‘Hard budget’ contributes to confusion over class cancellation

September 23, 2009February 25, 2020 The Guardsman

City College student Shashi Dalal and retired instructor Charles Collins move computer equipment from their canceled computer repair class at the Southeast campus. The computer equipment would have been recycled as e-waste, according to Dalal. Confusion arose over the cutting of the class when several students turned up to discover it had been canceled. A number of factors contributed to what City College Trustee Chris Jackson described as a temporary cancellation of the class, including low enrollment and a need for space for an affiliate of the Gateway to College program. "We are in limbo right now," Dalal said. ALEX EMSLIE / THE GUARDSMAN

By Fleur Bailey and Alex Emslie
NEWS EDITOR AND OPINIONS AND EDITORIALS EDITOR

Confusion arose at the beginning of the semester over the cutting of a Computer Repair and Technology class. Several students turned up for the class, previously located at Southeast campus, to discover it had been canceled.

A number of factors contributed to what City College Trustee Chris Jackson described as a temporary cancellation of the class, including low enrollment and a need for space for an affiliate of the Gateway to College program.

“We are in limbo right now,” said City College student Sashi Dalal. “We keep hearing contradictory things. Chancellor Griffin said we could have room 408, but he didn’t know we had no teacher.”

Dr. Veronica Hunnicutt, dean of the Southeast campus, said the administration posted notification of the changes to the computer class, and also a change of location to a fashion class, in their internal schedule and online.

“We did diligence by trying to contact all individuals that we could to make them aware of the intended changes,” she said. “We made an earnest effort to make sure the students were informed.”

Dr. Charles Collins, who taught the class previous to his retirement on July 1, and some students expected a new instructor to take over the class.

“I was willing to orient a new teacher,” Collins said.

However, City College instituted a hiring freeze early in 2009, so there was no intended replacement for the position.

“The teacher retired and it’s a very hard budget,” Jackson said. “It was almost like a club. The same students would retake these courses over and over again. It was more like a computer repair club, meaning it wasn’t really serving the community.”

Jackson referenced high unemployment in the Bayview district, with some estimates nearing 40 percent, and the mission of City College’s Southeast campus to aid that community.

But Collins and some of his students disagree.

“This class gives knowledge enough to apply and get placement in a training program,” Collins said. “That is a job opportunity. It could lead to employment with BART, MUNI or the Post Office. Is it job related? From a teacher’s standpoint I believe it is.”

City College student Ronald Bozeman, a retired early childhood educator, said it would take at least three semesters in the class to gain the knowledge necessary to work in the computer repair industry. He began taking the course over two years ago to learn how to repair his own computer.

“It has to be hands on,” Bozeman said. “You have to practice it. Doing it once or twice is not enough to become competent working with hardware or software.”

Chancellor Dr. Don Q. Griffin said he aims to raise money to hire an instructor and reinstate the class. Jackson said he expects the class to be reinstated by next semester.