City College of San Francisco - California Competes

THEME I
I. Overview
This essay provides the institutional context for a case study that focuses on basic skills programs within
the College as an illustration of the institution’s commitment to high-quality education. It first defines
“institutional commitment” and “high-quality education,” providing an overview of how we achieve
both. It then discusses the alignment of CCSF’s Mission with the planning process and describes how this
process yields strategic priorities for the College that can readily be mapped back to the Mission. One of
CCSF’s eight strategic priorities focuses solely on basic skills, and the need for attention to basic skills is
referenced throughout the remaining priorities. This fact, along with the foundational importance of basic
skills mastery for greater student success in subsequent coursework, underpins the rationale for selecting
basic skills as a case study that illustrates how the institution demonstrates a commitment to high-quality
education through this focus. The case study, then, chronicles the evolution of CCSF’s emphasis on basic
skills generally, and describes, in particular, interventions implemented as the result of grant funding in
the two areas of greatest need, English and Math; the ways in which the institution measures progress
and uses that information to inform practice at the classroom, direct service, and administrative levels;
and how the institution continues to promote and support this emphasis through resource development,
policy changes, and structural modifications.
II. Institutional Context
The Meaning of Institutional Commitment to High-Quality Education. WASC, through Standard I.B.,
suggests that an institution exhibits “commitment” when it “demonstrates a conscious effort to produce
and support student learning [through measuring, assessing, and adapting learning as necessary] … [and]
organizes its key processes and allocates its resources to effectively support student learning.” Similarly,
“high-quality education,” as defined by the contents of WASC Standard II, centers around the extent to
which programs are “systematically assessed in order to … improve teaching and learning strategies and
achieve stated student learning outcomes” and the extent to which the college “identifies and seeks to
meet the varied educational needs of its students consistent with their educational preparation and the
diversity, demographics and economy of its communities” through the use of appropriate “delivery
modes and teaching methodologies,” recognizing throughout the “central role of its faculty for establishing
quality and improving instructional courses and programs.” This definition encompasses instruction,
student support, and other services.
A Bird’s-Eye View of CCSF’s Commitment to High-Quality Education. CCSF is committed to highquality
education (including academic programs, student support, and other services) at all levels through
130 certificate programs, 34 awards of achievement, and 11 formal majors. One of CCSF’s largest programs
(second to English as a Second Language, as indicated below), is its School of Business, employing roughly
150 faculty. Up to 60 percent of all students who transferred to San Francisco State University from CCSF
began their college education in the School of Business; this statistic serves as an indicator suggesting that
the School of Business’ educational programs are of high quality. While CCSF continues to deliver and
assess its traditional academic programs, often on a large scale as in the case of Business, it also explores
new frontiers in response to industry need in other areas of study. For example, the innovative “Design
Collaborative” brings together faculty from Architecture, Art, Graphic Communications, Multimedia
Studies, and Photography to develop design-related courses, leading to a formal major in design that
addresses the needs of the local design community by virtue of promoting collaboration across
design-related disciplines.
CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO
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