CITY COLLEGE EDUCATION MASTER PLANNING
SUGGESTED GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND SUCCESS FACTORS
Goal 1: Make student achievement and success City College’s core work.
1a. Rationale
San Francisco and the Bay Area are undergoing significant demographic, economic, and
social changes, requiring new responses from City College. Providing access to courses
and programs will continue to drive City College’s future so that gaps in opportunity can
be closed. Outreach and equity for all community and student groups remains a
fundamental task. At the same time, access without appropriate support for student
achievement and success does not serve the College’s equity ambitions. All students
have a right to succeed.
City College’s own data point to persistent achievement gaps among student demographic
groups, and are especially pronounced by race and ethnicity, findings that are echoed
nationally and throughout California. The success of underrepresented ethnic groups,
first-generation, and/or low-income students—an increasing majority of the College’s
students—will determine the future vitality of the College’s transfer, career and technical
education, and basic skills programs. Not all current students are low-income or students
of color, certainly; moreover, these students do not represent all vulnerable populations
served by the College. At the same time, a sustained focus on student achievement for
these groups can elevate the teaching and learning process and permeate the College,
spreading opportunities for all students to meet their educational goals.
City College has a near 80-year history of serving students and a proud tradition of
honoring diversity and inclusiveness. Regardless of their circumstances, all students
have aspirations to meet the goals that brought them to the College. Increasing student
achievement and success, as the paramount goal of City College, will provide a shared
sense of direction and motivation among faculty, staff, administrators, and students.
1b. Suggested Strategies (to be further developed/refined by operational planning).
1.
2.
Closing Equity Gaps. Make regular and widespread use of cohort tracking studies to
measure student progress for all students including successful completion
pathways for special populations and underrepresented student groups. Use these
data to inform decisions on how best to close equity gaps. As a fundamental part
of understanding pathways, address differences and particularities in student
achievement by locations and programs, including transfer, CTE, and basic skills.
Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment. Continue and accelerate the course,
program, and services student learning outcomes and assessment work. Use these
results to help direct student retention and achievement strategies and
interventions.
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3.
4.
5.
Enrollment Management. Engage fully in a range of enrollment management
techniques including targeted recruitment and matriculation activities, alignment of
education program and services with learner needs, targeted interventions for
underperforming and underrepresented student groups, continuous analysis of
enrollment, student access, and achievement, and alumni follow-up.
Communication and Collaborative Discourse about Student Success.
Systematically engage faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community
members in ongoing, transparent and clear communication and collaborative dialog
about needed improvements in access and success. Use this information to make
adjustments in programs, services, including learning community type
interventions, course scheduling, and technology needs.
Modes of Instructional Delivery. Determine the extent to which traditional
educational architecture and modes of delivery (e.g., 3 credit course, 16 week
semester, non-competency based structures, grading and delivery, the 55-minute
class) are effective practices for learners in an information society.
1c. Examples of Success Factors (visible measures of strategy and goal attainment to be further
developed in operational planning with specific activities, responsible parties, and target dates).
1. Establish rigorous metrics for tracking student achievement, including baseline
student achievement data (e.g., retention rates, transfer rates, and progression
through basic skills and gatekeeper classes, employment outcomes, language
acquisition for noncredit ESL students).
2. Establish internal benchmarks for student progression across identified student
groups and a schedule by which these benchmarks are assessed and communicated.
3. Conduct college-wide, data-informed discussions about what works in student
success and achievement for City College students including the appropriateness of
benchmarks.
Goal 2: Improve the College’s infrastructure including procedures, technology,
and facilities.
2a. Rationale
City College’s physical facilities and technological infrastructure require immediate and
sustained attention, especially as their present condition affects teaching and learning.
This is a longstanding problem that requires deliberate planning matched with available
resources. There is unlikely to be sufficient new state and local funds to correct these
deficiencies, so the College will need to allocate accordingly from its current funds. This
will require systematic and disciplined planning and decision-making for all of the
College’s locations.
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While higher education institutions typically lag other sectors of the economy in
adoption of new technologies, students entering City College are influenced by the
personal technology available to them and consequently have expectations that City
College cannot now match. Today’s students live in an information society, are
markedly different than their predecessors, and likely will be even more different in the
future. This may be especially true in the Bay Area and influences expectations about
the skills students should have.
In addition to addressing physical aspects of infrastructure, the College needs clear
procedures across all major functions so that it can operate effectively using transparent
processes and criteria.
2b. Suggested Strategies (to be further developed/refined by operational planning).
1.
2.
3.
4.
Facilities Master Planning. Develop a realistic and actionable facilities master plan
to match the directions established by this Education Master Plan.
Technology Planning. Implement and update the CCSF 2013‐2015 Technology Plan
to support upgraded classroom and other education technology.
Scheduled Maintenance. Continue to focus internal scheduled maintenance
funding and Prop 39 funding towards addressing critical facilities needs.
Reallocate bond funds to address the myriad of facilities projects to improve the
educational and learning environment.
Procedures. Create clear procedures across all major functions of the College and
continuously improve these procedures. For example, specific instructional
procedures should address class scheduling, program development and
discontinuance, class cancellation, faculty allocation, and other decision-making in
the instructional area. Recently published budget development procedures need
to be fully implemented and then assessed for continuous quality improvement.
2c. Examples of Success Factors (visible measures of strategy and goal attainment to be further
developed in operational planning with specific activities, responsible parties, and target dates).
1.
2.
3.
4.
Creation of a realistic and actionable facilities master plan to accompany this
Education Master Plan.
An updated CCSF 2013‐2015 Technology Plan to support student success and
planning business.
Existence of a list of prioritized infrastructure and modernization projects for a
five- year period. Regular yearly accomplishments are shared with the College
community.
Publication of a comprehensive array of procedures for all major College functions.
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Goal 3: Provide new and expanded opportunities for professional and
organizational development for all stakeholders to support excellent academics,
student support services, and overall continuous quality improvement.
3a. Rationale
A culture of collaboration, innovation, commitment, evidence, and action is required to
achieve the goals set out in this Education Master Plan. For example, the demands
placed on staff and faculty to increase student success will shape future work in
challenging ways. At the same time that City College students are changing, advances in
teaching and learning have increased rapidly. By launching this educational planning
process, City College has embarked on a journey of continuous improvement that will
require that all employees increase their skills and capacity to contribute to the
College’s future.
There is increasing awareness at City College that many issues need to be addressed
that require expertise not readily available among existing staff and faculty. The College
must keep abreast of critical advances that are occurring in teaching and learning as well
as those advances driving effective institutional performance. Sustained improvements
in performance almost never take place without professional development that moves
beyond passive learning activities toward engagement strategies that include peer
learning, study teams, and appropriate support.
In addition to faculty, staff, and administrators, students also should be engaged in
purposeful learning experiences to develop leadership skills and other traits needed for
success while at City College and beyond.
3b. Suggested Strategies (to be further developed/refined by operational planning).
1.
2.
Professional Development. Create sound and sustainable professional
development opportunities for all administrators, staff, and faculty to meet City
College’s challenges.
Student Leadership. Create opportunities for students as well as the entire College
community to actively engage in learning experiences that promote leadership,
ethical decision-making, and communication.
3c. Examples of Success Factors (visible measures of strategy and goal attainment to be further
developed in operational planning with specific activities, responsible parties, and target dates).
1.
2.
A ten percent increase in the number of professional development and training
activities provided for all employees in 2014-2015 over 2013-2014.
A ten percent increase in student leadership development programs in 2014-15
over 2013-14.
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