Berkeley City College
Encyclopedia
Berkeley City College (BCC), formerly Vista Community College, one of the California Community Colleges, is part of the Peralta Community College District
. It is centrally located in downtown Berkeley, two blocks west of the UC Berkeley campus. Berkeley City College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
.
Berkeley City College structures its transfer courses into guaranteed afternoon, evening and Saturday schedules so that students can complete University of California
and California State University
transfer requirements, even if they work full time.
Berkeley City College's curriculum also focuses on several important areas which are vital to local economic development and educational needs. Programs and classes in biotechnology, business, computer information systems, office technology and multimedia and web design, and social services paraprofessional training integrate academics and occupational education with business and community partnerships. As part of a CalWORKs collaborative, the college has developed training programs for those affected by welfare reform legislation. The college hosts the Center for International Trade Development which provides counseling and international economic development services to local small businesses.
Peralta Community College District
The Peralta Community College District is the community college district serving northern Alameda County, California. The district operates four community colleges: Berkeley City College, Laney College and Merritt College in Oakland, and College of Alameda. From 1968 to 1988, non-contiguous Plumas...
. It is centrally located in downtown Berkeley, two blocks west of the UC Berkeley campus. Berkeley City College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
.
History
Berkeley City College was founded in 1974 as the Berkeley Learning Pavilion, which was renamed the Peralta College for Non-Traditional Study the same year, as a Peralta community college to serve the northern cities of Alameda County: Albany, Berkeley, and Emeryville. It received initial accreditation through the ACCJC in 1977 and in 1978 it was renamed Vista Community College. The college had no building until 2006, so classes were offered in many locations throughout the East Bay including UC Berkeley, West Berkeley YMCA, Berkeley High School, the North Berkeley Community Center, St. Mary Magdalene School, the Summit Educational Center, and the Oakland Army Base. By 1981, the number of locations with classes offered exceeded 200. The same year, it received full accreditation from ACCJC. In June 2006, the name was changed to Berkeley City College when it moved into its first and current building, a six-story, 165,000 square foot campus designed to accommodate 7,800 students.Background
Berkeley City College serves students who seek general education, transfer to four-year universities, degrees and certificates in liberal arts and occupational areas, career preparation, or precollegiate skills. It offers transfer and occupational training classes, associate degree and certificate programs. The college is an active partner in local economic development and employment training endeavors. Financial aid, academic and career counseling, programs for students with disabilities and assistance for economically disadvantaged students are available.Student Body
The student body represents a diverse mix of ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds. They are high school students enrolled in advanced courses, full-time workers, people who wish to transfer to a four-year university and individuals who are the first in their families to attend college, among others. As of spring 2011, enrollment was 7,619 students, 27% of which were Caucasian, 19% African American, 16% Asian, 12% Latino, 8% multirace, 2% Filipino, >1% Native American, and 15% declined to state. The majority of students were 19-24, with the second largest age group being 25-29. The average age has declined from 44 in 1988 to 31 in 2011.Academics
The college maintains a strong and unique community college-university collaboration with the University of California at Berkeley. The college had the fifth highest transfer rate to UC Berkeley in California in academic year 2004-05 and remains in the top five as of 2011.Berkeley City College structures its transfer courses into guaranteed afternoon, evening and Saturday schedules so that students can complete University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
and California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
transfer requirements, even if they work full time.
Berkeley City College's curriculum also focuses on several important areas which are vital to local economic development and educational needs. Programs and classes in biotechnology, business, computer information systems, office technology and multimedia and web design, and social services paraprofessional training integrate academics and occupational education with business and community partnerships. As part of a CalWORKs collaborative, the college has developed training programs for those affected by welfare reform legislation. The college hosts the Center for International Trade Development which provides counseling and international economic development services to local small businesses.
See also
- College of AlamedaCollege of AlamedaCollege of Alameda is a two-year community college located in Alameda, California.The college is part of the Peralta Community College District and was opened in 1968. The college has been located at its campus at Atlantic Avenue and Webster Street since 1970...
- Laney CollegeLaney CollegeLaney College is a community college located in Oakland, California, next to the Lake Merritt BART station and the Kaiser Convention Center. Laney is the largest of the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District which serves northern Alameda County.Laney College originally opened in...
- Merritt CollegeMerritt CollegeMerritt College is a two-year community college located in the Oakland Hills in Alameda County, California. The school's enrollment is approximately 6,000 students. The college is named after physician Dr...