City College of San Francisco is facing major hurdles in the next few months as the college scrambles to readjust its operating and financial structure in order to keep its accreditation and weather fiscal uncertainty.
In the face of those issues, 10 candidates are hoping to grab a seat on the board of trustees and assist in the process and balance the budget, whether through cuts or revenue increases.
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Meet the CCSF board candidates
- Residence: Richmond district
Why she’s running: “I am a walking example of the opportunities that higher education offers, having gone from a high school dropout to a Ph.D. My goal is to ensure that City College remains accredible, available and affordable for the entire community.” - Residence: Ashbury Heights
Why she’s running: “I have experience and knowledge of the college and academic credentials. I have a lot to offer this college. I know how to help get it out. It’s a mess. … We are working to get it on track.” - Residence: Glen Park
Why he’s running: “Because I went to a community college and I think community colleges are sort of the backbone of the middle class. I had not thought of running until I read the accreditation report and thought as a public financial strategist I would be pretty valuable, I’d fill a gap.” - Residence: Glen Park
Why he’s running: “Because I want to be sure even though CCSF has to make tough choices in lieu of state budget cuts, I want to ensure the budget is not balanced on the backs of students. I want to be sure it stays open and accessible and affordable for all communities in San Francisco.” - Residence: Richmond district
Why she’s running: “I am running because I believe in public education. I am a product of public education. Many of [my clients] depend on City College for training to return to gainful employment. My skills in dispute resolution allow me to give real contribution to improving functions of this life-changing college.” - Residence: Mission district
Why he’s running: “There is no institution in San Francisco more vital than City College to ensuring that this city remains a city of opportunity for all. San Francisco has been very good to me, and I am running to help save this institution that is so important to so many in our city.” - Residence: Richmond district
Why he’s running: “To keep City College open, and to make it more responsive and accountable to its students, taxpayers and the public.” - Residence: Noe Valley
Why he’s running: “To bring fiscal responsibility and data-driven decisions to the board, and preserving the mission statement of providing affordable education to our students.” - Residence: Yerba Buena Island
Why he’s running: “I believe in education. Accreditation is necessary for the 90,000 students. Better educated, better jobs, better society.” - Residence: Crocker-Amazon
Why he’s running: “As the student trustee, I currently have no vote on the board. I am a four-time elected student leader with six years of CCSF governance experience [and] 10 years of nonprofit board experience.”
Amy Bacharach,
36, policy researcher and professor
Natalie Berg
74, incumbent and consultant
Nate Cruz
33, financial analyst for Port of San Francisco
Chris Jackson
29, incumbent and policy analyst for San Francisco Labor Council
Hanna Leung
54, workers’ compensation attorney
Rafael Mandelman
38, public law attorney
Steve Ngo
36, incumbent and education lawyer
Rodrigo Santos
54, incumbent and structural engineer
George Vazhappally
63, small-business owner
William Walker
33, student trustee and CCSF student
Four spots on the seven-member board are up for grabs. Natalie Berg, Steve Ngo, Chris Jackson and Rodrigo Santos, who was appointed to the board in August by Mayor Ed Lee following the death of Milton Marks, are looking to retain their seats. Their challengers are Amy Bacharach, Nate Cruz, Hanna Leung, Rafael Mandelman, George Vazhappally and William Walker.
Candidates say those elected need to be ready to make tough choices in order to move the college forward and keep it on track to retain accreditation. CCSF must prove to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges that it can make drastic changes and meet 14 recommendations the commission made following a visit in March. The first report is due Oct. 15.
Berg, who’s served on the board for 15 years, said all levels of the school are working together and she hopes that continues.
“This institution is too big to fail,” she said. “All participants are committed to making City College a success.”
Walker, the current student trustee, said ensuring all groups participate, from administration to students, is key to retaining accreditation.
Mandelman stressed that some changes need to happen to ensure success.
“Over a five-year period, 14 top administrators have left and the chancellor was sick,” he said. “The institution was not well-positioned to respond to these tornados.”
Each candidate also blamed the state for some of CCSF’s fiscal problems, noting that higher education, including community colleges, have been dramatically defunded in the past four years. CCSF’s recently approved $186 million budget is 4 percent smaller than the previous year.
Ngo said increasing revenue to ensure programs are funded is important, but tough cuts need to be made.
“We need to be honest with ourselves and say, ‘Yes, we need revenue, but we also need to make those cuts,’” he said.
While Vazhappally suggested selling naming rights to buildings, others – including Santos and Bacharach – hoped that by partnering with the private sector CCSF could better focus courses for job development and training.
Jackson said when looking at cuts he wants to be sure small aspects are taken care of in addition to larger changes.
“Like capping vacation,” he said. “That’s easy. Or making sure our classified employees work 40 hours [a week] instead of 37.5 hours.”
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