectors.
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.
On Saturday, June 5, 2021 the Peralta Community joined together online for a joyous graduation fiesta. The first annual Peralta Community College District Latinx Graduation Celebration , called Raíces (or "roots") was sponsored by the Peralta Association of Chicanos/Latinos de Aztlán (PACLA).
In this President's Report:
Lend a Hand Foundation Awards Scholarships to Laney College EOPS Students
Laney Faculty and Staff Members Jam with New and Returning Students
Global Artistic Ambassador Sam Villa Visit Laney Cosmo!
Creating a Buzz About Summer, Fall & Face-to-Face Classes
Laney College Stands with the AAPI Community
Laney College President Rudy Besikof was invited to speak at the March 27, 2021 Rally Against Asian Hate in Oakland Chinatown by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, along with five chambers of commerce including the African American Chamber, Vietnamese Chamber, Hispanic Chamber, Metropolitan Chamber and Shop Oakland, the Oakland A's and East Bay MUD. Addressing the more than 150 participants and major news media including NBC, KPIX and KTVU, President Besikof echoed Mayor Libby Schaaf, Councilwoman Sheng Thao and other speakers in denouncing hate and calling for unity. APASS Director Dr. David Lee spoke to Chinese-language reporters about new opportunities available to AAPI and ESOL Laney students made possible by a recent $1.5 million Department of Education CTE-focused grant. The event was part of historic Anti-Asian American hate rallies, which took place all over the United States.
Dear Peralta Community,I’ve been reading a book entitled, The Alchemist. It’s by Paulo Coelho, an author from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s a really wonderful book. Here is a quote from the inside cover: "This enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a [fortune teller], a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.” |