Friday, May 29, 2009
Unnecessary tension on the College Board?
When we finished our monthly Board meeting last night, I realized something about the way we function that contributes to an atmosphere of contention and stress on the part of the Board and the College or members of the public. Unlike other governmental bodies like the School Board or the Board of Supervisors, the College Board has traditionally operated without active committees. Yes, we have had committees with chairs and members for the entire time that I have served on the College Board; however, until this year when I instituted new committees and called for these committees to meet as committees (rather than as the full Board) and to make recommendations to the Board for action.
I am pleased that the new committees and committee structure have been embraced by the entire Board, and that some of the committees have been particularly committed to their heightened role.
But, not every resolution is referred to a committee, and some of the resolutions proposed by the District -- as opposed to those proposed by Trustees -- are seen for the first time by the Board just a few days before our meeting. Often, we are asked to make a decision without delay, and that has caused problems when some of us feel that we have not been given enough information on which to base a rational decision.
Similarly, resolutions proposed by Board members (noticeably increased in number and in content since the Board added two new members in January), have not until this year gone to committee. In fact, few of the Board sponsored resolutions (other than Policy changes that require two readings) are referred to committee and most of the Board is unaware of the existence of the resolutions until the Board packet arrives the Friday night before the meeting the next Thursday.
With both the District and Board sponsored resolutions, there can be significant pressure to adopt them at the upcoming meeting. The stress and contention I spoke of at the beginning of this post result from: 1) the legal requirement that less than a majority of Board members can discuss a resolution prior the meeting in keeping with the requirements of the Brown Act, 2) the "political" strategy that a sponsor of a resolution may be employing in timing the introduction of a particular resolution, 3) the concern/fear that members of the College community or of the general public may have about the consequences of a resolution that became known to them with such a short time before a vote will be taken, and 4) the history of non-functioning committees, few policies guiding the introduction of Board sponsored resolutions, and strategic introduction of resolutions to score political points or to use the pressure of a deadline to force a decision.
I joined with my colleagues, John Rizzo and Steve Ngo, in drafting some Policy changes to bring order to the College Board and to reduce the stress that too often taints our meetings. More on those proposed changes in another post.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New term on the College Board
In the spirit of the day, and having just heard our new President's Inaugural Address, I wanted to share some of my words after being sworn in for my third term on the College Board on January 5th:
"It is an unsettling time. Things could improve or get much, much worse. In the face of this uncertainty, it is our obligation to secure the future for those who depend on us. Community colleges serve the most vulnerable people in our society whether they are starting their higher education, about to enter the workforce, or who are returning for a career change. They are banking on the future…a future where there will be a job for them. They are hoping that, in their future, there will be a world that will accept them for who they are and for what they offer and a world where they will want to be.
As we find ourselves facing profound events, whether related to the state of the economy or war, it is easy to get dispirited or despondent. My goal is to not allow that to happen to me, and my invitation to you is to join me in always believing that what we do at City College is equally profound and life altering. The big difference is that City College is about positive change and life affirming actions.
We are being tested by all that we are facing. We have to have the courage to face these challenges and to secure the future for those we serve and those we represent. I am confident that our new Chancellor and our new Board will do this.
We each have personal goals and agendas for our work at City College. Mine continue to be centered on sustainability, open governance, health care and health education, community service, and collaboration. My hope is that the Board of Trustees can come together in unity – not shying away from heated debate, however – to foster a collegial spirit that can shape all that goes on at City College. The future depends on us. We depend on each other."
"It is an unsettling time. Things could improve or get much, much worse. In the face of this uncertainty, it is our obligation to secure the future for those who depend on us. Community colleges serve the most vulnerable people in our society whether they are starting their higher education, about to enter the workforce, or who are returning for a career change. They are banking on the future…a future where there will be a job for them. They are hoping that, in their future, there will be a world that will accept them for who they are and for what they offer and a world where they will want to be.
As we find ourselves facing profound events, whether related to the state of the economy or war, it is easy to get dispirited or despondent. My goal is to not allow that to happen to me, and my invitation to you is to join me in always believing that what we do at City College is equally profound and life altering. The big difference is that City College is about positive change and life affirming actions.
We are being tested by all that we are facing. We have to have the courage to face these challenges and to secure the future for those we serve and those we represent. I am confident that our new Chancellor and our new Board will do this.
We each have personal goals and agendas for our work at City College. Mine continue to be centered on sustainability, open governance, health care and health education, community service, and collaboration. My hope is that the Board of Trustees can come together in unity – not shying away from heated debate, however – to foster a collegial spirit that can shape all that goes on at City College. The future depends on us. We depend on each other."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Social Equity and Social Justice
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.
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.
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.
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