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Office of the President

Message from President Denise Richardson

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Welcome to Berkeley City College, and congratulations on taking this important step toward achieving your academic and career goals. As President, I join our faculty, administrators, and classified professionals in welcoming you to a college deeply committed to your success.  

At Berkeley City College, our vision is for students to Envision. Engage. Excel. We invite you to Envision your academic and career goals with over 100 degree and certificate programs, Engage with our diverse curriculum, vibrant campus life, and esteemed faculty and staff, and Excel in your studies through successful completion.  

Our programs are shaped by workforce demand, university transfer requirements, and student voice, ensuring that what you learn here prepares you for what comes next. Whether you are preparing to transfer to a four-year university, earning a career-focused certificate, enhancing your academic experience as a dual-enrolled high school student, or exploring your options, our counselors, career specialists, and faculty are here to guide you every step of the way. 

As a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and newly state designated Black Serving Institution (BSI), Berkeley City College is strengthening its role as a leader in instructional excellence, innovation and access for our diverse student community. Programs such as Phi Theta Kappa, Society of Scholars learning communities, the Undocumented Community Resource Center, Rising Scholars, Veterans Services, Basic Needs, and Extended Opportunities Programs and Services (EOPS) reflect our commitment to supporting all students. At BCC, you will find a warm and inviting campus community committed to helping you reach your academic and personal goals. 

Having lived in the Bay Area and worked within the Peralta Community College District for more than 20 years, supporting students as they transform their lives has become both a professional mission and a personal commitment. It is truly an honor to serve as President of Berkeley City College. I look forward to celebrating your achievements and supporting your journey toward graduation, transfer, and career success. 

Warmly, 
Denise Richardson, Ed.D. 
President, Berkeley City College 

Executive Assistant | Office of the President

Annie Liu

Email: aliu@peralta.edu

Biography

President Denise Richardson, Ed.D. began her role at Berkeley City College on July 1, 2023. Dr. Richardson is an experienced community college educator, dedicated to maximizing student success and institutional effectiveness in support of the diverse and extraordinary students of the Peralta Community College District. Dr. Richardson comes to Berkeley City College from Merritt College, where she has served as Vice President of Instruction since March 2020. In addition to working collaboratively with her administrative team to successfully navigate an ever-emerging educational climate, she has been a highly responsible steward of fiscal resources and a resolute advocate for Diversity, equity and inclusion.

As the College Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO), Dr. Richardson was integral to the development of Merritt’s 2020 Institutional Self-Evaluation Report (ISER). Merritt’s ISER was distinguished by the fact that it received no recommendations from the ACCJC. Dr. Richardson also led the effort to secure the $500,000 Omnibus Appropriations grant for the College Cybersecurity Program in 2022. Dr. Richardson recognizes that classified professionals are the lifeblood of community college success, so she is particularly proud of the work that she has done with Merritt’s classified senate leadership to secure an IEPI grant that will support classified professional development opportunities and career advancement pathways over the next three years.

Dr. Richardson is the consummate example of Peralta growing its own, as she began her career at PCCD in January 2001 through participation in the Faculty Diversity Internship Program. In the fall of 2001, she began teaching political science part-time before being hired as a full-time political science professor at Laney College in the fall of 2004. Denise enthusiastically engaged her students in critical inquiry, with a focus on equity and empowerment. During her faculty career she held several key leadership positions, including Vice President and President of the Laney Faculty Senate. In recognition of her accomplishments and contributions, Denise received the Laney Faculty of the Year Award in 2012.

In August of 2013, Dr. Richardson began her administrative career as the Dean of Math and Sciences at Laney College, a position she held until March 2020. In addition to her role as dean, Denise was the Accreditation Liaison Officer for Laney College for two years, and successfully led the report-writing efforts for two follow-up reports and the 2018 Midterm Report.

Dr. Richardson earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Mills College in Oakland, CA, and wrote a narrative dissertation that examined success strategies of Black American males who completed STEM degree programs at California Bay Area community colleges. She also holds a M.A. Degree in Educational Leadership from Mills College, a M.A. Degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University, and B.A. and A.S. Degrees in Communication from Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL.

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