The Board of Trustees is conducting interviews this week for the three finalists for Chancellor of City College. Selecting the Chancellor is one of the most important roles for the Board; creating a climate for strong and positive interaction between the Chancellor and the Board is critical to an effective Board that helps City College meet its mission.
One of the candidates talked about social equity and social justice in a way that I found compelling. I want to share this person's comments:
"Social equity is that everyone has opportunity. Social justice is that there is equity in outcomes."
These comments are important to keep in mind as we design programs to better ensure equitable outcomes. It is not enough to provide "opportunity" if the outcomes differ between groups. With all of the talk about the "achievement gap" in San Francisco, we need to embrace social justice as a primary goal for City College. I will be advocating for that as a Board priority.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Policy changes at City College
The Board of Trustees of any community college district uses its policy decisions to direct the administration to act. At both the August and September 2008 meetings of the College Board, my colleagues approved (at the required second reading) policies that I authored.
The one that we passed just tonight goes a long way to correcting a long-standing problem in how the College Board operates. For years now, it has bothered me that we have no minutes of our Closed Sessions. Instead, our General Counsel makes notes for what he reads out at the Open Session about any actions taken in Closed Session. The Board never reviews these notes for accuracy or completeness. Unlike our Open Sessions, our Closed Sessions are not audio- or video-recorded. The arguments have been that recording will either dampen candor or it can be used to reveal legal strategies to an opposing side.
Unfortunately, there have been too many instances either where we can cannot agree on what we decided in Closed Session, or where the College Administration may interpret "the will of the Board" on a variety of subjects. Until tonight, we did not require any documentation. That is now changed.
Here is the text of the amendment to Policy Manual Section 1.05 – Meetings (thanks to Trustees Anita Grier and John Rizzo for co-sponsoring):
"To ensure an accurate record of the Board of Trustees’ decisions and the direction it gives to the Administration and to avoid future confusion and uncertainty, every “action” (see following definition) by the Board of Trustees must be by a documented vote on a written resolution or other document.
The meetings for which this applies include, but are not limited to: worksessions or committee meetings, open session, closed sessions, special meetings, and retreats.
“Actions” include, but are not limited to: written resolutions, direction given on labor negotiations, legal actions, real estate matters, and personnel issues as well as on programs, projects, and plans that are presented for Board review, comment, and feedback.
At its subsequent worksession, committee meeting, open or closed session, the Board of Trustees will approve the accuracy of the written record of the immediate past meeting of a similar nature (i.e. open session and next open session, closed session and next closed session). Following a special meeting or retreat, the Board of Trustees will approve the written record at its next open or closed session as appropriate."
I am very pleased by the passage of this resolution.
At our August 2008 meeting, the College Board passed another policy change to Policy Manual Section 7.26 7.27 – Commitment to the District’s Small Business Enterprise and Small Local Business Enterprise Programs. Prior to the passage of this policy change, City College did not use past performance on agreed to small business participation in the recommendation of awarding new contracts. Whenever we approve a contract for some construction project, there usually is a 15-35% small or small local business participation goal. Unfortunately, there seems to be limited oversight of these promises made by contractors to, at least, try to include local businesses. I am standing strongly behind the principle that the San Francisco Community College District should do whatever it can to keep local dollars within our community.
Thanks to Trustees Anita Grier and Julio Ramos for co-sponsoring this policy change:
"The Board of Trustees directs the District, when evaluating firms seeking contracts with the District, to include in its consideration, to the extent permitted by law, of past performance towards Small Business Enterprise and Small Local Business Enterprise goals in previous contracts with the District in recommending future contracts to the Board of Trustees, and The Board of Trustees requires that, in any resolution where the recommended contractor has had prior contracts that included Small Business Enterprise and/or Small Local Business
Enterprise goals, resolutions for future contracts list all past Small Business Enterprise and/or Small Local Business Enterprise contractual goals and performance towards those goals so that the Board of Trustees can consider, to the extent permitted by law, the past performance(s) in awarding a new contract."
