Laney College is a

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community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

in Oakland, California. Laney is the largest of the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District which serves northern Alameda County. Laney College is named after Joseph Clarence Laney. The college offers both certificates and credits for

Associate of Arts An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

degree, as well as prerequisites to transfer to four year universities. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

History

Laney College traces its history to the Central Trade School by the Oakland Board of the Education in 1927 and the Merritt School of Business (now Merritt College) founded in 1929. The trade school was later renamed Joseph C. Laney Trade and Technical Institute. Oakland Junior College was founded in 1953 with Laney serving as the vocational training center and Merritt hosting the liberal arts and business programs. In 1958, the college was renamed Oakland City College. With the establishment of the Peralta Junior College District in 1964, Laney Institute, located on the current campus, and Merritt College became separate autonomous colleges in their present-day forms. The current campus was opened prior to the 1970–71 academic year.

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 quad. Surrounding the quad are the student center,

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, and gymnasium. 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 outdoor courtyards in the centers of each square on a higher level, ringed by classrooms and offices; and more classrooms and vocational facilities on the lower level, all accessed from the perimeter of the building. However, none of the higher levels are on the same level as each other; they are connected by numerous stairs and ramps. 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 material, 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

"Auditorium Housing Project" which housed war industry workers from around the United States, many of whom worked in the

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. 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 The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

Student Life

Activities

As of the 2024–2025 academic year, Laney has 19 registered student clubs. These clubs range from affinity groups such as the Black Student Union to sports fellowships such as Soccer Nation. Laney also offers numerous Student Communities which offer support to students by creating spaces for like minded students. Many of these communities offer tutoring, study spaces, and group mentorship for members.

Student Government

The Associated Students of Laney College (ASLC) is the official student government, composed of a president, vice president, student advocate, treasurer, publicity commissioner, clubs affairs officer, and seven senators, along secretaries of internal and external affairs. The ASLC allocates funding for student clubs and campus events. The student advocate serves as Laney College’s representative to the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), a statewide body that advocates for student interests at the systemwide level. The incumbent ASLC president is Owen Flaherty who is serving the 2025-2026 term.

Athletics

In 1960, student Linda Vail won the U.S. Tennis Association national intercollegiate women's tennis championships in both singles and doubles.

Football

The Laney Eagles compete in the Bay 6 Football Conference, which is governed by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). They are led by head coach John Beam, who has won the CCCAA Coach of the Year award. In the 2018 season, Laney won the CCCAA State Football Championship and was deemed the Mythical National Champion, due to the regional splits between the CCCAA, which governs all 68 California junior college football programs, and the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

, which governs junior college athletics across the rest of the United States, and covers 65 football programs. In 2020, Laney Football was featured in season 5 of the

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sports series '' Last Chance U''.

Notable people

Faculty

* Carole Ward Allen, professor, ethnic studies * Phil Snow, football coach

Alumni

Oakland City College, Laney campus

* Ron Dellums, US Congressman and mayor of Oakland * Gil Kahele, Hawaii state legislator * Frank Oz, puppeteer, director

Laney College

* Teddy Abrams, orchestral conductor and composer * C. J. Anderson, football player * Seth Bogart, artist and musician * Steve Howard, former MLB player * Chuck Jacobs, football player * Sterling Moore, football player * Reggie Redding, football player * James Robinson, US track champion 800 meters * Tony Sanchez, college football head coach * George Wells, wrestler * Tommy Wiseau, director, actor, producer, screenwriter * Nahshon Wright, football player * Rejzohn Wright, football player

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control California Community Colleges Education in Oakland, California Universities and colleges established in 1953 Universities and colleges in Alameda County, California Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges 1953 establishments in California Triangular buildings Two-year colleges in the United States