Today, Laney College President Rudy Besikof began a permanent leave of absence “by mutual agreement” with the Peralta Community College District, pending the end of his contract on June 30.
Besikof announced his departure from Peralta in an email addressed to the “Laney Community” on Tuesday.
“It has been my great privilege to work at Laney College since 2018, first as the Vice President of Instruction and for nearly five years as your President,” Besikof wrote.
District Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson confirmed Besikof’s announcement in a follow-up email the same day, expressing her “deep gratitude […] for his years of dedicated service.”
The Laney student body did not appear to receive either email detailing Besikof’s leave.
The Peralta Board of Trustees voted not to renew his contract during the closed session portion of its March 11 meeting, Besikof confirmed to The Citizen. According to the meeting minutes, trustees voted unanimously, 7-0.
Vice President of Instruction Becky Opsata is assuming Besikof’s responsibilities as Acting President effective immediately. Laney’s Dean of Math, Sciences and Engineering Inger Stark will fill in for Opsata as the college’s Acting Vice President of Instruction.
Besikof has worked in administrative roles within the California Community College system for nearly 15 years. Before he came to Peralta, he worked as the Vice President of Instruction at Mt. San Jacinto College in Riverside.
Besikof was originally hired as Laney’s Vice President of Instruction in May 2018. When former Laney College President Gilkerson exited the position in July 2020, Besikof assumed the role as interim president. Besikof was then appointed as permanent president in Nov. 2020.
In Feb. 2021, soon after he achieved permanency, the Laney College Faculty Senate passed a resolution to censure Besikof alleging a “lack of planning, communication and leadership.”
District Chancellor Gilkerson voiced her desire for strong leadership at the college in a meeting with Laney community members this afternoon. She said upon returning to the Peralta district as Chancellor, she was “dismayed” to see that the state of Laney’s facilities had not improved since her time as college president.
Gilkerson highlighted the women’s locker room at the college, where mandated renovations have stalled for nearly a decade – though she clarified that Laney’s troubles largely stem from district-wide “pain points.”
The end of Besikof’s presidency comes after the college removed 14 staffed positions as part of budget cuts made to the district. According to Mark Johnson, Peralta’s executive director of Marketing, Communication and Public Relations, the district is “look[ing] to find places for” affected employees.
Besikof has applied to multiple administrative roles during his tenure as college president. In Oct. 2023, Besikof was named a finalist in the Peralta Chancellor search. He was also a finalist for the San Mateo California Community College District Chancellor search in 2024.
Besikof is currently a finalist in the San Francisco City College Chancellor search. The San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees will announce their selection tomorrow.
Opsata is also a finalist in Skyline College’s president search, which will name their chief administrator by May. If hired at Skyline, Opsata would not be slated to start until July 1.
According to Gilkerson, more details about the district’s plans for Besikof’s former position will be publicized in “mid-April.”
Eliot Faine and Lylah Schmedel-Permanna contributed to this report.
(3/21/25) Editor’s note: This story has been edited to clarify the circumstances of Besikof’s leave.