Another successful meeting!
The one that we passed just tonight goes a long way to correcting a long-standing problem in how the College Board operates. For years now, it has bothered me that we have no minutes of our Closed Sessions. Instead, our General Counsel makes notes for what he reads out at the Open Session about any actions taken in Closed Session. The Board never reviews these notes for accuracy or completeness. Unlike our Open Sessions, our Closed Sessions are not audio- or video-recorded. The arguments have been that recording will either dampen candor or it can be used to reveal legal strategies to an opposing side.
Unfortunately, there have been too many instances either where we can cannot agree on what we decided in Closed Session, or where the College Administration may interpret "the will of the Board" on a variety of subjects. Until tonight, we did not require any documentation. That is now changed.
Here is the text of the amendment to Policy Manual Section 1.05 – Meetings (thanks to Trustees Anita Grier and John Rizzo for co-sponsoring):
"To ensure an accurate record of the Board of Trustees’ decisions and the direction it gives to the Administration and to avoid future confusion and uncertainty, every “action” (see following definition) by the Board of Trustees must be by a documented vote on a written resolution or other document.
The meetings for which this applies include, but are not limited to: worksessions or committee meetings, open session, closed sessions, special meetings, and retreats.
“Actions” include, but are not limited to: written resolutions, direction given on labor negotiations, legal actions, real estate matters, and personnel issues as well as on programs, projects, and plans that are presented for Board review, comment, and feedback.
At its subsequent worksession, committee meeting, open or closed session, the Board of Trustees will approve the accuracy of the written record of the immediate past meeting of a similar nature (i.e. open session and next open session, closed session and next closed session). Following a special meeting or retreat, the Board of Trustees will approve the written record at its next open or closed session as appropriate."
I am very pleased by the passage of this resolution.
At our August 2008 meeting, the College Board passed another policy change to Policy Manual Section 7.26 7.27 – Commitment to the District’s Small Business Enterprise and Small Local Business Enterprise Programs. Prior to the passage of this policy change, City College did not use past performance on agreed to small business participation in the recommendation of awarding new contracts. Whenever we approve a contract for some construction project, there usually is a 15-35% small or small local business participation goal. Unfortunately, there seems to be limited oversight of these promises made by contractors to, at least, try to include local businesses. I am standing strongly behind the principle that the San Francisco Community College District should do whatever it can to keep local dollars within our community.
Thanks to Trustees Anita Grier and Julio Ramos for co-sponsoring this policy change:
"The Board of Trustees directs the District, when evaluating firms seeking contracts with the District, to include in its consideration, to the extent permitted by law, of past performance towards Small Business Enterprise and Small Local Business Enterprise goals in previous contracts with the District in recommending future contracts to the Board of Trustees, and The Board of Trustees requires that, in any resolution where the recommended contractor has had prior contracts that included Small Business Enterprise and/or Small Local Business
Enterprise goals, resolutions for future contracts list all past Small Business Enterprise and/or Small Local Business Enterprise contractual goals and performance towards those goals so that the Board of Trustees can consider, to the extent permitted by law, the past performance(s) in awarding a new contract."
Another successful meeting!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Keeping my word
During all San Francisco elections, candidates seeking organizational endorsements are required to fill out (sometimes lengthy) questionnaires prior to being interviewed. One of these I completed recently was from the San Francisco Women's Political Committee. I am pleased to have received the SFWPC Endorsements Committee's recommendation (thanks to them for their continuing confidence in me), and look forward to being endorsed by the full membership.
I wanted to share some of the SFWPC's questions as well as my answers. You will note that I pledged to ask the Chancellor for information on a number of these, and plan to make these requests both in writing and at our College Board meeting on August 28th.
****************
1. Do you support raising wages so that all San Francisco workers can meet their family’s basic needs with one full-time job? If you support this concept, what will you do to advance sustainable wages for all workers?
