New semester nears as we fight for future of our school

The front of the City College of San Francisco's Wellness Center on Ocean campus, Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
The front of the City College of San Francisco's Wellness Center on Ocean campus, Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
The front of the City College of San Francisco’s Wellness Center on Ocean campus, Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman

Staff Editorial

The fall semester at City College may be coming to a close, but the battle to retain the school’s accreditation is becoming more intense each day.

City College is currently in the appeals process to reverse the commission’s decision to close the school’s doors next July.

This means the upcoming spring 2014 semester could potentially be the last.

The Accrediting Commission for Junior and Community Colleges’ decision to revoke the college’s accreditation in July sparked a fire in the community to save our school.

Since the semester began there have been protests, forums and lawsuits, all aiming to fight not only the decision, but the accrediting commission itself.

It is a fight to keep the dream of education alive for students that never thought they could go to college, a fight that will allow students to find their passion through our rich and diverse academic programs.

City College is embedded in our community and holds great economic value for the city of San Francisco.

An economic impact report was released on Sept. 18 estimating City College’s closure would impact the city’s economy by about $300 million.

The study estimated the school serves about 80,000 students and employs roughly 2,500 faculty and staff, The Guardsman reported.

The repercussions of closing one of the largest community colleges in California are immeasurable.

Students who are not prepared to transfer will either take on a hefty commute to another college, move to another city or drop out altogether.

Imagine how frustrating this will be to those who are two or three semesters away from an associates degree or certificate. Their time and money may end up being wasted.

Think of the faculty and staff that may be close to retirement. Do they go out and find new jobs so close to the end of their careers?

These possibilities could very well become reality in a few short months, but with the city attorney, politicians and The U.S. Department of Education all questioning the commission’s actions, there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic.