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Construction on Chinatown Campus Halted

Community college supporters outraged at decision to cut funds

By Ji Hyun Lim

After waiting patiently for 25 years for a new Chinatown/ North Beach community college campus site, faculty union and students of the City College of San Francisco were outraged that plans to build a new site may be halted for yet another year. In July (when the state budget was approved), Governor Gray Davis announced increased cuts to community colleges, directly impacting City College’s plan to install a new building.

Supporters of the building vented their frustrations at Governor Davis during a press conference held last Wednesday. Over a dozen community organizers, campus instructors and media representatives, gathered outside the current location on Filbert Street. The initial plans to proceed with the architectural designs for the new site on Columbus and Washington Street stopped immediately upon hearing news of Davis’ last-minute decision to cut funds.

“We were literally ready to lick the envelope to [close the deal on] the new campus, but [Davis] didn’t sign the bill,” Chancellor Philip Day of San Francisco City College said.

The new building is long over-due, according to supporters of the new site. A local bond measure that passed in 1997 allotted 50 million dollars to the City College of San Francisco — 5 million of which was given to purchase the land and 1.3 million of it was given for preliminary drawings for the site. The new building was slated to open by 2005. However, Davis vetoed this measure.

The Chinatown/North Beach campus now shares its site with John Hancock Elementary School and the AFT 2121 (American Federation of Teachers). A faculty union of City College argued that the current facility is not appropriate for adults. Since the budget cuts include the loss of $3 million dollars, maintenance, technology upgrading and library materials will be sacrificed. Without such funds, operations for adult education facilities would compromise the quality of education and availability of resources, said AFT 2121 members.

(Left to right): Chin Yeung, Former CCSF Faculty Member, Lawrence Wong, CCSF Trustee, Anna Damiani, Field Representative for the California Legislature. Photos by Ji Hyun Lim

She continues, “Community colleges play an integral part in that education. The California system is the envy of the world. The system must be accessible to every student.”

The Board of Trustees is currently working on an Assembly or Senate bill to obtain funds. Support for the restoration of 98 million dollars reaches both political poles, with Senate Majority Leader John Burton at the helm. However, the governor’s signature will determine if the bill will pass.

Mabel Teng (left), Former S.F. Supervisor, Alicia Wang (right), CCSF faculty member

Eddie Chin, SFUSD, Board of Education

Said Professor Ching Sen Yeung, senior fellow and advisor of the Education Commission of the States: “This is a homeless school. We’re not asking for favors. We deserve to have a permanent location.”

Reach Ji Hyun Lim at jlim@asianweek.com