Latest news with #Gilkerson
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Chancellor proposes merging Oakland's two largest colleges into ‘Oakland City College' amid financial strain
Image credit: Gemini Oakland's two largest community colleges could soon operate under one name. Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson of the Peralta Community College District told staff this week, according to US media reports, that she will recommend merging Laney College and Merritt College into a single institution, to be called Oakland City College. The announcement, captured in a district video and first reported by The Citizen , a South African daily newspaper, marks a dramatic pivot as the four-college system confronts rising financial pressures and stagnant enrollment. A district under strain Peralta is grappling with a projected $13.5 million budget gap this year. More troubling, it is among 10 community college districts statewide that no longer qualify for annual cost-of-living increases. The district has failed to meet at least one of the state's three key thresholds: matching 2018 enrollment levels, enrolling enough low-income students, or awarding sufficient degrees and certificates. In February, trustees openly warned that they might be forced to shutter a campus. Gilkerson's proposal reframes the crisis, offering consolidation as a way forward. A promise of no cuts, for now At a staff meeting last Thursday, Gilkerson reassured employees that no budget cuts would hit the district for the next two years, a pledge that drew applause from the packed room. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Mixed Pink Salt With This - Now She Can't Stop Losing Weight Your Health Undo She framed the merger not as retrenchment but as a strategy to strengthen the system. 'The idea is thinking, what would it look like to prune, to grow three tremendous colleges?' Gilkerson said, according to The Citizen. Merging Oakland's academic anchors Laney, based on Fallon Street in downtown Oakland, serves about 14,400 students. Merritt, perched in the East Oakland hills, enrolls roughly 11,000. Together, they account for nearly 80 percent of the district's student body. If combined, Oakland City College would be one of California's largest community colleges and a powerful new brand in a city defined by reinvention. Support with caution Early reaction from employees was measured but largely supportive. 'If [the chancellor] is trying to avoid duplicate services, I'm all for it,' Jamila Saley, an executive assistant, told The Citizen. Laney College President Becky Opsata struck a practical tone, noting that other districts often run fewer colleges. 'I think we'll be able to figure it out,' she said. The questions ahead While enthusiasm is building, hard questions remain unanswered: How much would the merger truly save? Can the district preserve the distinct identities of Laney and Merritt under one roof? Will students see better access to classes and services, or new layers of bureaucracy? More than a budget story The merger conversation is about more than financial efficiency. For Oakland, it is a reckoning with how public higher education adapts in a city where community colleges are often the gateway to opportunity. As trustees weigh Gilkerson's proposal, the decision will reverberate well beyond the campuses. The fate of Oakland City College could redefine not just the Peralta district, but the future of community college education in the East Bay. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Farmers seeking answers regarding federal cuts and frozen funds
RAINELLE, WV, ALDERSON, WV (WVNS) — Farmers are still reeling from the total loss of the funding to schools and food banks that allowed those organizations to buy fresh, local produce. Now, more federal funding has been frozen and farmers want answers. How local cattle farmers feel about the new tariffs The most recent program to have its funding frozen is the Labor Stabilization and Protection Program through the United States Department of Agriculture. The LSP allows farmers to hire H-2A workers, foreign workers who are allowed to come to the U.S. temporarily to perform agricultural labor. Jennifer Gilkerson, an owner of Sunset Berry Farm in Alderson, signed a contract that would allow her to recoup the costs of participating in this program. Now that those funds have been frozen, however, she said she is on the hook for the full amount. 'Between paying the labor agency and the actual cost of bringing in H-2A workers, our debt that we have accrued is about $50,000. Which is the same amount that the government contract was for. So, they were essentially supposed to cover the costs that we don't normally incur,' said Gilkerson. Gilkerson said she and other local farmers have been calling and writing to their representatives in both the federal and state governments since the funding cuts began. Trey Yates, owner of Greenbrier Dairy, is one of those farmers calling out for answers. Though, he said, the answers are not forthcoming. 'Did every farmer vote the same way? No. But yet, we have representation at a state level, and even a federal level, and we're not being represented. Even if they would respond to our calls, saying, this is never coming back, figure something else out, that'd be better than hearing nothing at all,' said Yates. Trump administration to fast-track fossil fuels and mining on public lands Yates said he is having to make drastic changes to his production methods and business model just to try and stay afloat during summer. If nothing changes, he does not know what fall will bring. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
