Embedded Files
Post date: Jan 27, 2017 7:1:36 PM
nce building was warm with a very nice display of some of their specimen collection and science models. there was a poster touting an annual science night. The science night appeared to be more than a display more of an annual event like the Exploratorium in SF would put on where science demos are elevated to a spectator sport (another good Idea CCSF should borrow). Many of these things were clearly connected to the community with community support. Hidden on the backside of one of health sciences building was an awesome three story tall mural (a partnership of the local arts and college foundation) depicting the Depth of Humanity, represented through imagery and cephalopods! Without even speaking to anybody, it was clear the work of this college was focused on the community and the students. Allan Handcock left a positive impression with hope for CCSF given we it was the location of our current Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs previous position. I wonder why she left?
These first two non-structured stops left me with at least a few good Ideas to bring home and useful perspective on common work that all community colleges engage in. It took an additional two hours in the cold dark to get to Ventura, a day that clocked around 373 miles of driving on the bike.
A big start to a long project, I arrived late and tired to my family’s home in Oxnard. The day ended late as after connecting with my parents, I connected the wireless and voyeuristically watched own CCSF board meeting video feed which went until after midnight, and felt like a rerun of so many prior board discussions on enrollment ect.
Tomorrow and the weekend will be spent with family.
Today I set off from San Francisco. Even though I had weeks to prepare for the long trip, nevertheless departure felt unprepared and prodded by the change in weather. At my 10 am departure it was a sunny 57 degrees in SF, a departure from the weeks of cold and rain. In departure photos, it would seem appropriate to look as fresh and clean as possible but if you look closely the bike is dirty from the mud and rains in the bay area. The plan is to travel to southern California and stay with family in the Oxnard /Ventura area for a week before setting off on the cross-country portion of the trip. This will give a chance for last minute preparations such as finding a new face shield for the helmet and cleaning up the ride. But the journey begins today, as I planed on stopping by two colleges on my way down Highway 101.
The departure was timed well as I pulled into Gavilian College in Gilroy shortly before noon having missed bay area traffic and enjoyed a beautiful warming winter day. There are 113 community colleges in California and the decision to stop at Gilroy was prompted in part by their president’s role in CCSF’s accreditation crisis. For someone who criticized us so vocally, I wanted to just see what their college looked and felt like. Turns out Gavilian is still on winter break, not officially open until tomorrow. The campus programs looked small by comparison only a few lab classrooms and a greenhouse room in the life sciences building. All were closed up but the design on the rural area campus was spacious having been build in the late 60’s allowing for much easy access by looking through windows at the facilities. I spoke with Francisco, a librarian who was working the main desk in a very cold library. Heat was broken on campus, and staff was bundled up with space heaters under the desks. A very familiar feeling to the CCSF science building over the last few years. Construction was taking place on the administrative and student services building (pictured here). The general feeling of the place was one still on break and not quite ready for the semester yet. When there are few people on campus everybody smiles and says hi… very nice.
Of note were a closed veteran’s center and activity at a food pantry that was located on campus. Not many people around but a SYSCO truck was dropping off supplies. The campus has a nice wooded feeling to it and given its prime location in an agricultural region I would expect it to have a more agrarian focus in its programs, instead I saw cosmetology?.... A nice surprise happened at noon, while I was wondering the grounds I heard the sound of bells. Surely a campus of this size did not have a campanile like Berkeley? Could the college be so ostentatious? Wandering in search of the source of the sound, I found a pair of speakers mounted on the roof of the Admin. Building that was under renovation. The tape of bells played for quite some time, a noontime concert and I could not help but think this tour as unplanned and random as it may seem will give me much to bring back to CCSF. How easy would it be to class up the Ocean Campus with some auditory enhancement? Instead, every Tuesday at noon we have the sirens from the emergency broadcast system. Imagine instead having a short noontime glockenspiel melody to remind student they have arrived as site of higher education and are not still in high school.
From Gilroy I continued traveling south enjoying the fresh green landscapes and drought relieve that the rains have brought. California really is beautiful country when it gets some water. Saw my first Trump bumper sticker around Atascadero reminding me I was leaving the bay area political bubble.
Next stop was Allan Handcock College in Santa Maria, which I reached around 4:30pm. My family is originally from this area, with grandfather’s gravesite only a few blocks away, however I had never had opportunity to visit this local JC despite the fact some of my relatives have attended it. The college is located in suburban Santa Maria and on first glace I must say I was prepared for a disappointment. The layout looks like a suburban high school (football fields stuck down on a suburban street grid). Wandering the outside of the campus this impression did not fade, however as soon as I walked into a building my impression took a 180degree turn. The first building I went in had an art gallery where the work was vibrant and very student focused. Elements of product design, fine art, sculpture and manga were all very clearly screaming out the importance of student’s work and their artistic perspective. The tutorial center was open and inviting and the student center was packed with students studying and socializing. The scie
Page updated
Report abuse