Chancellor's Weekly Note: August 17

Dear CCSF Community, 
 
Today is a day for celebration for the CCSF community as we officially begin the first Monday of our Fall Semester. With the 2020 -2021 academic year now in full swing, I continue to be impressed by our faculty, staff, administrators, and students, who have approached this difficult time with imagination, talent, and determination.  
 
I hope everyone found last week’s Flex Day as rewarding as I did. The programming provided countless opportunities for each of us as individuals to grow and develop new professional skills. I am confident that when we collectively put these into action, we will undoubtedly meet this year’s call to increase the success of our equity populations, improve operations, and improve communications. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible, and to you all for taking the time to meaningfully engage and participate.  
 
Last week I also had the pleasure of welcoming new students during our first-ever virtual Welcome Day, hosted and developed by our dedicated Student and Academic Affairs staff. This event introduced 600 of our newest students to life at CCSF, including how to access supportive services like tutoring, resource centers, academic counseling and how to apply for financial aid.  
 
I’d like to take a moment to recognize English as a Second Language (ESL) Department Chair Greg Keech and our ESL faculty for initiating an ESL Town Hall to discuss how best to reach and engage English language learners. This has required much creativity as academic institutions continue teaching through a remote learning modality. To this end, the College is working closely with the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) to get clearance to provide in-person, noncredit course registration at both the Chinatown/North Beach and Mission Center locations, two primary CCF centers that offer ESL classes. We are also exploring additional multilingual outreach options to enhance these outreach efforts. 
                 
Lastly, once approved by SFDPH, Student Health Services will be prepared to begin serving students in-person by appointment, in addition to providing virtual services this semester. The physical and mental health of our students is critical to their success, and we are encouraging students to contact Student Health Services to address any health concerns that they may be facing. 
 
All of this work points to the theme I spoke to at our College wide Flex Day: that City College is a special place that recognizes the uniqueness of every student who comes to us. It is thanks to the efforts of our staff, faculty, and administrators that our students receive the care and support they need. Thank you for all that you do for our community.
  
Yours sincerely, 
 
Rajen Vurdien, Ph.D. 
Interim Chancellor 
City College of San Francisco