It Takes All of Us – September 19, 2022

September 19, 2022

Dear Berkeley City College Community,

The fall semester has brought great energy, lively engagement in virtual and face-to-face instruction and services, and a vibrant commitment to student success and completion. It should be no surprise that much discussion has taken place over the past year about student enrollment, success, and our fiscal reality. And I’ve seen time and time again how many of you have engaged in these discussions and challenged your own practice in working with students to enter the path, stay on the path, and complete their path. The collaborative work to mitigate further enrollment declines this semester has been extraordinary. However, Berkeley City College, and the Peralta Community College District as a whole, has been experiencing enrollment declines several years before the onset of the pandemic.

There are many factors, many of which are outside of our control, that may have impacted our declining enrollment. From national rhetoric questioning the value of higher education, fewer HS students in our local community, the impact of gentrification on low-income families, the financial strain exacerbated by the pandemic, and even our district’s image in the public community have all played some part in the conditions that had students choosing other priorities over higher education. We continue to learn more as Dr. Phoumy Sayavong and Dr. Becky Gee have conducted research and a preliminary environmental scan to set our institutional context for our Education Master Plan of 2023 – 2027. The time is now for us to harness the strength of our collective community and our commitment to students and create well-informed and resourced actions to address our overall enrollment and student experience at Berkeley City College.

I hope you are able to make it to our EMP Campus Forum this afternoon from 3:30 – 5:00 pm via https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82673177798.

In Community,


Dr. Angélica Garcia, President

Berkeley City College