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Post date: Feb 07, 2017 8:1:10 PM
Before I write about the college I visited today I have to confess that I have some degree of prejudice. I grew up in Oxnard, and if you don’t know Oxnard is the butt of many jokes. Being noted only for its proximity to nicer areas (Motto = “Gateway to the Channel Islands”), and a punk rock movement in the 1980 of which I played a participatory role. Oxnard has frequently been described as an armpit. Hey, every body has, and needs, an armpit but we don’t tend to highlight them with lots of positive attention. I never attended Oxnard College and even when I lived here it was common for most students to travel to the nearby Ventura College if choosing to attend JC. (Note: there are three colleges in the Ventura College district, Oxnard, Ventura and Moorpark)
It is in this context that I set off in the rain yesterday with low expectations. Arriving on campus, I immediately noticed two things we do not currently have at CCSF. A preforming arts center and a working marque! The campus is located on the south side of town in what was lower income working class agricultural suburbia. The general area has not changed much but did feel nicer than when I lived here decades ago. The spacious flat campus had street posts lined with banners each of which contained a notable quote and stylized picture of the author. Cervantes, Kurosawa, Anne Frank and Dr. Seuss were all represented. The quotes focused on references to the value of reading or integrity, self worth and development. The logo for the college was secondary to the focus on the author’s insight or inspiration. The impact on me was immediate. I have grown sour on CCSF’s “Future Focused” banners, which say nothing as to their purpose other than to say; we hired a generic marketing firm for the college. To me the Oxnard banners clearly showed a focus on ideas over institution and yet that is and should be the purpose of the institution is to focus our students on ideas….
This is not to say a few banners can change the reputation of an institution. The first person I spoke to, a receptionist in the science building, when I explained my tourism, immediately asked if I had been to Moorpark. Years of being the lesser child do not erase easily…
As I walked about I noted the lack of activity on campus. There was only one science class taking place and most of the laboratories were closed. A shame since I noted they had a microbiology lab that I’m sure would have been worth making cont
act with. I was beginning to see the weakness in my “just go and you will find people to talk to” plan as I toured the large empty “Condor Hall” at the center of campus. The Condor building had large well equipped classrooms built to house 50-70 students each with all the AV support that we at CCSF are currently aspiring to, but no students. The vast space was off putting as I contemplated the effect of planned large class size on actual learning outcomes. Most classes that were in session in other buildings were 20 students or less. By the way according CCC data the median class size for most colleges is around 26-28 students per class.
It was not until I got to the new library building that it donned on me what was going on. On a Monday afternoon in the rain what do you do on campus when your class is not in session? Not hang out in the quad or the open-air café. Most students were in the library studying. The library was full of students but still quiet. The building itself was a testament to good design for purpose. The entrance floor was set up with tables each group of tables well supplied with electrical outlets or computers and labeled by subject area for informal tutoring. Budding off this main room were glass walled offices and group study rooms that were both connected to the center and isolated for sound and privacy. The Learning Assistance center, with formal study support, also branched off this main room making it very easy for students or the random visitor to see where all the support services were. And people were using them. The place was packed with overflow users spilling into the upstairs levels where the books were shelved. (I apologize for not including a picture of this space, but as much as I wanted to snap a photo I felt it would be disruptive to the many users)
I later spoke with a few students outside who explained to me that the cavernous condor hall was the previous site of the library which had been moved into the new building and that the hall was being repurposed for classrooms. These students impressed me, not only with their style and demeanor, they had tattoos on their faces and looked like the tough Oxnard youth I knew when I was growing up here, but also with their positive review of the college. They liked it better than Ventura because they lived in the area. This college was theirs and I had the impression that they respected it for that. When I later found the student union it was clear they were not alone. The video games and pool table in the lounge were in use, and this was a comfortable place for students to just hang out. I also noted after my extensive walk about the campus that there was not a hint of graffiti on the entire campus! Wish we could say the same about CCSF…
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