No one should have to work more than one full-time job to support a family’s basic needs. I cannot say for certain if there are any employees at City College who have to work more than one job; however, I will ask the Chancellor to report to the Board on this to see if we need to adopt a policy directing the District to raise all employees to the level where their City College job is sufficient to support a family.
2. According to current federal comparative statistics, females make $0.85 to the dollar for a man in a comparable position. Do you support the concept of pay equity in the workplace for comparable work? If you support this concept, what will you do to advance pay equity in the workplace?
I can think of no justification for not having comparable pay for everyone. It is amazing to me that women still make less than men; the only thing less acceptable than that fact is the realization that we allow this disparity to continue to exist. We have the power to change this!
As a Trustee at City College, I will ask for an analysis of pay at the College to see if this disparity exists there. Once we have this information, I will then be able to act to establish policies to make any corrections that we need. Hopefully, the situation at City College will be better than in society at large.
3. What should the role of the government be in expanding quality, accessible childcare, early education and elder care resources?
Given the evidence of the importance of pre-school, the demand for childcare, and the growing need for elder care as the population ages, the role of government should be to guarantee all of these things at a reasonable rate and in an accessible way. City College has an excellent reputation for child development programs, though I am not certain how much wait there is for spots to open. I will find out how the College manages demand for child development programs for its students as well as for people who work at the College, and I will propose a Board policy requiring the District to provide child development services for anyone at the College who desires it.
4. What will you do to help eliminate sexual harassment and sexual discrimination in the workplace and society in general?
I will seek the support of my colleagues on the College Board in requiring an annual report on sexual harassment and sexual discrimination complaints to make certain that laws and policies against both of these are being handled properly. That includes requiring that the offices charged with investigating complaints and recommending action against anyone found guilty of breaking the law or violating District policies is seen as properly trained to handle these complaints and competent in carrying out its duties. If people feel that their complaints will not be handled properly, they will refrain from filing them. The Board need to send a strong signal that it will not stand for inappropriate actions and that it will demand that the College take action to punish those who violate standards.
I wanted to share some of the SFWPC's questions as well as my answers. You will note that I pledged to ask the Chancellor for information on a number of these, and plan to make these requests both in writing and at our College Board meeting on August 28th.
****************
1. Do you support raising wages so that all San Francisco workers can meet their family’s basic needs with one full-time job? If you support this concept, what will you do to advance sustainable wages for all workers?
No one should have to work more than one full-time job to support a family’s basic needs. I cannot say for certain if there are any employees at City College who have to work more than one job; however, I will ask the Chancellor to report to the Board on this to see if we need to adopt a policy directing the District to raise all employees to the level where their City College job is sufficient to support a family.
2. According to current federal comparative statistics, females make $0.85 to the dollar for a man in a comparable position. Do you support the concept of pay equity in the workplace for comparable work? If you support this concept, what will you do to advance pay equity in the workplace?
I can think of no justification for not having comparable pay for everyone. It is amazing to me that women still make less than men; the only thing less acceptable than that fact is the realization that we allow this disparity to continue to exist. We have the power to change this!
As a Trustee at City College, I will ask for an analysis of pay at the College to see if this disparity exists there. Once we have this information, I will then be able to act to establish policies to make any corrections that we need. Hopefully, the situation at City College will be better than in society at large.
3. What should the role of the government be in expanding quality, accessible childcare, early education and elder care resources?
Given the evidence of the importance of pre-school, the demand for childcare, and the growing need for elder care as the population ages, the role of government should be to guarantee all of these things at a reasonable rate and in an accessible way. City College has an excellent reputation for child development programs, though I am not certain how much wait there is for spots to open. I will find out how the College manages demand for child development programs for its students as well as for people who work at the College, and I will propose a Board policy requiring the District to provide child development services for anyone at the College who desires it.
4. What will you do to help eliminate sexual harassment and sexual discrimination in the workplace and society in general?
