Acting College of Alameda (CoA) President Diana Bajrami announced today her decision to step down and return to a faculty position effective March 13.

“I firmly believe that at this time my knowledge, skills, and expertise will serve COA and PCCD best in my role as an economics educator,” Bajrami wrote in an email sent to the CoA Faculty, Administration and Staff (FAS) listserv.

Bajrami received a contract extension for her role as Acting CoA President through June 30 at last week’s meeting of the Peralta Community College District (PCCD) Board of Trustees.

She has decided not to accept the extension, according to the email.

PCCD Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson told The Citizen via email she is working on finding a replacement for Bajrami and hopes to make an announcement by March 12.

The district is also searching for a permanent college president for CoA, according to Gilkerson. A campus-wide listening session for the search process is set for March 11 at 1:00 p.m.

Bajrami also received a contract extension for her former position of Vice President of Instruction at CoA through June 30, 2026. Gilkerson confirmed that Bajrami is resigning from that role in order to return to her faculty position.

The role is currently held by Maurice Jones, who has served as Acting Vice President of Instruction since Bajrami accepted the presidency.

Bajrami was a full-time economics professor at CoA for 20 years before becoming Vice President of Instruction in 2021.

In September 2022, she was appointed Acting CoA President by former Interim Chancellor Jannett Jackson, initially for a six-month “temporary assignment.”

The assignment was part of a chain of appointments stemming from a vacancy in district offices.

PCCD’s former Interim Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, Adil Ahmed, requested to step down from his position in August 2022.

Jackson subsequently appointed Nathaniel Jones III to the role. Bajrami took on Jones’ former role of CoA president.