City College of San Francisco - California Competes

THEME VI
Marketing, and Microcomputer Applications in Business. The Learning Assistance Program website,
which received a Learning Support Centers in Higher Education Website Excellence Award, not only
guides viewers through their offerings, but offers a visual tour of their facilities. The current website for
the Institute for International Students, designed by students in the program, is a stand-out for its inviting
visual presentation and friendly navigation to continually updated pages of information. While the variety
in the style of the sites may reflect the differences in the fields themselves, variations in the graphic
complexity and depth of information probably have more to do with the amount of resources and guidance
available to the website developers. Departments or schools with greater resources have hired web
consultants for their writing, design, and technical expertise. However, many programs have developed
user-friendly websites through the talents of their own staff or students and the assistance of the CCSF
website technical specialist. Communications Committee discussions about the architectural problems of
the CCSF website front-page and resulting navigational difficulties have led to plans for a major redesign
of the website, to include the re-labeling of links to be more meaningful to students and the public.
Also discussed has been the standardization of individual program website design. The establishment
of standard website content guidelines and a process of review would certainly be helpful to program
website developers, though not at the expense of program website individuality (see also concerns in
the next section, “Communications Plan”).
Communications plan. The Communications Committee, a Shared Governance committee that reports
to the College Advisory Council, reviews issues and recommends policies concerning the quality of
and access to College communications, including print and online publications, the front-page of the
CCSF website, educational access television (EAtv-Ch27), and KCSF radio. In response to one of three
2004–05 Board of Trustees priorities, the improvement of internal and external communications, the
Communications Committee drafted a Communications Plan to evaluate and recommend strategies for
improvement. Specific discussions regarding EAtv-Ch27 have centered around the effectiveness of its use.
The Committee is establishing a study group that will evaluate current programming, staffing, and
technology; and explore the acquisition and production of new, additional programming, such as features
about CCSF events and an outstanding teachers’ lecture series. Also being considered is the webcasting
of Channel 27 to expand its audience reach beyond San Francisco. Plans are also being made to mail the
EAtv-Ch27 Program Guide within the CCSF Class Schedule to San Francisco residents. Intense discussion
surrounds the quality of the CCSF website. Pointing to the website’s lack of central or cohesive identity,
clear oversight or a plan for growth, the Committee is discussing remedies, which include the possible
development of a staff position of “website content master.” At the very least, the Committee recommends
the creation of a “modern, accessible, updated, and integrated College website for use by students, faculty,
staff, and community.”
CCSF’s Commitment to Diversity
CCSF serves a city and county of tremendous multicultural diversity, which is reflected in the ethnic
demographics of the over 100,000 students enrolled in the credit and noncredit programs at CCSF:
36 percent of students are Asian/Pacific Islander, 21 percent White Non-Hispanic, 20 percent Hispanic/
Latino(a), 7 percent African American, 5 percent Filipino, less than 1 percent Native American, and
approximately 10 percent are of non-identified ethnicities. Of course, the cultural diversity of San
Francisco and CCSF is multi-faceted, comprising not only ethnicity and race, but also socio-economic
level, sexual orientation, educational background, and ability. More than lifestyles, these are cultures
in their own right, some achieving representation in the governing bodies of the city of San Francisco,
as well as in the governing body of CCSF. “Multicultural diversity” best describes the richness of the
teaching and learning environment at CCSF.
338 CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO