Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow (right) listens to testimony from California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice Harris during the CCSF accreditation trial on Monday, Oct. 27. Photo James Fanucchi

Faced with an accreditation crisis, rapidly declining enrollment and a student body fed up with all that and more, it’s safe to say that City College of San Francisco (CCSF) endured a lot this year. Here’s how El Tecolote tracked the unique and important institution through all of its woes in 2014.

Accreditation
CCSF’s accreditation troubles began in 2012, when the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) threatened to revoke the college’s accreditation, a move that would’ve proved catastrophic for faculty and students alike. A byproduct of the CCSF-ACCJC debacle was the rapid decrease in enrollment throughout the college. There were some bright moments in El Tecolote’s coverage though. In the first issue of 2014, staff writer Gabriela Arvizu profiled CCSF graphic design students Ryan Legaspi and Ryan Ormsby who set out to help their struggling school in “Design duo works to save CCSF” (Jan. 16 – 29).

Legaspi and Ormsby designed the school’s catalog and a billboard meant to drive up enrollment, while professing the important roll CCSF played in their educations. Despite the student efforts, CCSF’s accreditation future seemed dim, but nearly two months before having its accreditation terminated, CCSF received a lifeline from the ACCJC. Editor-in-chief Alexis Terrazas’ front-page story “Class in session, college offered path to restored accreditation” (June 19 – July 2) captured both the enthusiasm and uncertainty regarding the two-year accreditation extension. Some viewed it as a victory for the college, while others deemed the action as delaying an inevitable doom. CCSF accepted the path to restoration, while a civil lawsuit filed by City Attorney Dennis Herrera against the ACCJC finally went to court. Staff writer J.B. Evans tracked the trial closely, while clearing up rumors and clarifying misunderstandings about the school’s potential closure in “City College’s fate to be decided” (Nov. 20-Dec. 3). Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow is expected to make a ruling in January. A win for CCSF would mean accreditation at least for the moment, while a defeat would mean CCSF would have to undergo a lengthy re-accreditation process.

CCSF student activist Mícheál Madden, 22, leads a march of more than 100 students, faculty and staff members around campus, Thursday, March 13. Photo Santiago Mejia

Student unrest
El Tecolote kicked off its CCSF protest coverage with “The fight for City College continues” (Feb. 13-26), by staff writer Oscar Palma. Palma documented the frustrations of student and faculty members alike who were upset with CCSF’s chancellor Arthur Q. Taylor. Tyler, entering his post amid the school’s accreditation crisis, made decisions to cut 124 classes and reduced college salaries by five percent. Student outrage boiled over when a group stormed the CCSF administration building for an overnight sit-in to protest Special Trustee Robert Agrella and the payment policy that required students to pay fees at the time of enrollment, unlike in previous semesters. Santiago Mejia, an El Tecolote staff photographer and editor-in-chief of CCSF student newspaper The Guardsman, covered the events in the March 27–April 9 issue. That protest resulted in the arrests of students Otto Pippenger and Dimitrios Philliou, who later filed suits against CCSF and San Francisco claiming they had been injured by police. Staff writer Olympia Zampathas reported that story in “Students file suit against City College and SF” (June 5-18).