I will seek the support of my colleagues on the College Board in requiring an annual report on sexual harassment and sexual discrimination complaints to make certain that laws and policies against both of these are being handled properly. That includes requiring that the offices charged with investigating complaints and recommending action against anyone found guilty of breaking the law or violating District policies is seen as properly trained to handle these complaints and competent in carrying out its duties. If people feel that their complaints will not be handled properly, they will refrain from filing them. The Board need to send a strong signal that it will not stand for inappropriate actions and that it will demand that the College take action to punish those who violate standards.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
City College program for homeless and at-risk students
Recently, I introduced Dariush Kahyan, the Mayor's Homeless Policy Director, to the HARTS Program at City College (Homeless/At-Risk Transitional Students). I was surprised to find that there had been no formal connection between Project Homeless Connect, the nonprofit where Dariush used to work, and HARTS.
In fact, when I looked tonight the orientation flyer for volunteers that is posted on the SFConnect website, there still is no mention about an educational program that could greatly benefit San Francisco's homeless population as well as those at-risk of becoming homeless or returning to homelessness:
"Because each client is unique and the combination of services that they need is different, their individual needs will dictate exactly how they move through the Service Stations.
The list of services provided is growing and includes the following and more:
For further information about HARTS, please go to:
http://www.ccsf.edu/Resources/Harts/index.htm
In fact, when I looked tonight the orientation flyer for volunteers that is posted on the SFConnect website, there still is no mention about an educational program that could greatly benefit San Francisco's homeless population as well as those at-risk of becoming homeless or returning to homelessness:
Project Homeless Connect – Orientation
"Because each client is unique and the combination of services that they need is different, their individual needs will dictate exactly how they move through the Service Stations.
The list of services provided is growing and includes the following and more:
- Medical Care, Dental, HIV and TB Testing, Needle Exchange
- Benefits (CAAP, GA, SSI, Food Stamps)
- Behavioral Health (Mental Health & Substance Abuse Counseling and Treatment, methadone)
- Housing Information and Shelter Reservation –7 day stay
- Veterans Assistance
- Family Services and Senior Services
- DMV Ids
- Free phone calls and voice mail
- Employment Services
- Free vision care and eyeglasses
- Domestic Violence Counseling
- Legal Assistance
- Discharge Planning
- Lunch, Activities & Giveaways
- Flu Shots and Hair cuts"
For further information about HARTS, please go to:
http://www.ccsf.edu/Resources/Harts/index.htm
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
ESL students at City College
Yesterday, I met with two English as a Second Language students who came to the United States from China six months ago. Both Ada and Hannah, their American names that they used with me, come from Guandong.
While we needed a great deal of help to have our conversation -- fortunately their ESL teacher was there, too -- it is clear that both of them are eager to learn English. We went through some of the exercises they did in class: their names, addresses, and the date. I was taught to say the date in Mandarin.
ESL is an enormously important part of what City College does. It represents the entry point into American society for many people coming to San Francisco. Command of English, even in a city like San Francisco with large communities of foreign-born and foreign-language proficient people, is essential for getting good jobs and integrating into our city. Ada and Hannah are determined to learn English, and are grateful that City College offers so many ESL classes.
At a recent Board meeting where we approved the final design for the Chinatown/North Beach Campus, one person spoke to us about the importance of ESL. He said that ESL is the best anti-poverty program. I hadn't made that connection before, but I see the wisdom in that.
While we often say that City College is a great place to study, we may not remember that many students at City College first need to learn English before they can take other vocational or academic classes that can lead to a productive career. Without the vibrant ESL program, approximately 40% of the classes offered by City College, large numbers of students will not be able to access the quality education that City College offers.
While we needed a great deal of help to have our conversation -- fortunately their ESL teacher was there, too -- it is clear that both of them are eager to learn English. We went through some of the exercises they did in class: their names, addresses, and the date. I was taught to say the date in Mandarin.
ESL is an enormously important part of what City College does. It represents the entry point into American society for many people coming to San Francisco. Command of English, even in a city like San Francisco with large communities of foreign-born and foreign-language proficient people, is essential for getting good jobs and integrating into our city. Ada and Hannah are determined to learn English, and are grateful that City College offers so many ESL classes.
