Closure of the Civic Center Campus impacts attendence

By Otto Pippenger
The Guardsman

As of Feb. 11, 2015, all available evidence suggests that very few of the 2000 credit and noncredit students of the currently closed 750 Eddy Street, City College campus have resumed attendance at any of the school’s other campuses.

There is no official count at this time of how many students are still in attendance from that school, although anecdotal evidence suggests very few.

Although the Jan. 13, announcement directed students to the 33 Gough Street administration building to resume classes, administration has further dispersed students to the John Adams, China Town, and Mission Center campuses. Only 350 Civic Center students arrived at 33 Gough Street, on Feb. 2, to begin classes as the administration had originally announced.

However, due to similar seismic concerns in the structure, and its imminent sale, classes were moved sometime thereafter at a date employees at the Gough Street building would not disclose to  the three sites listed above. One administration member, speaking anonymously said, “This was all known about in 2000 or 2001.”

He added, “We’re working our asses off to get them back into Civic Center. Three years max.”

At one of these campuses, many courses including one English as a second language (ESL) classes have resumed after being moved from Eddy Street. In the reporters observed, two students out of an original class size of 39 were present.

The instructor, requesting anonymity, said that they had been told of the second changed location on the first day of classes at Gough Street.

“Since resuming classes here, the most I’ve had in one day is eight students. I’m telling everyone to tell whoever they can that we still exist,” the instructor said.

The instructor has not remained in contact with most of the classes original students, “I got some of the students’ phone numbers, and have talked to a few. Most don’t speak enough english to clearly say what is preventing them, but most I spoke to said it was simply too far,” the instructor added.

The instructor declined to describe the situations of other teachers in the same situation, saying only, “I think we’re all lucky to have classes.”

The ESL instructor reported having little knowledge about future plans, “The chancellor said we’re being Held Harmless for this semester. I don’t know about the next one,” the instructor said. (Being Held Harmless means that teachers will not be held responsible for low enrollment this semester.)

Engineering instructor and activist Wendy Kaufmyn was more forthcoming saying, “Dozens have been relocated out of 2000.”

A written resolution from the City College Academic Senate in protest of the closure and its handling was passed at the executive council meeting of the Academic Senate at Mission Center campus on Feb. 11, concluding that “(T)he sudden relocation of 750 Eddy classes has been a harmful interruption to the education and job prospects of San Francisco’s most vulnerable neighborhood… so be it resolved, that in the future, the Chancellor follow Federal and State Education law and CCSF Board Policies as well as Collegial Consultation as required by the ACCJC (Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges) 2014 Accreditation Standard IV.”

One anonymous source whose job with the City and County of San Francisco deals mostly with the treatment of Juvenile offenders described the closed campus at 750 Eddy Street, as “A badass school for badass people…most of our referees are on informal probation…Civic Center campus is more therapeutic than regular school.”

Another source disclosed that, “The Chancellor has approved a $20 Clipper card for low income students to travel, but there is no refill. I believe they will reopen the campus, but it needs to happen as soon as possible.”

Clipper cards have been given to fifty students, out of the 350 who initially arrived at 33 Gough Street.

ESL instructor and Academic Senate member Susan Lopez emphasized that the moves have been particularly hard on the Latino, African and Middle Eastern student population, especially those with families, saying, “The state is supposedly emphasizing workforce development, but in this relocation the students left out have been working people of color with family who rely on having a nearby educational resource. Civic Center was their option for school.”

Lopez also takes issue with the lack of planning for the move, saying,“if it takes 12- to 18- months of planning alone to begin construction there was no need for an emergency removal. I thought Gough street was a strange plan to begin with. I didn’t see the things they said they would be doing (to prepare the building for students) happening in two weeks.”

Although the Civic Center Campus is closed help with GEDs can be obtained at Ocean, Mission, John Adams, Evans, Chinatown, Southeast, Airport and Downtown campuses contact Admissions and Enrollment at (415) 561-1824 for further information regarding GEDs.

Michael Burkett of The Guardsman also contributed to this story.