Dr. Harinder “Hari” Singh has been named dean of academic pathways at Berkeley City College, Dr. Betty Inclan, president, announced. Singh will supervise BCC’s arts and cultural studies, biotechnology and science, English/ESL, and social sciences departments. He also will work closely with the college’s dean of workforce development to create new collaborations among BCC’s instructional departments.
“I strongly believe that both the liberal arts and the business framework can complement each other and provide a stronger foundation for students to solve complex real world problems,” Singh said.
He most recently was director of assessment at Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University (Grand Rapids, MI), and also served as editor of the Seidman Business Review. During his academic career, he was chair of the Economics Department at Seidman and was a professor in San Diego State University’s economics department.
His background includes extensive experience with curriculum development, scheduling, grants, research, and supervision of instructional programs. In his last post as director of assessment at Seidman, he coordinated assessment activities for five programs, with a specific focus on the development of basic skills for students in communication, critical thinking, quantitative skills, and ethical reasoning.
In 2011, Singh was awarded the Niemeyer University Award for outstanding teaching, administration, research, and service. The prestigious award is given to only two faculty members each year.
Singh received his M.A. in economics from DAV College in India, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Peralta Matters is our monthly public affairs talk show, offering unique perspectives on the Peralta Colleges experience. This month, host Jay Calhoun sat down with Berkeley City College’s; Dr. Linda Berry, Chris Lebo-Planas and Student Body President Connor Murphy.
Check out this brief re-cap, and watch the full episode on PeraltaTV Tuesdays at 6:30 or Fridays at 12:30 pm.
Join Jay for a series of episodes highlighting our four colleges. This month from Berkeley City College, Vice President of Instruction Linda Berry talks about some of the exciting programs and innovative educational strategies offered at BCC. English Professor Chris Lebo-Planas describes the committed culture of teaching. And Student Body President tells of his own journey to student activism.
Five finalists have been selected in the search for our new Chancellor. Public Forums at Berkeley City College and the District Board Room provided opportunity for members of the Peralta community to ask questions and provide feedback. Both Forums are available for viewing here.
Milvia Street, Berkeley City College’s art and literary journal, has been publish for over 20 years.
Milvia Street in the Community takes literary contributors and journal out into community books store in the city of Berkeley. This year, as in past years, we’re being hosted by U Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, on Tuesday April 17 from 7:30-9pm. Each reading presents a different set of readers. Journals are available for purchase at the reading as well at BCC’s Cashier’s Office all year. Come early as parking near the UC campus is sometimes a bit challenging.
Readers at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, on Tuesday April 17 from 7:30-9pm include:
Willy Lizarraga
Meredith Paige
Eric Crow
Pamela Brenman
Carla Kandinsky
Patricia France
Scott Hoshida
Inna Nopuente
Sara Chavanne
OAKLAND, Calif., March 22, 12 – During its regular Board Meeting session on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, the Trustees for the Peralta Community College District unanimously accepted the recommendations of the Chancellor Search Selection Committee to forward five candidates for finalist interviews for the next Chancellor of the four-college district.
The District will host two public/community forums on Monday, April 9, 2012. The first is scheduled for 12 noon to 3:10 p.m., and will be held at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center Street, Berkeley; the second will take place during the evening from 5 – 8:10 p.m. at the Peralta District main office, located at 333 East 8th Street in Oakland. Members of the public are eagerly encouraged to attend these community forums to meet the potential Chancellor finalists and hear their plans about the future of the District and the colleges – Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, and Laney and Merritt Colleges in Oakland.
“Fresh Start,” a new interactive mural depicting an environmental game board at West Berkeley’s REALM Charter School, is the latest project of Berkeley City College’s True Colors Murals Project. The artwork displays narratives of nationally recognized, young environmental leaders with real and imagined scenarios. These scenes also show communities how to work toward sustainability. While the mural’s unveiling takes place in June 2012, the group has set a goal of raising $6,000 by Thur., Apr. 5 in order to receive matching funds. For details about how you can help or donate to the project, click here or contact Juana Alicia Araiza, project director, at jaraiza@peralta.edu.
Muralist and Berkeley City College art instructor Juana Alicia Araiza annually directs college mural design and community art projects as part of BCC’s art curriculum. True Colors projects brings together student artists and community members, who annually create one or more public murals with social and environmental justice themes. Earth Island Institute primarily sponsors the project.
