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Berkeley City College Awarded $3m Grant To Expand Service To Latinx Students

Posted on by John Nguyen

15 September 2020

Berkeley City College (BCC) today announced that it has been awarded a highly-competitive nearly $3 million Developing Hispanic Serving Institution grant from the Department of Education to expand supportive services for Latinx and marginalized students. This is the College’s first grant since being named a Developing Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the US Department of Education in 2020. As a population that has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, these additional academic and student support services come at a critical time.

“Berkley City College serves as a critical resource for the growing Bay Area Latinx communities – and this grant demonstrates the dedication of our faculty, staff, and administrators to implementing educational strategies to support our diverse student population,” said Dr. Angélica Garcia, President of Berkeley City College. “As a Chicana and first-generation college student, I am humbled to serve as President for a college that ensures students from all backgrounds have access to higher education with the resources they need in order to succeed.”

The nearly $3 million grant will be awarded in approximately $600,000 increments over the next five years. The funding will allow the College to increase Latinx and marginalized student retention and graduation rates by providing enhanced support and advising; assistance transitioning from high school to community college and post-secondary education into careers; a FAFSA completion and financial literacy campaign geared towards Latinx students; increased outreach and recruitment of Latinx students; and expanded professional learning opportunities for student success staff, faculty, administrators and the community.

“We spent weeks working on our ‘Conocimiento Los Caminos’ grant application before submitting it to the Department of Education in May of this year,” said Dr. Stacey Shears, BCC Vice President of Student Services. “We are grateful to the faculty, classified professionals, and administrators who helped secure this important funding and we look forward to offering these expanded services for Berkeley City College students.”

This most recent grant award is part of a Peralta Community College District-wide initiative to expand services for marginalized and minoritized communities by interrogating and transforming our systems with an equity advancing lens.

Chancellor’s Announcement: COVID-19 Update

Posted on by John Nguyen

8 December 2020

While we remain open and offer classes remotely, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in our country, our state, and our local community. On December 6, 2020, Alameda County joined several counties in the Bay Area to implement the state’s new regional Stay Home order. The new order, Number 20-21, began on December 7, 2020 and remains in effect through January 4, 2021. This Order reflects new restrictions imposed by the State of California in its Blueprint for a Safer Economy for Counties in the Purple Tier of the State’s reopening framework and adds additional restrictions.

So what does this mean for the Peralta Community College District? In short, work and study from home. The health and safety of our students and employees remains our top priority and following this order to stay home will help slow the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to work and study remotely and do not come to a college campus or the District office during the mandated Stay Home order unless it is absolutely necessary. Employees who need to access the college campuses to perform essential functions, should use your college access protocol to obtain approval.

All athletics team outdoor activities have been paused for the remainder of the Stay Home order.

As we head into the Spring 2021 semester that begins on January 25, 2021, we remain open yet all classes will be offered online, including non-essential Career Education (CE) courses and science labs. Essential CE courses may be limited to capstone courses only and /or may have a start date that is later than January 25, 2021. Athletics, including conditioning classes, will remain paused during the Spring 2021 semester.

We realize this is a difficult time for most of us to remain sheltered in place or to regress to earlier closure guidelines. We are doing all we can to keep our community safe and support student educational needs, now and into the future. We are open in the spring. Our dedicated faculty and staff are available online to support students. We have resources available including free Chromebook laptops and discounts for Internet service. We offer financial aid including grants like the California Promise Grant, which allows students who are first-time full-time community college attendees to do so for free. Additional grants and scholarships are available from the Peralta Colleges Foundation.

Visit https://safe.peralta.edu/ for the latest information about the COVID-19 pandemic and Peralta Community College District.

Thank you, stay and be well,

Leadership Statement on the Electoral College Certification of the President and VP of the USA

Posted on by John Nguyen

7 January 2021

Dear Peralta Community,

Yesterday, our nation witnessed a disgraceful display of vandalism, violence, and insurrection at the United States Capitol, during the long held tradition of validating the will of the people. Many political and educational leaders across the country have rightfully condemned the misguided actions of those rioters who breached the Capitol, and the Peralta Community College District denounces their lawless actions as well.

Let us bear in mind, however, that despite the events of January 6, 2021, we are witnessing historic change and progress. In winning his Georgia Senate race, Jon Ossoff became the first Jewish senator elected from the Deep South in well over a century. With his victory in the other Georgia Senate race, Raphael Warnock will be the first African-American Democrat from the Southern United States to serve in that body. Finally, with Congress certifying the election of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, the United States we will have our first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy, and the first African American Vice President ever.