At a recent Board meeting where we approved the final design for the Chinatown/North Beach Campus, one person spoke to us about the importance of ESL. He said that ESL is the best anti-poverty program. I hadn't made that connection before, but I see the wisdom in that.
While we often say that City College is a great place to study, we may not remember that many students at City College first need to learn English before they can take other vocational or academic classes that can lead to a productive career. Without the vibrant ESL program, approximately 40% of the classes offered by City College, large numbers of students will not be able to access the quality education that City College offers.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Marryin' folk!
I had the honor yesterday of officiating at three wedding ceremonies in City Hall. The three couples -- Rebecca and Beth, Kate and Kory, and Erika and Linda -- were very different from each other (at least from what what I could tell in the time we spent together!). Yet, they all were clearly in love and devoted to each other (and, in Kate and Kory's case, to their two, young children). It was an amazing way to spend an afternoon, made even more special for me as it was my seventh wedding anniversary.
There's not much more that needs to be said; it was one of those "Wow!" experiences.
There's not much more that needs to be said; it was one of those "Wow!" experiences.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Community college training for solar panel installation
Today's SFGate has an article on how Bay Area community colleges are meeting the demand for training workers in solar panel installation.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/10/BUGD10JVGP.DTL
While one of the researchers who presented the report on training workers to meet the demand for solar panels is at City College, the article does not mention how much training is happening at City College. I will get this information for a future post.
This is further confirmation of the importance of vocational training for green jobs for City College.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/10/BUGD10JVGP.DTL
While one of the researchers who presented the report on training workers to meet the demand for solar panels is at City College, the article does not mention how much training is happening at City College. I will get this information for a future post.
This is further confirmation of the importance of vocational training for green jobs for City College.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Can Green Jobs Save the Middle Class?
I just found this article, though it was posted originally last November. It makes a lot of sense, though, as you'll see, not everyone agrees that green jobs will provide the answers that many of us think they will.
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/67138/
City College is in the middle of the drafting of a Sustainability Plan. Part 1 for Construction, Retrofitting, and Operations has been reviewed through the Shared Governance system, starting with the Sustainability Subcommittee of the Facilities Review Committee. Part 2 for Professional Development, Educational Programs, Student Services, and Community Partnerships continues to be developed by the Sustainability Subcommittee, and should be completed later this year.
At the request of the Board President, I am leading an ad hoc group of Trustees including John Rizzo and Rodel Rodis to review Part 1, and to report back to the full Board on our recommendations for moving this part through our approval process. I hope we will be bringing to the Board soon.
At this particularly difficult economic time with so many cuts proposed to fall disproportionately on community colleges and the students we serve, it is essential that the Board of Trustees recognize the opportunity that green jobs have for San Franciscans. As more and more of the world embraces "green" for its environmental, social, AND economic benefits, San Francisco should take a leadership role in fostering the green economy and in providing the training needed to help our students succeed.
I will be pushing this agenda, and hope others will join with me. If you agree that this is a vital role for City College, please get in touch with me.
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/67138/
City College is in the middle of the drafting of a Sustainability Plan. Part 1 for Construction, Retrofitting, and Operations has been reviewed through the Shared Governance system, starting with the Sustainability Subcommittee of the Facilities Review Committee. Part 2 for Professional Development, Educational Programs, Student Services, and Community Partnerships continues to be developed by the Sustainability Subcommittee, and should be completed later this year.
At the request of the Board President, I am leading an ad hoc group of Trustees including John Rizzo and Rodel Rodis to review Part 1, and to report back to the full Board on our recommendations for moving this part through our approval process. I hope we will be bringing to the Board soon.
At this particularly difficult economic time with so many cuts proposed to fall disproportionately on community colleges and the students we serve, it is essential that the Board of Trustees recognize the opportunity that green jobs have for San Franciscans. As more and more of the world embraces "green" for its environmental, social, AND economic benefits, San Francisco should take a leadership role in fostering the green economy and in providing the training needed to help our students succeed.
