These accomplishments reflect my philosophy on the appropriate role of a community college trustee
During the past four years, City College has had a number of important achievements towards fulfilling its mission to provide critical educational services to San Francisco. The College Board has been instrumental in making certain that City College meets its obligations to the community.
I am proud of the College Board's role in these achievements that include:
- Reorganization of the counseling program to better meet the needs of diverse student populations.
- Development of strategic, education, and facilities master plans to provide guidance to the College.
- Passage of Proposition A in 2001 and continuation of facilities' improvements funded by bonds including the development of the Mission and Chinatown/North Beach campuses.
- Led statewide efforts to fight budget reductions and fee increases and to secure funding for non-credit programs and part-time instructors.
- Received positive audits from external auditors.
- Kept the doors open to City College students, avoided layoffs in spite of state funding reductions, and increased enrollment.
- Secured millions from foundations with a particular emphasis on child development and financial aid needs.
- Revamped the selection process for the Student Trustee and the organization of the Associated Students to better represent all students.
- Negotiated successful contracts leading to increased labor harmony.
- Renewed the focus on student learning outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students who tend to do poorly in college.
As an individual member of the Board, some of my accomplishments include:
- Assuming leadership roles including being elected Vice President of Board, serving as Chair of the Board's Education Committee, and being selected by the Board as liaison to 2006 accreditation process
- Supporting students in their efforts to advocate against State budget cuts and fee increases and to seek a socially-responsible investing strategy at the City College Foundation.
- Supporting the efforts of staff by sponsoring resolutions thanking and acknowledging retiring faculty and classified staff, and joining the SEIU lobbying team in Sacramento to advocate for increased funding for community colleges.
- Improving the management of College District by seeking to have audit findings/recommendations traceable from year to year, ending the practice of retroactive resolutions, pushing for greater clarity in the Annual Plan and participation by Trustees, and advocating for program review of Shared Governance.
- Creating a climate of tolerance by proposing language in a Board resolution after September 11th expressing the Board's strong condemnation of any retaliatory attacks by anyone at City College.
- Opening up accessibility to District operations by asking to add an improved search function to the College's web site to enable the public to better access information, proposing formal minutes be taken for Closed Sessions, reminding the District that minutes need to be taken for Work Sessions and to post the agenda for Work Sessions on the web site, playing a leadership role in dialogue between the College and the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force on getting the College to increase its open government programs, and holding regular monthly office hours to enable people direct access to the Board.
- Increasing Board oversight by pushing for clarity in policies that gives Board significantly greater input and oversight in all stages of development projects and proposing an annual calendar to better enable the Board to carry out its monitoring function.
- Responding to neighborhood concerns on development projects, including limiting construction work to weekdays,.
- Improving how the Board functions by advocating for an annual Board self-evaluation and for an improved Chancellor's evaluation process that is tied to Annual Plan and Chancellor's Annual Objectives.
|