As a community we must remember that some contests are bitterly fought and victories are sometimes hard won. When it comes to the struggle for social reform and justice, there are people who believe that they have a right to challenge those efforts, even when it causes suffering to millions. The violence that was perpetrated on Capitol Hill yesterday was an attack on the democratic values of our country. Let us always remember that as leaders in the California Community College System, we have no other option but to stand upright and advocate for what is right. We commit our leadership to advance student success and dismantle the fabrics of our institution that serve as barriers to equity and inclusive excellence.  

So today, let’s celebrate our new administration, and hold in our minds and hearts a sense of hope, compassion, and commitment to our communities despite the efforts of those who seek to undermine our democratic institutions and our common humanity. 

Thank you and be safe,  

Dr. Carla Walter, Interim Chancellor, Peralta Community College District
Dr. Rudy Besikof, President, Laney College
Dr. Angélica Garcia, President, Berkeley City College
Dr. David Johnson, President, Merritt College
Dr. Nathaniel Jones III, President, College of Alameda

BCC Landed Partnership

Posted on by jbertuso


Berkeley City College Becomes First College in East Bay to Launch Landed;
Program Already Helping Bay Area K-12 School Employees Buy Homes

Berkeley, CA – Today, Berkeley City College (BCC) announced it has become the first institution of higher education in the East Bay to launch with Landed, a down payment assistance and homebuyer education program aimed at helping educators and school employees afford to buy homes.

The program provides half of the down payment on a home, up to $120,000 per family, in exchange for a portion of the change in the value of the home when the home is sold. Any gains from this assistance are re-invested to support an ever-growing number of educators and essential professionals. Landed’s down payment support will be available to all faculty, staff, and administrators who have worked for Berkeley City College, or another qualifying educational institution, for at least two years.

“As the cost of housing in the Bay Area continues to rise, too many of our employees are finding it harder to afford homes and stay in the area,” said Berkeley City College President Rowena Tomaneng. “We believe Landed will be a valuable solution to help improve our recruitment and retention by making homeownership more accessible, and we’re encouraged by the success that the program is already having for K-12 schools across Alameda County.”

Since its founding in 2015, Landed has helped more than 200 educators purchase homes in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Denver, and Seattle, including more than 20 educators in Alameda County. The partnership with Berkeley City College is Landed’s first with a higher education institution in the East Bay.

“We are thrilled to partner with Berkeley City College to support faculty and staff. Our early success in partnering with community colleges has been encouraging and we know that the housing need is only growing,” said Landed Director of Partnerships, Ian Magruder.

Interested employees can apply for Landed support beginning Tuesday, September 3, at
landed.com/signup.

Information sessions for faculty and staff to learn more about the program will be held on campus on Wednesday, September 18th. Interested employees can RSVP for the information sessions at: landed.com/events.

About Berkeley City College
BCC students form a thriving college community which mirrors the Bay Area’s ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic diversity. BCC is part of the Peralta Community College District and is located in downtown Berkeley, in one of the world’s great education centers. Student success is always BCC’s first priority. BCC continually adapts programs and services to meet students’ needs making it one of the top transfer institutions to UC Berkeley. (berkeleycitycollege.edu)

About Landed
Landed is a San Francisco-based mission-driven startup helping essential professionals build financial security. Landed partners with public colleges, school districts, and community organizations to provide down payment support to educators. (landed.com)

Rock the Congress

Posted on by jbertuso

A Progressive Coalition Event Promoting Civic Engagement
9/7/19, Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St., Berkeley, CA 94704
Join us on Saturday, September 7th at Berkeley City College!
This is a conference for progressive community advocates and organizers presented by a coalition of organizations and civic engagement groups, with partners in local unions, GOTV alliances, and grassroots activists. Our focus: strategies and tactics to hold the House, take back the Senate and White House, and nourish a culture of active citizenry that heals and sustains our democracy over time.
WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH?

  • Reinforce progressive activism grounded in the strength of diversity and the power of unity
  • Engage new activists and recharge seasoned activists and leaders with an array of local and national opportunities to broaden the progressive movement’s impact in 2020

HOW WILL WE DO THAT?

  • Keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive breakouts featuring national and local leaders in electoral and issue-based advocacy
  • Panelists and presenters from diverse organizations include the following leaders, and many more:
  • Aimee Allison, Founder and President of She the People
  • Kathryn Durham-Hammer, President, Diablo Valley Democratic Club and Lead, Indivisible ReSisters Walnut Creek
  • Demnlus Johnson, Councilmember, City of Richmond, CA
  • Shawn Kumagai, City Council Member, City of Dublin
  • Donald Lathbury, Communications Director and Strategist, Flip the West
  • Mallory Long, Training Director, All On The Line
  • Colleen McCarthy, Northern California Regional Field Director, Swing Left
  • Shawna McKnight, Public Affairs Officer, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
  • Raquel Ortega, Organizer, ACLU of Northern California
  • Tamisha Walker, Executive Director, Safe Return Project
  • Interactive breakouts include the following, and more:
  • 30, Leading Change
  • Adventures in Building and Sustaining Grassroots Groups
  • Border Crisis, Immigration Policy, and the 2020 Elections
  • Census 2020: Everyone Counts
  • Centering Community Care in Social and Racial Justice Advocacy
  • Exploring the Relationship between Grassroots Activism and the Democratic Party
  • Keeping Central Valley Blue
  • Out-of-State Electoral Strategies

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Contact: eastbay@rockthecongress.org
Strength in Diversity, Power in Unity

Election & Voting

Posted on by jbertuso


Spring 2019 Elections and Voting

ONLINE VOTING

The online voting link will be posted above on 4/16/19 at 12:00 am and will be open until 11:59 pm on 4/17/19!

In person voting will take place at Berkeley City College’s Welcome Center on both election days from 11 am – 6 pm.

Voter’s Guide

Use this document to get to know the candidates better!

 

CAMPAIGNING PERIOD

The candidate campaigning period will commence on March 18, 2019, and end on April 12, 2019.

VOTING

Students will be able to vote online & in-person on
Tuesday, April 16th and Wednesday, April 17th. Online voting will take place during the entirety of both days and the on-campus voting booth will be open from 11 am – 6 pm on both days.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Application

Timeline

Petition

AP 5410 – Associated Students Elections

QUESTIONS?

Office of Student Activities and Campus Life

Room 151

510.981.2877

atomas@peralta.edu

Office of Associated Students of Berkeley City College

publicrelations.asbcc@gmail.com

BCC Returning Students

Campus Life

Posted on by jbertuso

Campus Life Section

* Black History Month has been on fire! The Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted a power talk, which featured the Black Muslim Legacy and movie nights in partnership with Ignite to Civic Engagement Club. The Black Student Union hosted several events that showcased the history of Black art, fashion, and music.

* Lunar New Year was celebrated at BCC on February 12th. Students was taken on a “walk around the world” where they were able to visit different countries to experience how various cultures celebrate the New Year. Student who completed their global passports were able to enjoy a fitting Lunar New Year lunch.

Upcoming Events

* Monday, February 25th UMOJA Day from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in the BCC Atrium.

* Tuesday, February 26th Black History Movie Night featuring The Kalief Browder Story at 5:00pm in the ASBCC Room 57 hosted by the Ignite to Civic Engagement Club.

* Thursday, February 28th Black History Month Talent Show from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the BCC Auditorium hosted by Black Student Union.

ASBCC Student Govern Elections Now Open!

Be a member of our student government, the Associated Student of Berkeley City College (ASBCC), for the 2019-2020 academic year! Elections are now open. Application and petition package are due on Tuesday, February 26th. There will be candidate orientations on Monday, March 11th from 11am to 12noon and Thursday, from 12noon to 1pm in Room 057. Voting will be on Tuesday, April 16 and Wednesday, April 17th.

For more information, please visit https://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/asbcc/election-voting/ or email bcc-campuslife@peralta.edu.

Women’s History Month: Feminine Hygiene Product Drive

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Leadership Club will be holding a Feminine Hygiene Product Drive. Donations will go to Youth Engagement Advocacy Housing (YEAH!), which is an emergency shelter program for youth in Berkeley. Collection bin will be location in front of the BCC Welcome Center. The Women’s Leadership Club will also be hosting the following events:

* Wednesday, March 6th 12:15pm International Women’s Fashion Show in the BCC Atrium.

* Wednesday, March 13th 6:00pm Screening of “It’s a Girl Documentary” in the BCC Auditorium.

* Wednesday, March 20th 12:15pm Linkedin Workshop: The Power of Online Resume in the BCC Career and Transfer Center.

* Wednesday, March 27th 12:15pm Packing Party for all the Feminine Hygiene Products we collected in the BCC Atrium