29 June 2015
The June 23, 2015 meeting of the Peralta Colleges Board of Trustees began with a heart-felt farewell to Chancellor José M. Ortiz. It also featured the final report from outgoing District Acadaemic Senate President Dr. Karolyn van Putten. And Deputy Chancellor Gravenberg and Vice Chancellor Orkin presented a new “Multiple Measures” placement pilot program.
Filed under: Board of Trustees, Board Spotlight. Tagged: Dr. Eric V. Gravenberg, Dr. Karolyn van Putten, Dr. Michael Orkin, José M. Ortiz, Multiple Measures
5 May 2015
On Thursday, June 25, 2015, the Peralta Colleges Foundation will host its annual Alumni BBQ Honoring the Class of 2015. The event will be held at Everett and Jones, 126 Broadway, Oakland, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The Peralta Colleges Foundation was established in 1971 to support academic excellence and success throughout the District. We accomplish this by building partnerships to raise scholarship funds for committed students along with providing financial support to the Peralta Community College District’s four campuses. Your generosity enables us to further enhance the intellectual, cultural, and educational needs of our students, faculty, and staff.
June 25th will be a special event congratulating the Class of 2015. All alumni of Berkeley City College (formerly Vista), College of Alameda, Laney College and Merritt College are invited to attend. In particular, Chancellor José Ortiz is retiring. Let’s give him a grand send off.
The community is welcomed to attend, as we seek to expand our reach and work of Strengthening Education in our Community. For more than 50 years, Peralta Community Colleges have been a vital source of economic development and growth within our region. The Peralta Colleges provide training needed for our students to meet the needs of today’s job sector. Their Scholarship Program further assists recipients with academic advising and personal development seminars, along with a stipend to defray the cost of attending college.
For more information, call 510-587-7809. To purchase tickets click here.
Filed under: Announcements, Peralta Colleges Foundation. Tagged: BBQ, Class of 2015, José M. Ortiz
29 January 2015
The Board of Trustees of the Peralta Community College District will hold a special public meeting to consider items associated with its search for the next Chancellor of the District, including the consideration of a firm to assist the District in conducting a nationwide search. The current Chancellor, José M. Ortiz, Ed.D., recently announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2015.
The special meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., in the District Boardroom, 333 East 8th Street in Oakland. The meeting is open to all constituency groups and members of the public.
The new Chancellor would be expected to start July 1, 2015. Search firms under consideration are:
Filed under: Announcements, Board of Trustees, Peralta News. Tagged: Chancellor Search, Community College Search Services, José M. Ortiz, The Association of Community College Trustees, The ELS Group LLC
6 January 2015
If you are a faculty member, you won’t want to miss District Flex Day, January 14, 2015, 9:00am – 3:30pm, in the Laney College Theater.
Keynote Speaker: Kevin Powell, “Equality in America: Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and The Ghost of Dr. King.”
An interactive discussion on the educational, life opportunities and possibilities for all students.
Chancellor José M. Ortiz, Ed.D., will also give his annual Flex Day address.
See the flier for more details: District Flex Day January 14, 2015 final
Filed under: Announcements, Laney College, Peralta News. Tagged: District Wide Flex Day, Faculty, Flex Day, José M. Ortiz, Kevin Powell
5 September 2014
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Rolando Bonilla
(415) 987-8025
OAKLAND, Calif. (September 4, 2014) – Taking advantage of historically low interest rates, the Peralta Community College District announced this week its successful sale of over $157 million in bonds. By refunding its outstanding general obligation bonds, District leaders will save local taxpayers nearly $18 million over the 21-year life of the bonds.
The District’s Board of Trustees expressed their approval of the successful bond sale, touting the District’s efforts to lower the local tax burden and apply strong fiscal oversight and management in order to maximize the community’s investment in the success of the District’s students.
“The Board of Trustees has taken great care to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and prudently manage the resources with which we have been entrusted,” said Abel Guillen, President of the Board of Trustees. “This refunding will allow savings of nearly $18 million to be returned to our residents who have continuously supported our mission to train our local workforce and provide an affordable path towards higher education. I am proud of our Board for its leadership and in taking action to save local taxpayers real money.”
The District went to market with $157,725,000 in new bonds on August 20 to refund outstanding bonds approved by voters in 1992, 2000 and 2006 to enhance and modernize District facilities. The District utilized the services of Keygent LLC, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc., the lead underwriter, with Barclays Capital, Inc. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. both acting as minor underwriters.
The District’s administration, which spearheaded the Board’s direction to take advantage of favorable interest rates, noted the progress made in recent years to stabilize the District’s finances as the key to regaining the investor confidence necessary to refund the outstanding bonds and deliver local taxpayers substantial savings over the next 21 years.
