College of Alameda Names Nicole Porter Top Student Officer

College of Alameda, in Alameda, CA, has a new top academic leader. Dr. Nicole Porter started July 1, 2026, as the college's first Executive Vice President of Student Learning and Success, a newly created position built to bring academics and student services under one roof and cut down on canceled classes.

• Who: Dr. Nicole Porter, previously College of Alameda's Vice President of Instruction
• New title: Executive Vice President of Student Learning and Success, a first for the college
• Started: July 1, 2026
• Why it exists: Combines academics and student services under one leader to fight class cancellations and widen course access
• Also new: The Peralta Community College District created matching roles at Merritt College, Laney College and Berkeley City College this summer

Who is Dr. Nicole Porter?

She's a longtime College of Alameda administrator with more than 25 years in education. Before this role, Porter served as the college's Vice President of Instruction, and before that as Vice President of Student Services and Equity and as an Instructional Dean. She's also a former tenured faculty member, so she's sat on both sides of the classroom, teaching and running the office that decides what gets taught.

Why did College of Alameda create this role?

To stop two departments from working in silos. Until now, instruction and student services at College of Alameda answered to separate leaders. The new Executive Vice President post puts one person in charge of both, and Porter has already been credited with work to eliminate class cancellations and expand access to gateway courses, the intro classes students need before they can move on to a major.

What changes for Alameda students?

The goal is fewer canceled sections and a clearer path from enrollment to a degree or transfer. Peralta Community College District Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson said the three new Executive Vice Presidents, in Alameda and at Peralta's sister colleges, will "work closely with their college communities and with one another in support of student learning." For Alameda students and their families, that's supposed to mean less scrambling every semester to find a class that still has seats.

What happens next

Porter is now three months into the job, overseeing her first full fall semester in the combined role. The real test comes at spring registration, when students and counselors will find out whether the reorganization actually means more classes stay open. You can read the Peralta Community College District's announcement of all three new Executive Vice Presidents for the full rundown, and check the Pulse's education coverage for what else is changing at Alameda's schools this fall.