City College of San Francisco - California Competes

THEME VI
Operating in the “Sunshine”
CCSF is committed to the principle of openness in conducting the business of the public and to the right
of the people to know about the operations of the College. The Board of Trustees has recognized that
access to both public meetings and public information is vital to ensuring full participation of the public
in the workings of the College. Therefore, when the College was approached by the City of San Francisco
to explore adopting the City and County of San Francisco’s “Sunshine Ordinance,” the Board of Trustees
directed the Chancellor to establish an Advisory Committee to study the feasibility of its application to
CCSF. The Advisory Committee was also charged with reviewing existing College practices and procedures
regarding public meetings and public records (e.g., current compliance with the Brown Act and Public
Records Act). Throughout 2002 and 2003, the Advisory Committee and the Board made numerous
recommendations regarding efforts to increase opportunities for public participation. Joint meetings
occurred between the Advisory Committee and the San Francisco City and County Sunshine Ordinance
Task Force in 2003 and 2004, during which pros and cons of the recommendations presented by both
groups were analyzed by the College’s General Counsel and the Deputy City Attorney assigned by the
Task Force. By May 2005, 25 recommendations had been adopted by the Board of Trustees.
CCSF Communications: Commitment to Clarity, Accessibility and Appropriateness
Mass communications. The priority placed on honesty, inclusiveness, and forthrightness with members
of the College community and the external communities it serves drives the prolific production of
mass and target communications at CCSF. The distribution of the Spring 2005 Class Schedule illustrates
the scale of the College's regular communications with the public: 335,000 schedules were mailed to
residences, over 10,000 were delivered to public libraries and high schools, and 80,000 were available
through the College bookstores. Ads promoting the start of classes or announcing the development of new
programs (such as the Bridge to Biotech program or the Asian-Pacific American Student Services program)
are posted in the numerous regional dailies, weeklies, and monthlies, including ethnic and neighborhood
newspapers. The Chancellor’s Annual Report to the Community, sent to 340,000 residences in October, is
an illustrated, three-part fold-out poster of information produced by the Office of Public Information and
Marketing. It provides the community with a detailed progress report on the College’s fiscal management,
partnerships with the community, and quality improvement initiatives in programs, services, and facilities.
The 2004 Annual Report also provided a detailed update on the implementation of the Facilities Master
Plan. The Chancellor’s E-Bulletin, sent to 2,000 residences three times per year, gives regular updates of
CCSF operations and accomplishments. Clearly, the College places great value in maintaining communications
and relationships with the surrounding communities.
The College Catalog is the primary source of information for students and the public regarding curriculum,
programs and services, College policies and procedures, and student rights and responsibilities.
This year, 6,000 copies of the 2005-2006 CCSF Catalog will be printed, though it is the online delivery of
both the CCSF Catalog and Schedule of Classes that ensures local, national, and international access to
information about the College. The Catalog is continually updated in its online version to reflect changes
that impact students and is a truly collaborative effort of administration, school and campus deans,
department chairs, and program and service directors and coordinators, under the meticulous coordination
of the Catalog Workgroup and the Office of Instruction. In a 2004 online survey of 2,500 students
regarding their satisfaction with College services, the CCSF Catalog was among the 12 top-rated services.
The 2003-2004 Catalog earned two awards for its presentation and readability: the Silver Medallion of
Achievement from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations and third place from the
Community College Public Relations Association.
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