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City College Seeks to Improve Student Equity Services Beginning in January

The counseling department is at the top of the task force’s list to improve access to student services, located on the Ocean Campus. (Photo by Cassie Ordonio/The Guardsman)
The counseling department is at the top of the task force’s list to improve access to student services, located on the Ocean Campus. (Photo by Cassie Ordonio/The Guardsman)

By Cassie Ordonio/Staff Writer

As City College approaches the final stages of reaffirming their accreditation, the college must first show the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges that they have improved student equity services.

The task force,  E.A.S.E. (Equal Access to Success Emergency task force) developed a draft of plans to address the following services: counseling, admissions and records, financial aid, student affairs, tutoring and the libraries. The implementation will begin January 2016.

Developed by Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb in early August, the task force consist of 37 members with a combination of students, administration and faculty. The task force is headed by Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Development Samuel Santos, Academic Senate Liaison Lisa Romano and classified staff Teresa Melendrez.

The task force met seven times in August, for two to three hours each meeting, to organize a plan to implement improved equity services at each campus.

The student equity task force must improve services for all 11 locations around the city.

“We’re trying to target all students in the centers,” Romano said.

Student Access

In a discussion about enrollment at City College April 24, Rick Fillman, director of research for institutional effectiveness at the college, presented data examining declining college enrollment of graduates from San Francisco Unified School District high schools.

Fewer high school graduates are enrolling at City College, fewer at four-year colleges, and the number of high school graduates not enrolling in college at all has increased.

“I think it reflects that we haven’t reached really well to SFUSD,” Lamb said. “There are new ways to work with the SFUSD. Students are more likely to come here from high school to get a head start.”

Lamb said the task force will be working with SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and AFT 2121 (American Federation of Teachers) in the next month. The first main goal for them is finish the draft and hand it in to Lamb.

Departments in Need

One department that suffered from the college’s accreditation crisis is the counseling department.

“Our department lost all of our part timers,” Romano said. “They were all laid off at the time because of funding. It’s been really difficult to replace counselors who have retired or have gone on to another position.”

Currently, the college’s airport center has no counselors, according to the task force.

Part of the task force’s plan is to hire counselors for all locations this semester.

The task force action plan also includes training each center’s staff, deans and community members about Student Success and Support Program mandates (formerly called Matriculation Process, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office), designating counseling coordinators for all centers, scheduling matriculation activities at underserved campuses and increasing counselors-to-student outreach.

Funding is the task force’s primary concern in order to proceed with their plans to improve access to student services.

“We have a significant step down in our funding,” Lamb said. “What we’re trying to do is find existing funds.”

City College has two separate categorical funds: student success funds and equity funds.

Department chair of Latin American and Latino studies Edgar Torres said his department has applied for equity funds in order to upgrade computer systems which will help Latino students with their math classes.

“The Math 80 course is a huge stumbling block for Latinos trying to transfer,” Torres said. “We have to close the achievement gap.”

Torres said the new system would cost up to $20,000.

Final Step

The task force’s main goal was to complete their draft for improving access throughout district.

The last item on the task force’s checklist is to submit their draft to Interim Chancellor Lamb to complete the evaluation process by the end of the fall semester.

“I feel very confident in the work folks are doing in student development to pass accreditation,” Santos said. “There is still a lot of work to do, but there are a lot of dedicated students who are involved, hardworking classified staff, faculty and administrative team of student development. We all want to see us make it.”

 


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