Worthy stewards
San Francisco’s City College has spent the past several years climbing out of a deep hole, and the ascent’s not over yet. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges will announce its final verdict in City College’s long accreditation fight in February. In the meantime, City College is struggling to reverse a steep enrollment drop — students fled when its accreditation status went into jeopardy.
These incredible challenges require City College to have a strong, stable, competent Board of Trustees.
Rafael Mandelman, Amy Bacharach and Alex Randolph all came into office during the past few years of difficulty and disarray. All three have proven themselves worthy stewards of the college during its biggest crisis.
During a meeting with our editorial board, it was clear that Mandelman, Bacharach and Randolph had a precise understanding of what the board needs to do right now: put the accreditation struggle to rest, increase enrollment, and expand the college’s offerings to meet the challenges of the new San Francisco. Over the past few years, they’ve done a yeoman’s job at meeting the first challenge. Each has earned re-election.
The right person to join them on the board is Shanell Williams. A two-time student trustee, Williams joined board members on their cross-country trek to keep the school open. She knows its inner workings — where it’s strong and where it’s troubled. Her mastery of detail, plus her demonstrated commitment to the school, will be great assets for the board.