Three days of noncredit classes offered for summer

By Hannah Weiner
The Guardsman

An “Open College” proposal by City College’s General Assembly has been approved for the summer and will offer free lectures, workshops, labs, food and open discussions.

The event will be on three days, June 2, July 14 and Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Science Building on Ocean campus. Student sign-up and outreach is set to begin soon on Rams Plaza.

“We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from faculty,” General Assembly student member Felix Cabrera said. “Teachers are eager to teach the subjects they love, students are willing to learn, and everyone sees the positive and powerful statements that can come out of an event such as this.”

Lectures will also be given about the education budget deficit and how to fight it.

“The budget is really what is determining our future,” Leslie Smith, associate vice chancellor of governmental relations, said. “They will be talking about advocacy in terms of student empowerment and how to make changes to the education system.”

“It’s the first time summer school was canceled in over 30 years and I think people felt the need to keep in touch with the school over the summer,” Smith said. “The idea really resonated with folks.”

Cabrera, whose role is to focus on outreach and follow-up for the event, said almost everyone the General Assembly has talked to has agreed to help in some capacity.

“We have contacted teachers, administrators and unions to ensure the possibility of the event,” Cabrera said. “Once we get a teacher who is interested we need to make sure they stay informed of the developments as they happen.”

While the Open College will provide free courses in various subjects, students will not receive credits for the classes they attend.

“The teachers are going to be working for free, with no obligation other than the love of teaching,” Cabrera said. “I kind of like to think of this as an event like a concert where people come because they really want to, not because they have to.”

Katryn Wiese, earth sciences department chair will be helping students organize events and will teach a workshop at Open College. Education is valuable whether it’s formally structured or not, she said.

“I’m supportive of any opportunity to reach out to the community and provide open educational workshops and experiences,” Wiese said. “We will demonstrate that our education lies in our own hands — that we don’t have to let our education stop simply because the formal piece, credit, pay, etc., isn’t available.”

The General Assembly, as well as other supporters of Open College, are hoping the event will make a widespread political statement about the state of education in California, and enable collaboration between students and faculty.

For more information visit www.ccsfagainstthecuts.org or write to ccsf.generalassembly@gmail.com.