The new mural allows students and community members to navigate complex information with new technologies. The audience/participants not only view the mural, but also play with the design that becomes an actual living experience and on-line journey.
All of the “Fresh Start” student participants conducted community surveys, oral histories, and site-based research to develop the content, form and aesthetics of the interactive work. The “game board” themed mural includes access to a virtual world to educate both students and community about ideas and practices which lead to environmental sustainability. The project will allow REALM students to write stories, illustrate and create animation projects about how to play the game. Imagine, for example, landing on a square that leads to learning about lead poisoning issues and solutions in West Berkeley.
The REALM Charter School, located at 2023 8th Street, is a project-based, technology-rich learning environment that immerses students and teachers in authentic virtual learning environments that require collaboration, inquiry, critical thinking, ingenuity, and imagination.
Renowned UC physicist and author, Dr. Richard A. Muller, to speak at 6:30 p.m., Thur., Mar. 1 at Berkeley City College
“Energy and Clmate: Surprising Things You Need to Know,” is set for 6:30-8 p.m., Thur., Mar. 1, at Berkeley City College’s auditorium, 2050 Center St., between Shattuck Ave. & Milvia St. The presentation will be given by Dr. Richard A. Muller, renowned professor of physics at U.C. Berkeley and faculty senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by BCC’s Department of Science and the college’s Science Club. It is part of a five-part Spring Science Seminar Series. Dr. Muller will discuss the latest scientific developments on international climate change and how the world can best prepare for them.
He is founder and chair of the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) Project and a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Fellowship. He also was named as one of The Atlantic Monthly’s Brave Thinkers. Muller’s numerous books and articles include The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide and the popular Physics For Future Presidents.
Are you considering transferring to a four year university? The Berkeley City College Service Community is planning a series of exciting transfer events and workshops. We want to connect you to resources available at UC Berkeley, even if that’s not where you want to apply. Speakers include, current Cal students and representatives from UC Berkeley programs such as Admissions, TRSP, the Career Center, the Scholarship Office, and more!
For more information on all of our events, visit our website!
18 Berkeley City College digital photographers exhibit in, “The Collective Eye: Visions of Places, Objects and Inspiration” thru Feb. 29 at Oakland’s Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter.
“The Collective Eye: Visions of Places, Objects and Inspiration,” a digital photography show curated by Berkeley City College’s Special Projects Digital Photography class, is on display now through Feb. 29 as part of the Metropolitan Transit.
Commission’s Community Art Program at the Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, 3rd Floor, 101 Eighth St., at Oakland’s Lake Merritt BART Station. The center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. through Fri.
A diverse array of photographic images by students in Diane Rosenblum’s Special Projects Digital Photography class at Berkeley City College is featured in the show. All are invited to view the innovative and inspired work of these 18 exceptional photographers. For details, contact Eric Padilla, the show’s curator at erik.m.padilla@gmail.com or at (650) 305-1652. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Loretta Newsom has dedicated her life to helping students. 35 years that is! At Berkeley City College she and her team in the Admission and Records Office represent the first point of contact with enrolling students. She discusses the process and why it’s important to be responsible about completing the process so that they may move towards their educational endeavours.
OAKLAND, Calif., November 30, 2011 – California Governor Jerry Brown appointed two individuals from the Peralta Community College District – a longtime academic senate president and administrator and a Peralta Colleges student – to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors (BOG). The BOG is the governing body that sets policy for the nation’s largest system of higher education. The new appointees are Joseph Bielanski, the Institutional Effectiveness Coordinator for the Peralta Colleges, and Jurena Storm, a College of Alameda student.
Jack Scott, State California Community Colleges Chancellor, said, “These new appointments are well qualified to help lead our system and each has been directly involved in the operation of their local district or college.”
“I welcome all four of these outstanding people to the board and look forward to working with each one of them,” said Scott.
Bielanski has been the Institutional Effectiveness Coordinator for the District and Articulation Officer at Berkeley City College since 2009. “I am honored that Governor Brown has appointed me as a faculty representative to the California Community College Board of Governors,” said Bielanski. “I know that my 21 years of experience in the Peralta Community College District will serve me well in this appointment.”
Berkeley City College has a new vocational program to offer, and it is called the “Spanish Medical Interpreter” course. Dr. Pisano, a long time Berkeley City College instructor takes us through the basics and gives some very interesting stats on the diversity in the bay area.