Laney and Merritt Colleges are expected to merge in 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Photo illustration by Inside Higher Ed | Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n
A controversial plan to merge two Oakland, Calif., community colleges is moving forward after the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees signed off last week. <\/p>\n
Proponents of the move say it\u2019ll cut down administrative costs amid enrollment declines and long-standing budget challenges. Critics argue the move is hasty and the district\u2019s two largest colleges should preserve their distinct identities.<\/p>\n
Laney and Merritt Colleges will become Oakland City College by fall 2027 as part of a broader district transformation plan<\/a> introduced last summer. The plan also includes goals to expand online degree programs, dual enrollment and evening and weekend classes. Both Laney and Merritt will continue to operate as their own campuses. The Peralta Community College District acknowledged<\/a> that some positions will be impacted but didn\u2019t provide further detail.<\/p>\n District leaders say Peralta needs a drastic revamp. Enrollment has plummeted across the district, including at Laney and Merritt, in recent years. Laney College\u2019s head count fell from 17,698 in 2019\u201320<\/a> to 9,828 in 2024\u201325<\/a>, according to the district. Merritt College\u2019s enrollment similarly dropped from 11,856 to 7,195 over that same period. Peralta has also struggled with budget deficits for more than a decade, according to the district\u2019s website<\/a>, and it is contending with the rising costs affecting higher ed institutions across the country. The district laid off staff last year but now projects to meet its budget for the next two years. <\/p>\n Adding to the challenges, the district also has four colleges within a nine-mile radius, which sets colleges up to compete with one another, said Tammeil Gilkerson, chancellor of the Peralta Community College District. <\/p>\n Gilkerson described the merger as part of a \u201cpruning to grow\u201d approach. She hopes getting rid of redundant or underperforming programs across the district, not just at the two colleges, will allow Peralta to invest in programs each campus does uniquely well.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is all about students and a community that I love, and for a district to meet the mission that it set out to do and be able to do it thoughtfully and responsibly,\u201d Gilkerson said. Financial and operational challenges have been a distraction from \u201cactually having a true plan that\u00a0\u2026 allows us a pathway forward\u201d focused on student success.<\/p>\n At last week\u2019s board meeting, Tina Vasconcellos, the district\u2019s vice chancellor, highlighted dozens of programs in which she said about 90\u00a0percent of students didn\u2019t complete or transferred out. <\/p>\n The merger could help \u201credirect resources\u201d and better \u201cpackage the programs in a way, schedule in a way, that students can achieve their goals,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Facing Pushback<\/p>\n The merger, however, has faced opposition.<\/p>\n