“The District has taken a number of steps to strengthen internal controls and procedures, the goal of which was to refocus attention back to our budgeting and spending practices to ensure we are making every decision based upon what is best for our students and the long-term interest of our local taxpayers,” said Peralta Community College District Chancellor José Ortiz. “We must constantly look for ways to demonstrate to our taxpayers that we are carefully managing every cent they provide us, as our ability to provide quality career and technical programs for our students and prepare them for success in the workforce is directly dependent upon their continued support for the critical role community colleges play in our region’s economy.”
About Peralta Community College District: The Peralta Community College District provides educational leadership for the East Bay, delivering programs and services that sustainably enhance the region’s human, economic, environmental, and social development. The District is comprised of four campuses serving Northern Alameda County, including the College of Alameda, Berkeley City College, Laney College, and Merritt College. Through these four campuses, Peralta Community College District supplies the region with a trained workforce in essential fields such as nursing, automotive technology, office administration, mechanics, bio-manufacturing, bookkeeping, carpentry, food service and restaurant management, and many other fields. For more information, visit www.peralta.edu.
Filed under: Announcements, Board of Trustees, Press Release. Tagged: Abel Guillén, Barclays Capital Inc., José M. Ortiz, Keygent LLC, Nicolaus & Company Inc., Raymond James & Associates Inc., Stifel
23 July 2014
The July 15 meeting of the Peralta Colleges Board of Trustees featured a unanimous vote to name the Barbara Lee Allied Health Center at Merritt College. Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Calvin Madlock presented a positive year in review. And Chancellor Ortiz shared some of the work being done to prepare for Accreditation. See full meeting here.
Filed under: Announcements, Board Spotlight, Merritt College, Peralta News. Tagged: Barbara Lee Allied Health Center, Calvin Madlock, José M. Ortiz
21 July 2014
In appreciation and recognition of Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s contributions to Merritt College and the Peralta Community College District, the Board of Trustees’ passed Resolution 14/15-05 at its July 15 meeting to name the Merritt Science and Allied Health Center the “Barbara Lee Science and Allied Health Center” in her honor. Trustee Linda Handy, in yellow, reads the Resolution to Saundra Andrews of Congresswoman Lee’s office, who is flanked by President of the Board, Abel Guillén. Members of the Board, as well as Chancellor Dr. José M. Ortiz, and other senior administrators, are also pictured.
Filed under: Announcements, Merritt College, Peralta News. Tagged: Abel Guillén, Barbara Lee Science and Allied Health Center, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, José M. Ortiz, Linda Handy, Merritt College, Saundra Andrews
21 July 2014
At the July 15 Board of Trustees meeting, a California State Assembly Resolution by Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Nancy Skinner and Senator Loni Hancock commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Peralta Community College District was presented to the Chancellor and Board by Jim Oddie, District Director for Assemblymember Bonta. Pictured, from left, are Chancellor Dr. José M. Ortiz, Jim Oddie, Trustee Linda Handy, Board President Abel Guillén and Board Vice President Meredith Brown.
Filed under: Announcements, Peralta News. Tagged: #Peralta50, 50th Anniversary, Abel Guillén, Assembly Resolution, Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Jim Oddie, José M. Ortiz, Linda Handy, Loni Hancock, Meredith Brown, Nancy Skinner, Resolution, Rob Bonta, Senator Loni Hancock
16 July 2014
At its regular Board meeting on July 15, 2014 the Peralta Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend the interim appointment of Eric V. Gravenberg as President of the College of Alameda through June 30, 2015 or until the position is filled permanently.
The District will begin a national search for the next President of the College of Alameda. It is anticipated that the selected candidate will begin January 2015.
During the past year, one of President Gravenberg’s major accomplishments was stabilizing the operational structure of the college by hiring permanent managers and filling vacant positions. His primary goal is cultivating a climate of respect, trust, and collaboration by establishing additional avenues for communication such as Colleagues in Conversation, which encourages a campus-wide dialogue on topical issues, and establishing drop in office hours to ensure that he is accessible to the campus community. He has implemented programs that recognize classified staff for exemplary service to the college community, and fostered student participation in campus life. These actions have created a cohesive leadership team, increased morale and improved overall productivity.
Additionally, President Gravenberg provided leadership for Institutional Self-Evaluation by meeting with constituent groups to solicit faculty and staff participation, and assigning a faculty member to work with academic departments to strengthen SLOs.
Especially noteworthy, is that he expanded equity efforts and supported student success through the implementation of initiatives such as Alameda Promise, and The Brotherhood – A Men of Color Initiative. President Gravenberg also co-authored the successful Community College Pathway application to the California State Bar. College of Alameda was one of 24 California Community Colleges selected for this innovative initiative.
