Susan Stuart, Theatre Arts Faculty
In the fall of 2013, CCFT (Cabrillo College Federation of Teachers) held an evening town-hall forum at Sesnon House on issues relevant to quality public education. We were interested in what students, faculty, and community members felt was important for us as a public institution to be focusing on and helping deliver, what was working, and what could we do better. After several faculty members presented overviews of their programs, the assembly broke into small discussion groups and later presented back to the whole their ideas, questions and reactions. It was the start of a process that has deepened, grown, and developed its own momentum that continues to this day with tentacles reaching across California in communities and colleges from Mendocino to Orange County.
The group I sat in with that night was focused on how the new repeatability limitations were affecting student success. Faculty members from Communications Studies, Studio Arts, Theatre Arts, Early Childhood Education, Counseling, as well as a field representative of Senator Bill Monning’s office discussed the impact of these new regulations just going into effect. By the time the whole group had amassed again, we realized that many of the groups had also discussed this issue, and the push from administration to let Cabrillo Extension “pick up the slack” for life-long learners and course offerings that were being heavily impacted by these mandates. There was universal concern.
Since then, only a year ago, a growing statewide movement has pushed the issue further into the spotlight and ignited a whirlwind of activism among a wide swath of faculty, students, and community members. A committee begun in CCFT Council, widened to include non-council members, retired faculty, program chairs and student input. Members of that group met before and after Winter Break, slowly organizing a platform of ideas that eventually evolved into a CCFT Resolution asking for the Chancellor’s office and California Board of Governors to revisit the efficacy of these regulations in light of the unintended consequences they were generating; negative consequences, limiting accessibility for transfer students in the arts, ensembles in the music department, theatre productions, welding, creative writing, culinary arts, early childhood education, and dance courses, to name a few.
This committee Resolution was passed by CCFT in February 2014 and soon after approved almost unanimously in our Academic Senate. We reached out to other campuses, and faculty we knew. One by one other campuses responded with gratitude and encouragement. Our resolution was passed by Mendocino College and Monterey College Academic Senates, then Orange Coast, three campuses of Contra Costa district, Foot-Hill DeAnza, and on and on it went. In April at the annual California Federation of Teachers Convention, representatives from CCFT presented a workshop on the topic and the room was packed solid. Interest was buzzing and concerns were, again, universal. The next day the entire membership voted to approve the Resolution. We had become true activists!
Though action is still slow to manifest into policy changes, the wheels are really beginning to turn. Cabrillo’s activism is paying dividends. We can thank Maya Bendotoff, our consummate CCFT Director, who has guided this process with great focus and the rotating cast of characters contributing to meetings, writing and discussion sessions: Tobin Keller, Clare Thorson and Dawn Nakanishi in Studio Arts; Gordon Hammer chair of Art Photography; Sarah Albertson and myself from Theatre Arts; Michael Strunk, Cheryl Anderson, Don Adkins in Music; Sharon Took-Zozaya, Dance; John Govsky, Digital Media; Steve Schessler and Katie Woolsey, English; Topsey Smalley, retired Research Librarian. We have met with Mark Stone, our Assemblyperson, and Bill Monning (twice) to discuss legislative and policy options. We get calls and mail from all over the state asking for information and inspiration. Our website (ccftcabrillo.org), has a petition (PLEASE SIGN) with over 875 signatures. We are making a difference and you can join in through your own activism, contacts, and outreach. Contact your Faculty Senator to see what is happening now on this important issue for our students’ access to success.