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Resource Conversations
Chancellor Jowel C. Laguerre called stakeholders together for five Resource Conversations in March 2018. He opened the conversations by saying:
“Last fall, the Trustees and I made a decision to protect the mission of Peralta Colleges and turn down an offer to use our land for private business interests. We learned a lot through this process, and I committed to holding on to what we learned and lifting up the value we hold and bring to the community. We need first to assess our own needs and determine the kinds of quality partners who will help us meet these needs.
Our Colleges engage in many kinds of planning, for facilities, educational services, and program reviews, but we have not paused to dream big. Wes Jackson said, ‘If you only dream things you can accomplish in your lifetime, you are not dreaming big enough.’ So, I open the conversation by asking you to dream big and help us identify needs for students and for us to better serve them.
Going forward, we want to be in charge of the conversation for Peralta Colleges.”
Participation and Process
Nearly 300 students, faculty, staff, and administrators at Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, Merritt College and the District Office answered the call and shared their hopes and aspirations for Peralta Colleges. More than 860 ideas highlighted specific needs in three broad categories and 22 sub-categories. You can search, sort and read these ideas in the spreadsheet, Resource Conversations Ideas.
Participants were first asked to jot down an idea for a currently unmet need; these needs were categorized and shared, and small groups drilled down on topics of particular interest. Those conversations were reported out and are summarized in this report.
Limits and Next Steps
This process is not a formal needs assessment, but the launch of a conversation. In close collaboration with stakeholder groups, we will communicate the ideas others generously shared, and develop a plan for a more formal survey to identify priorities and intensity of need.
- This report will be presented to stakeholders at each College and the District Office in April and May.
- Leaders and departments from across Peralta Colleges will be asked to help quantify the needs and determine which can be met through existing resources and which require new funding sources or partnerships.
For more information see the documents below
Resource Conversations Report March-April 2018
Research Conversations Report March-April
Resource Conversations PPT
PDF files