Cal State faculty support faculty, staff, and students at CCSF

Resolution In Support of Faculty, Staff and Students at City College of San Francisco

Approved by the California Faculty Association Officers
July 12, 2013
The California Faculty Association strongly opposes the recent decision by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (AACCJC) to pull the accreditation of City College of San Francisco (CCSF) in 2014.

If CSSF’s loss of accreditation becomes final, it would disrupt the school’s funding and mean an end to federal financial aid for its students. Credit for classes would no longer transfer to other accredited universities. In essence, losing accreditation would likely mean one of the largest public education institutions in the nation would close, some 85,000 students would be displaced and thousands of faculty would be out of work.

Nothing in the accrediting decision raises questions about the quality of education being offered by CCSF. Indeed, this community college has exemplary transfer and completion rates and as recently as 2007 was named by The New York Times as a model community college. The college is also a leader in maintaining the ranks of tenure track faculty while providing part-time faculty with fair wages and working conditions.

Like all institutions of public higher education in California, CCSF has suffered from terrible cuts to the state’s higher education budget. Recently, however, as result of sacrifices by CCSF faculty and staff, the passage of Prop 30, the passage of a parcel tax in San Francisco, the institution is on the mend.

CFA believes in a robust, thorough, and transparent accrediting process that is conducted by a qualified team and engages the entire education community. Such an effort can be constructive and helpful in developing short and long-term strategies for students’ success at any institution.

Sadly, the actions by AACCJC in the CCSF matter appear both arbitrary and punitive.

On behalf of 23,000 faculty members, coaches, counselors and librarians working in the California State University System we would like to express our vehement support for faculty, students, staff, and community members at CCSF who are working hard to ensure the survival of their institution.

Further, CFA urges the ACCJC to reconsider its revocation of CCSF’s accreditation and submit to a meaningful and public discussion of the complaints lodged by faculty and others about this decision.