Of the appointment, Peralta Colleges Chancellor Dr. José M. Ortiz said, “I am pleased President Gravenberg has agreed to delay his retirement and continue to provide exceptional leadership as the College of Alameda prepares for accreditation, plans for major construction of new facilities, implements programs to meet the mandates of the Student Success Act, and to stay attentive to addressing the myriad of challenges that lay ahead.”
Filed under: Announcements, College of Alameda, Peralta News. Tagged: Dr. Eric V. Gravenberg, José M. Ortiz
2 June 2014
Standing in a state-of-the-art laboratory classroom at Life Academy in Oakland, CA, State Superintendent Tom Torlakson announced that an East Bay Consortium, led by the Peralta Community College District, will receive $15 million in funds from the Career Pathways Trust, a new $250 million program designed to help students stay in school and move toward college and employment in high-demand fields. The East Bay Consortium’s winning proposal will build and strengthen career pathway programs in four key sectors of the economy: Health and Biosciences, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital Media, and Public Service and Law.
Speaking to an audience comprised of the leadership of the East Bay Consortium, Superintendent Torlakson congratulated the East Bay on a superb application and for leading a regional effort that is a model for the nation.
Peralta Community College District Chancellor, Dr. José M. Ortiz, pictured with Vice Chancellor Dr. Michael Orkin, acknowledged the tremendous leadership and engagement of all of the K-12 Superintendents from West Contra Costa to Hayward (see below) in working with the four Peralta Colleges – Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College – as well as Chabot College and Contra Costa College to build seamless pathways from high school to community colleges across the region. “We know building effective pathways from high school to college is critical to student success. We are delighted to have the resources to fulfill this vital part of our mission.”
Oakland Superintendent, Dr. Gary Yee, echoed the Chancellor’s remarks and thanked Superintendent Torlakson for his leadership, “This is work that we believe in and have been doing for years. Thanks to Senator Darrell Steinberg and Superintendent Torlakson, we can expand our efforts and reach many more students.”
The Career Pathways Trust funds regional and local consortia to create sustainable career pathways programs that connect businesses, K-12 schools, and community colleges to better prepare students for the 21st century workplace. This requires intensive collaboration on the part of faculty, administrators, and counselors at every level of the educational pipeline as well as real-time input and engagement on the part of regional employers. “Peralta faculty are excited about expanding our relationships with regional high schools in ways that will enhance and improve our students’ academic preparedness, and ultimately facilitate their college success,” said Dr. Karolyn van Putten, President of Peralta’s District Academic Senate.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Government Relations & Community Outreach Manager, Doreen Moreno, spoke on behalf of many of the region’s employers when she expressed her excitement at the opportunity to further the work of providing students real-life experiences as a way for them to apply their work in the classroom. The CHAMPS program (Community Health & Adolescent Mentoring Program for Success) at Children’s Hospital Oakland provides internships and other opportunities for students to see what a career in healthcare is all about.
Life Academy student, Ratana Sot, a graduate of the CHAMPS program and a Gates Millennium Scholar, spoke eloquently about how the career pathway – or Linked Learning – model changed his life and made it possible for him to go to UC Berkeley to pursue a career in medicine.
East Bay Chamber of Commerce leaders, including Barbara Leslie, CEO of the Oakland Chamber, and Dave Johnson, CEO of the San Leandro Chamber, also attended to show their support for strengthening the connection between work and school and facilitating the engagement of businesses large and small with educators to create work-based learning experiences for the region’s youth. Other employers engaged in the East Bay’s proposal included Kaiser Permanente, Bayer Healthcare, Bio-Rad, Autodesk, Maxon Computer, Bay Ship and Yacht, Turner Construction, as well as a host of community, labor, and governmental organizations.
Alameda County Superintendent, Sheila Jordan, thanked the many long-time advocates of career technical education, including Senator Loni Hancock and Assembly Member Nancy Skinner who were also in attendance, and congratulated the Consortium’s ability to come together to work across educational segments on behalf of students.
Peralta Vice Chancellor and Project Director for the Consortium, Dr. Mike Orkin, rounded out the remarks by reminding the audience that, “by developing clearly defined career pathways for students to follow on their journey from K-12 to college to career, we will help turn what sometimes seems like an impossible dream into an attainable reality for all those who wish to take the journey.”
The East Bay Career Pathways Consortium includes:
Contacts
Karen Engel, Interim Director of Development, Peralta Community College District: 510-381-5292
Gretchen Livesey, Director, Linked Learning, Oakland Unified School District: 510-332-5124
Filed under: Announcements, Peralta News. Tagged: award, career pathways, career pathways trust, Chancellor Dr. Jose M. Ortiz, Dr. Gary Yee, East Bay Consortium, East Bay Consortium Career Pathways, grant, José M. Ortiz, Oakland Unified School District, peralta colleges, Peralta Community College district, Superintendent Tom Torlakson
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