Laney College
Encyclopedia
Laney 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 1953 as Oakland City College, at the former University High School campus (which operated from 1923 to 1948). It offers both certificates and credits for Associate of Arts degree, as well as prerequisites to transfer to four year universities.
The college, in addition to the other three campuses of the Peralta College District, is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
.
. Facing the quad are the student center, theater
, library
, and gym
nasium. On one corner is the triangular "Laney Tower", the main administration building; on the opposite is another triangular building housing a lecture hall
and dance studio. Academic buildings form the outer ring of the complex. Each has a similar design, with courtyards in the centers of each square on the second level, ringed by classrooms and offices; and more classrooms and vocational facilities on the first level, accessed from the perimeter of the building. Most of the outer buildings occupy two or three squares on the grid. The entire complex shares a red brick and concrete theme, with sharp corners, square and triangular shapes, and little vegetation.
The newest academic building is the art center, which is adjacent to the main complex but has its own architectural style. The building opened in the 2006-2007 school year. It was designed by Beverly Prior Architects to be built from prefabricated materials, because of the short time frame between the start of construction and planned opening.
The channel that connects Lake Merritt to the Oakland Estuary
runs through the center of the campus. The southeastern half of the campus on the other side of the channel is mainly used for athletic and Peralta Community College District facilities. This section was also the former site of the World War II
"Auditorium Housing Project" which housed war industry workers from around the United States, many of whom worked in the Kaiser Shipyards
. The housing was demolished sometime after the war, and in the early 1960s, a temporary football stadium called Frank Youell Field
was constructed on the site for use by the Oakland Raiders
.
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
located in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, next to the Lake Merritt BART station
Lake Merritt (BART station)
The Lake Merritt Bay Area Rapid Transit station is located in Downtown Oakland on Oak Street near Lake Merritt, Chinatown, Laney College and the Oakland Museum. This station consists of an underground island platform....
and the Kaiser Convention Center
Kaiser Convention Center
The Kaiser Convention Center is a 5,492-seat multi-purpose arena in Oakland, California that opened in 1914. In the 1950's and 1960's the Roller Derby played there hundreds of times. It was home to the Oakland Skates roller hockey team. Originally known as the Oakland Auditorium, it was renamed in...
. Laney is the largest of the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District
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...
which serves northern Alameda County.
Laney College originally opened in 1953 as Oakland City College, at the former University High School campus (which operated from 1923 to 1948). It offers both certificates and credits for Associate of Arts degree, as well as prerequisites to transfer to four year universities.
The college, in addition to the other three campuses of the Peralta College District, is accredited by 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...
.
Academics
Laney is divided into five divisions and sixty-one departments.Instruction Divisions
- Division of Business, Mathematics, and Sciences
- Division of Community Partnerships and Workforce Development
- Division of Fine and Applied Arts, Communications, and Physical Education
- Division of Humanities, Language Arts, and Social Sciences
- Division of Career Technical Education
Student services
Laney also has a variety of [student support services] http://www.peralta.edu/apps/pub.asp?Q=71 to provide assistance for academic instruction.- Assessment Center
- Child Care Center
- Counseling
- Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS)
- Health Services
- Project Bridge
- Ubaka with Briana Simpson
- Student Center
- Student Employment
- Student Government
- Transfer Center
- Tutorial Center
- Workforce Development/CalWORKS Program
Campus
Most of the college's academic and administrative buildings are clustered together in a complex in the northern corner of the campus. The buildings are arranged on a rigid grid, with two levels of concrete pathways providing circulation. The square in the center of the complex has been reserved for the quadQuadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
. Facing the quad are the student center, theater
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
, library
Academic library
An academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff...
, and gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium. On one corner is the triangular "Laney Tower", the main administration building; on the opposite is another triangular building housing a lecture hall
Lecture hall
A lecture hall is a large room used for instruction, typically at a college or university. Unlike a traditional classroom with a capacity from one to four dozen, the capacity of lecture halls is typically measured in the hundreds...
and dance studio. Academic buildings form the outer ring of the complex. Each has a similar design, with courtyards in the centers of each square on the second level, ringed by classrooms and offices; and more classrooms and vocational facilities on the first level, accessed from the perimeter of the building. Most of the outer buildings occupy two or three squares on the grid. The entire complex shares a red brick and concrete theme, with sharp corners, square and triangular shapes, and little vegetation.
The newest academic building is the art center, which is adjacent to the main complex but has its own architectural style. The building opened in the 2006-2007 school year. It was designed by Beverly Prior Architects to be built from prefabricated materials, because of the short time frame between the start of construction and planned opening.
The channel that connects Lake Merritt to the Oakland Estuary
Oakland Estuary
The Oakland Estuary is the body of water separating the cities of Oakland and Alameda, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. On its western end it connects to San Francisco Bay, while its eastern end connects to San Leandro Bay.-Crossings:...
runs through the center of the campus. The southeastern half of the campus on the other side of the channel is mainly used for athletic and Peralta Community College District facilities. This section was also the former site of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
"Auditorium Housing Project" which housed war industry workers from around the United States, many of whom worked in the Kaiser Shipyards
Kaiser Shipyards
The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located mostly on the U.S. west coast during World War II. They were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J...
. The housing was demolished sometime after the war, and in the early 1960s, a temporary football stadium called Frank Youell Field
Frank Youell Field
Frank Youell Field was a football stadium that stood in Oakland, California. It was the home of the Oakland Raiders from 1962 to 1965.The stadium, which was essentially a temporary home until the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was completed, sat 22,000 and cost $400,000 to build. The facility was...
was constructed on the site for use by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
See also
- Berkeley City CollegeBerkeley City CollegeBerkeley City College , 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- Laney TowerLaney TowerThe Laney Tower is the student-run newspaper of Laney College in Oakland, California. The Laney Tower was established in 1952 and is one of the oldest community college newspapers in the state of California...
newspaper