The board of trustees of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District in California has appointed Jamal A. Cooks as the tenth president of Chabot College in Haywood, California.
Chabit College, on the East side of San Francisco Bay, enrolls nearly 11,000 students, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 9 percent of the student body.
“It is an honor to be entrusted with the presidency at Chabot College,” Dr. Cooks said. “My goal is to build on the strong legacy of this institution and deliver the best learning experience possible to our community, anchored in social justice and equity for our students.”
Dr. Cooks has served as vice president of academic services at Chabot since 2022, although he assumed the role on an interim basis in 2021. Prior to community college administration, Dr. Cooks served as a full professor at San Francisco State University, where he was also the associate director for the educational leadership doctoral program.
Originally from East Oakland, Dr. Cooks earned a bachelor’s degree in the political economy of industrial societies from the University of California, Berkeley. He holds a master’s degree in social studies curriculum development and a Ph.D. in language, literacy and culture, both from the University of Michigan.
