City College of San Francisco - California Competes

THEME III
Considerable effort has been made to promote College-wide dialog over the past six years with four critical
themes emerging: planning; diversity and equity; student success; and teaching and learning. The strategic
planning process involves a large number of participants, is based on intentional use of relevant institutional
data, and is solidly focused on institutional improvement and responsiveness to student needs.
During the 2002 strategic planning process to update the Strategic Plan, three phases occurred. In the
preliminary phase, representatives from all constituent groups and from the Board of Trustees participated
in a two-day, off-site retreat. During the planning phase, two planning sessions with the Planning and
Budgeting Council, Trustees, community members, and alumni were held. Also, dialog with the Office
of Research, Planning and Grants was necessary to complete reports and compile study materials. In
addition, the most recent planning process for the Strategic Plan 2003-2008 involved more dialog among
campuses and schools in order to integrate the Education Master Plan of 2003. During the dissemination
and adoption phase, drafts were reviewed and discussions held by the principal Shared Governance
groups, the Academic Senate, Associated Students, Classified Senate, and the College Council. Hearings
were also conducted at various campuses in order to obtain broad-based comments and include all
constituencies.
Facilities planning also includes many different groups and individuals in dialog. The 2000 bond measure
illustrates how dialog across the institution was critical in accomplishing College improvements. The
College initiated a bond measure in early 2000 and took its proposal to the Facilities Review Committee, a
Shared Governance committee, for its review and input. Discussion also occurred in the Executive Council
of the Academic Senate. The College voluntarily submitted its proposed bond measure to the San Francisco
Mayor’s Office and the Board of Supervisors, resulting in a series of meetings at different community sites
to encourage the public comments. In addition, the College’s Board of Trustees’ Committee on Facilities
held open forums to insure widespread input. More than 25 speakers offered input at the Board meeting
at which a unanimous vote was taken to go forward with the bond measure of $195 million. The result
was approved by 72 percent of San Francisco voters, an indication that the College’s efforts to inform
and involve the community in discussion were successful.
Likewise, dialog dealing with diversity and equity, a hallmark of the institution, has proven essential to
the responsiveness of the College community to the changing needs and expectations of our students.
The driving force for many improvements is the Diversity Committee, a Shared Governance committee
composed of all College constituencies. Since 2003, its meetings and discussions have targeted hiring
practices, diversity of employees, and curricular issues. Dialogs related to hiring practices have focused
on identifying obstacles to the hiring process and the applicant pool. The Diversity Committee initiated
several discussions with Human Resources staff, resulting in changing the language on job announcements
from the difficult-to-measure “sensitivity to diversity” to more measurable criteria focusing on skills and
knowledge. Addressing ways to improve the applicant pool, the Diversity Committee revitalized the innovative
program, “Grow Your Own.” This program, scheduled to start in Fall 2005, will help subsidize the
education of CCSF students interested in becoming instructors, with the idea that they will be encouraged
to apply for teaching positions at CCSF after their studies. By actively recruiting from the diversity of our
current students, CCSF is investing in the future diversity of its faculty. Two other directions that the
Diversity Committee’s dialogs have pursued relate to diversity issues in the curriculum of critical transfer
courses and possible ethnic/racial disparity in basic skills courses. These dialogs with some department
chairs and faculty revealed that faculty are willing but not sure how to improve their teaching and courses
in these areas. Thus, the Multicultural Infusion Project (MIP) was created to provide faculty multicultural
professional development. Since Fall 2003, the MIP has trained 65+ faculty members in diversity issues
and related pedagogy. In fact, the meetings and dialogs of the Multicultural Infusion Project brought
together a variety of instructors, counselors, librarians, and other staff from across the District. One faculty
member in Transitional Studies credits these dialogs as being “very important to building community
and making more staff aware of the various programs and services” (Lillian McDaniel, Listening Session,
April 21, 2005).
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