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Dear Berkeley City College community,
The Fall 2022 semester is underway, and I wanted to welcome you all back to campus. I’ve enjoyed feeling the energy in the halls and spaces around campus with our welcome events, registration workshops, weekly food pantries, and increased in-person classes. It’s been a joy to see new faces, returning students, and face-to-face meetings with colleagues who I’ve only known through remote interactions. It’s refreshing to have our campus fully open again, reminding us that our institution is a gathering space serving the community.
This Labor Day was remarkable for the extreme heat California is experiencing this week. I’m reminded of the farm workers in my family’s home in the Central Valley California, who continued to work under oppressive weather conditions in order to feed and provide shelter for their families. It reminds me of how the labor movement has been a constant for generations across the globe. Workers are always striving for safer working conditions, better hours, and better pay. I would like to acknowledge the labor unions who continue to advocate for their members, including the unions that make up the vibrant workforce here at Berkeley City College: Local 39, SEIU Local 1021, and the Peralta Federation of Teachers (PFT.) Their work and representation are crucial to our ability to carry out the mission of BCC and transform lives. Thank you.
Enrollment- BCC Students are Here!
I’m filled with pride and gratitude to see the continuing growth of Berkeley City College’s enrollment efforts. Students continue to choose Berkeley City College, and I thank you for your decisions and persistence. Just last week I had the privilege of meeting students who are recent high school graduates from Castlemont HS and Life Academy HS, as well as an adult learner enrolling in classes, as her children are now all of school age. I have also had the chance to meet students virtually, in enrollment workshops and even as an invited guest to a class. Every time I get to connect with students, I am grounded in the work we do as educators.
As of today, there are 5,814 students at Berkeley City College, which makes up our Full-time equivalent students (FTES) of 1,230. For reference, our FTES last fall at this time was 1,239.
More details about the students will be printed in the News for the Board Report and will be shared later this week. Below is a table that shows some characteristics of BCC students.
Berkeley City College Student Demographics- High Level Snapshot (source: Power BI. PCCD)
| Top Goals | Top Age Groups | Racial Diversity | Enrollment Status | Sex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obtain AA Degree/Transfer 33% | 19-24 year old 42% | Latinx 30% | Part-time 90% | Female 54% |
| Undecided on Goal 17% | 16-18 year old 19% | White 22% | Full – time 10% | Male 40% |
| Transfer w/o Degree 14% | 25 – 29 year old 12% | Asian American Pacific Islander 21% | Undisclosed 6% | |
| Educational Development 6% | 35-54 year old 13% | African American 17% |
The collaborative and community driven outreach to students is impressive. From classified professionals, to faculty, to administrators, to student ambassadors, supporting enrollment has been a community lift, indeed! My sincerest gratitude to all who have supported students through this enrollment and the start of the fall semester. I am grateful to our colleagues in Academic and Classified Senate leadership, who have shared the focus to support students to stay on the path and persist to next semester. The Student Services leadership team has developed an email stayatbcc@peralta.edu to connect with students before they drop a course or choose to leave BCC. Please encourage students to reach out and receive some support before they leave BCC. This was part of the “Talk before you Drop” campaign to support students through the drop/add period and was successful in getting students the appropriate resources to remain enrolled.
Closing Comments
The excitement of the unplanned fire drill last week added a little spice to our already busy week. I was happy to see how quickly, orderly, and efficiently you all were in evacuating campus and gathering at Civic Center Park. I would also like to thank Marina Security and our faculty, staff, and administration for jumping into action to facilitate the evacuation. All your work is crucial in keeping our campus community safe. We will continue to prepare our emergency response and floor captains via the Health, Safety, & Facilities Committee this year.
Please take every precaution to stay cool and hydrated during this heat wave. Berkeley City College is climate controlled with air conditioning and we will monitor the temperature and communicate any changes as needed
Sincerely,
Dr. Angélica Garcia
President