Spring is a season of renewal. Morning birdsong heralds in this newness. Trees and flowers bloom – perhaps a little earlier now than in previous generations – as if to show us that growth is everywhere. And so too is renewal in the air at our community colleges – Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College and Merritt College. This will be my last “College Notes” column.
For nearly 19 years, it has been a privilege for me to serve Peralta Colleges’ students, faculty, staff and the community as Executive Director for Public Information, Communications & Media. But this spring brings change my way, too, and I am excited about my new position with the City of Lafayette.
The Peralta Colleges have formed the backbone of higher education in the East Bay for more than 50 years. And it was a surprise when one day not long ago I found that I was the most senior manager in district administration and the longest-serving member of the chancellor’s cabinet, having served under six chancellors.
Through these years, the public information team work diligently to reach our students and the community. They are committed professionals and I am honored to have worked alongside such dedicated, student-focused individuals for so many years.
Over nearly two decades, we had many successes at Peralta. Our early marketing efforts resulted in an enrollment rise of 25 percent over previous semesters, as featured in a Feb, 24, 2002, Oakland Tribune article with this enviable headline: “Record number of students enroll at Peralta Colleges.”
We built Berkeley City College together, and the public information staff came up with a new name for the college formerly known as Vista College. We were able to negotiate an agreement for the lease of unused TV spectrum that, in total, will bring $11.7 million in revenue to the district. This, along with a separately negotiated agreement with the City of Oakland that annually funds the department’s equipment, allowed us to do a significant portion of work without using monies from Peralta’s General Fund, thus saving the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The public information team received dozens of awards for its work over the years. And, after a decade of attempts, we were able establish an educational/community radio station, KGPC 96.9 FM, securing one of only two frequencies available in the media-saturated Bay Area.
Peralta’s public information department pioneered the use of social media at community colleges.
And very few college systems anywhere can rival Peralta TV’s YouTube channel with its 1,339 videos and 1,029,765 views. We produced the first live broadcasts of Laney Eagles football games, and viewers can now watch accessible live streams of events, spotlights on our students and faculty, board meetings, and graduation ceremonies anytime they wish. I have to mention Peralta TV’s award-winning documentary on the origins of the Black Panther Party at Peralta. This film, narrated by U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee and shown at the United Nations in New York, is used in classrooms across the county. Peralta’s legacy is truly nationwide.
The job of Peralta’s public information department is simply to capture the vibrant story and the history of the institution, share it with the community, and demonstrate to students the richness of the diverse courses, programs and opportunities that Peralta offers them. The public information team will carry on this vital task long after I am gone.
Over the years, I have always kept one thing forefront in my mind: our students. As long as the Peralta Colleges continue to put students first, this stalwart institution will live up to its promise and the community’s expectations.
Follow Jeffrey Heyman on Twitter at @JeffHeyman.