Occupation at CCSF a Success: Update and Analysis
Eric B
Occupation at CCSF a Success: Update and Analysis
By Terence Yancey and Rico Blanc
A student occupation of the administration building at City College of San Francisco on Feb. 21 was a major step forward for the movement to save the school from the forces of privatization and austerity. At 5pm dozens of students voted to continue the occupation despite the risk of arrest; to their surprise, the arrests never came. Students held the building all night. The room crackled with excitement and solidarity.
While waiting for a response from the Chancellor, students and allies shared their stories about why they loved CCSF, sang songs, studied, made signs, ate pizza and fruit donated by faculty and community supporters, and slept wrapped in blankets on cold floors. For first-year student Christian Guevara, this was his first participation in a political action: “I occupied because I felt that this wasn’t just another issue. I couldn’t just continue on my way. I knew that I had to be here.” Dozens of new students got involved in the movement.
The students demanded that the chancellor.
” 1) Call on the Board of Trustees to reverse all cuts to classes,
services, staff and faculty. Stop downsizing the mission of CCSF and
promote equity. 2) Organize town hall forums at all campuses so that students can have their voices heard. 3) Make a public statement calling for Prop A funds to be used for
education as voters intended. Call on City Hall to give CCSF a bridge
loan until Prop A and Prop 30 funds become available. 4) Speak out against CCSF being put on “Show Cause” without prior
sanction. Call on the Department of Education to take action to stop the
ACCJC’s misuse of the accreditation process.”
By Friday morning the administration had acceded to the second demand (on town hall forums). The Chancellor will meet with student representatives on Monday Feb. 25 at 9:30 to negotiate on the three other demands. A press conference and report will follow on Monday at 12:30pm, in front of the Administration Building.
The importance of the action was manifold. Through their four demands, the students succeeded in providing a clear alternative to the dominant “solution” offered by the powers-that-be, namely “saving CCSF” by accepting massive downsizing. Just as important, the protest undercut the attempts to pit students and community members against the teachers and their unions.
The day started with a rally and march of 300 people organized by the Save CCSF coalition in response to the top down implementation of changes to the school by the administration and a feeling by the campus community that their concerns about the process have not been taken seriously. Extensive media coverage spread this message across the city and Bay Area all night and well into the next morning.
In 2012 the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges issued a sanction of “show cause” to the school, which is the highest sanction the commission can issue before revoking the college’s accreditation. However, many in the campus community have raised serious concerns about the commission and its ties to the for-profit college and student loan industries.
The struggle to save CCSF continues. Major actions are planned at the Board of Trustees meeting on February 28th and at a rally on City Hell on March 14th . See www.saveccsf.org for more information.
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Links to More Media Coverage:
http://www.goldengatexpress.org/2013/02/21/ccsf-students-occupy-conlan-hall-in-protest/