Chancellor's Weekly Note: November 9

Dear College Community,
 
It is hard to believe that we are in November already. This year has just flown by.  
 
As we approach Veterans Day, I would like to highlight our CCSF Veterans Educational Transition Services (VETS) Office and the Walter S. Newman Veterans Resource Center (VRC), both of which are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. Last year, CCSF enrolled more veterans than any other community college in California. The fact that more than 1,000 veteran students choose to attend our College last year can be attributed to a long-standing history providing individualized, extensive wrap-around services to this unique community. Thank you to all of our student veterans, who take the skills they have learned through their military service into the classroom, and to everyone at City College who serves them.  
 
I would like to remind all of our veterans and the community at large that at the December 2020 meeting the CCSF Board of Trustees will approve a Board policy on prior learning. I strongly encourage all veterans to fully take advantage of this opportunity to have your military service counted as prior learning.  
 
Beginning today, two members of our administrative team started their employment with CCSF. Dr. John al-Amin will serve as Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration overseeing Finance, Information Technology, Facilities, Construction & Planning. Dr. al-Amin was most recently CFO with the State Department in Sacramento, and has held senior level administrative roles at Los Angeles, Riverside, Contra Costa, Grossmont and Laney community colleges. Also starting today, Rosie Zepeda will serve as the College’s new Director of Media, Governmental Relations, and Marketing. Rosie brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, and public relations to CCSF, including most recently for the Yosemite Community College District. I am so pleased to welcome them to our City College team. Please feel free to reach out to them with any questions or assistance in their respective fields of expertise.  
 
And, as always, thank you for all that you do for our community at City College and beyond. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Rajen Vurdien, Ph.D. 
Interim Chancellor