Vol. 163, Issue 1 | January 25 - February 8 , 2017 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
SEVEN MORE YEARS
ACCJC reaffirms City College accreditation By Cassie Ordonio
of Trustees who stepped up to The college went from serving accreditation.” Protests boomed throughout ensure such a positive outcome,” approximately 100,000 to 65,000 cordonio@theguardsman.com Lamb said. students, according to the head- the City College community, as City College expected the unexIn 2012, the ACCJC was to count data in the college’s website. the teachers union AFT 2121 pected when it was reaffirmed its accreditation for the next seven years by a commission who once threatened its very existence. The news conference held in Diego Rivera Theater erupted to an encore and a standing ovation on Jan. 13 when Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb gave the official reassurance. “I got to admit, I was speechless––it was a singular moment,” Lamb said. Speechless was the appropriate response, because the college was aware the commission was meeting this month for a three-day period, and expected the news to be delivered close to Valentine's Day. Lamb received the email of confirmation just 30 minutes before she received a call from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) that afternoon, and City College's Diego Rivera Theater erupts to a standing ovation on Jan 13, 2017 after Chancellor Lamb expressed her gratitude shortly announced the college's reaffirmed accreditation. ( Photo by Cassie Ordonio/The Guardsman) after in an email sent to the college community. terminate the college’s accreditaThe Guardsman reported that and many more allies sounded “I especially appreciate the lead- tion. The following year the college the “ACCJC, in a 2013 lawsuit in the alarm to fight for fair ership within the Academic Senate, was on the verge of closing which San Francisco Superior Court by accreditation. “When a bully in power the Classified Senate, the Associated heavily impacted the devastating City Attorney Dennis Herrera, was Students, the Department Chair drop in student enrollment, caus- found guilty of ‘significant unlaw- is trying to do unreasonable Council, AFT 2121, SEIU 1021, ing a slight rift between faculty and ful practices’ in their attempts harmful things, that proper the administrators, and the Board administration. to terminate City College’s response is not accommodation
High cost of mandatory health insurance plan frustrates City College's F-1 visa students By Bethaney Lee blee@theguardsman.com
In Fall of 2016, City College hosted 920 students from around the world in the International Student Program, which despite large tuition costs, insurance premiums and fees, is delivering a program that international students have deemed rewarding- but costly. Student’s enrolled in the program with an F-1 visa, which allows the pursuit of academic studies in the United States, are subject to the American Association of Intensive English Program policy that requires mandatory health insurance on all F-1 visa students since 2012. Study Abroad Programs and International Student Insurance Coordinator, Jill Heffron, said that students may complain of the $822.00 cost for the sixth month coverage offered by the CCSF International Student Insurance Plan, but generally find it to be more affordable than
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seeking a provider themselves. For mer 2013 F-1 International Students Club Vice President, William Wu, confirms that while the price could be seen as expensive, after reviewing the options himself “acquiring health insurance through Ascension is one of the cheapest ways.”
City College’s provided insurance plan is brokered through Ascension Benefits and Insurance Solutions, which more than ten other Bay Area community college’s also trust as the sole provider of their student’s insurance rates and packages. “It is standard practice
for most colleges and universities to only offer one plan,” Heffron said. “This provides a cost savings, and the benefits of large group enrollment to our students, which might not be available if the student insurance enrollment was distributed across multiple plans.”
Former Vice President of the F1 International Students Club, William Hu, stands alongside other club members during a club meeting. “I participated at the F1 Club since my very first semester at CCSF,” Hu said, “it was a place where I could meet wonderful students who come from many different countries around the world.”
International Students continues on page 3
or acquiescence, but the proper response is resistance,” Mandelman said at the news conference describing the fight between the college and fair accreditation. The ACCJC’s new visiting team came to the college back in Oct. with new standards and practices that have been changed slightly over two years, but highlight four standards: focusing on improvement of quality, student outcomes, improving consistency and clarity of standards and practices. Since its extended accreditation, the college is focused on rebuilding enrollment. “The college has learned a lot, the Trustees will be keeping a closer eye on things than past boards may have and I'm confident seven years from now that we’ll get good news again,” Board of Trustee Tom Temprano said. The college community is hopeful history will not repeat itself. “I think the likelyhood is not a possibility because now we’re on a regular cycle. The accreditation crisis should have never happened in the first place, and it really was the commission out of control, and so hopefully this is a sign that ACCJC will be fair,” AFT 2121 President Tim Killikelly said.
CCSF campus police considering firearms By Nigel Flores nflores@theguardsman.com
City College held a campus safety open forum on Nov. 30 to discuss safety concerns within the campus community, including whether or not campus police should be equipped with firearms. The open forum took place to shed light on the City College Public Safety Management Study, an assessment that will analyze current public safety infrastructure to measure if it is equipped and prepared to handle any safety issues the college may face, as described by campus police. The crowd of eight, including campus Police Chief Andre Barnes, was led in their discussion by Steven Healy, a managing partner for the consulting firm heading the study – Margolis Healy. Healy took an opportunity early in the forum to discuss and explain the 911 Shield safety application that the college implemented. The application allows users to request escorts, report suspicious activity and view emergency resources. Violence on College Campuses The recent knife attack at Ohio State University, which left 11 people hospitalized, raised concern about safety on campus for Chris Brodi, a student health staff member. Brodi explained that he mostly feels safe when he is on the Ocean campus, but still worries Campus Police continues on page 3
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