Dear College Community,
As we end the 12th week of shelter-in-place, two weeks of protests in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, and a week of curfews, I’d like to refocus today’s note from the state of the College to the state of our country – and end the week with a few words of hope and encouragement.
Many of the news reports from around the country note the demonstrations were organized by high school and college students - the future leaders of our country - who truly believe that real, meaningful change can happen. And for that change to occur, we must start now. We must acknowledge what has to change. We must have honest, uncomfortable conversations, and follow through with action.
Most importantly, we must ask ourselves, "What is my role in this?" We must now confront the fact that our silence has allowed this oppression and violence to continue. And after watching the demonstrations, the memorial for Mr. Floyd, and the charges against the individuals who hunted down and killed Ahmaud Arbery, we must follow the advice of our Board President Shanell Williams: we must "remain reflective of what we can do to combat the venomous poison that is anti-black racism, to do our part to bring change at this tipping point."
President Williams, I stand with you ready to do my part to change the system. Not just as the Interim Chancellor, but as a person and woman of color, who is not content to simply denounce racism and social injustice. As the leader of this institution, what are some of the things I can do to help support meaningful change?
I want to refer to the State Chancellor's Call to Action to create a space for dialogue, community, and action. I am calling on our Professional Development Committee to create that safe space during Fall 2020 FLEX day, and I vow to work with the administrators to create additional space for dialogue and action.
Additional actions we will undertake include working with faculty, staff, students, and administrators to:
- Conduct a systemwide review of police and first responder training and curriculum creates a climate of open dialogue, facilitated by Campus leaders
- Audit the classroom climate, and develop an action plan to create inclusive classrooms and incorporate anti-racism curriculum review and update equity plans, overseen by the Board
- Review and update equity plans, overseen by the Board
- Shorten the time for the full implementation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Plan
- Engage in the Vision Resource Center “Community Colleges for Change.”
If you see additional areas of urgency, please send a note to hrprofdev@ccsf.edu, as we want to hear directly from those who are most impacted by these policies.
And this is why I see a reason for hope: some of you have already stepped up to have the courageous conversations, acknowledging the sense of urgency for reform. I look forward to working with you all to do better, to make our College a safe haven for all people, and to make drastic and long-lasting change.
In Solidarity,
Dianna R. Gonzales
Interim Chancellor
City College of San Francisco