I will be pushing this agenda, and hope others will join with me. If you agree that this is a vital role for City College, please get in touch with me.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Transfer opportunities beyond UC and CSU
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle this past Monday on how difficult it is to be a low-income student at Stanford, revived a question that I have had since I joined this Board of Trustees: Why does City College talk almost exclusively about SF State and UC Berkeley for transfer? While those institutions are quite good and make sense for many San Franciscans, they are not the only option. In fact, they may not be the best option for everyone who wants to transfer from City College.
Experiencing life in another part of the country, finding a college that focuses on undergraduate education, and realizing the possibilities that a small college can provide are only some of the reasons why City College students should examine all of the opportunities available.
The article from the Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/31/BAIMVHBG9.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea) is particularly relevant for many students at City College. Being able to afford an expensive institution like Stanford is beyond the means of a large segment of the population.
The good news from Stanford and Harvard (http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1042997120071210?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews) is that both institutions have recognized that they are limiting the pool of applicants to only those who can afford the high fees that they charge. What's heartening about the news from both colleges is that they now recognize that they need to put the resources of their enormous endowments to good use in lowering or eliminating fees for deserving students. Hopefully, this will attract more City College students to consider transferring to one of these colleges.
As the article points out, however, living expenses are another cost that many students cannot afford. Wouldn't it be great if we could find a way to raise funds to help City College students who transfer to meet the costs they incur after transferring? Seems like something we should pursue with the College's Foundation.
Experiencing life in another part of the country, finding a college that focuses on undergraduate education, and realizing the possibilities that a small college can provide are only some of the reasons why City College students should examine all of the opportunities available.
The article from the Chronicle (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/31/BAIMVHBG9.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea) is particularly relevant for many students at City College. Being able to afford an expensive institution like Stanford is beyond the means of a large segment of the population.
The good news from Stanford and Harvard (http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1042997120071210?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews) is that both institutions have recognized that they are limiting the pool of applicants to only those who can afford the high fees that they charge. What's heartening about the news from both colleges is that they now recognize that they need to put the resources of their enormous endowments to good use in lowering or eliminating fees for deserving students. Hopefully, this will attract more City College students to consider transferring to one of these colleges.
As the article points out, however, living expenses are another cost that many students cannot afford. Wouldn't it be great if we could find a way to raise funds to help City College students who transfer to meet the costs they incur after transferring? Seems like something we should pursue with the College's Foundation.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The launch of CityCollege:SF
This is the first posting for CityCollege:SF. My goals in launching this site are: first, to encourage everyone interested in community colleges the opportunity to understand and comment on important issues facing City College of San Francisco. Second, I want to better connect the College's Board of Trustees with the students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
I invite you to check this site frequently. My hope is that I will launch a new topic weekly, and welcome broad discussion on these issues. Most often, I will also post a news article or some other document to help frame the online conversation we will have.
If you have ideas for future topics, please email me at mmarks@ccsf.edu.
The first article I want to share with you is from Inside Higher Ed. It addresses the issue of remedial education, focusing on the programs supported by the Hewlett Foundation. City College is one of Hewlett's grantees.
Please take a look at "Rethinking Remedial Education" by clinking on the following link, and post a comment, question, or reply to get our conversation going.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/29/california
Thanks.
Milton Marks
I invite you to check this site frequently. My hope is that I will launch a new topic weekly, and welcome broad discussion on these issues. Most often, I will also post a news article or some other document to help frame the online conversation we will have.
If you have ideas for future topics, please email me at mmarks@ccsf.edu.
The first article I want to share with you is from Inside Higher Ed. It addresses the issue of remedial education, focusing on the programs supported by the Hewlett Foundation. City College is one of Hewlett's grantees.
Please take a look at "Rethinking Remedial Education" by clinking on the following link, and post a comment, question, or reply to get our conversation going.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/01/29/california
Thanks.
Milton Marks
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