Campus Pulse: What’s New and On the Move
City College ushers in a new era with leadership changes, the opening of the Student Success Center, and a wave of relocations reshaping student services across campus.
By Ellen Yoshitsugu
ellenyoshi@gmail.com
Much has changed here at City College. Student centers have relocated, and services have been rearranged. As The Guardsman keeps its fingers on the pulse of all that is coming and going around campus, readers can discover a recap of all major changes below.
Changing of the Guards
The latest chancellor, Kimberlee Messina, has settled into her office on the top floor of Cloud Hall in room 324 with lovely views of the bay. She told The Guardsman that her door was always open.
Meanwhile, Heather Brandt has transitioned from Student Trustee to Student Chancellor, taking Malinalli Villalobos’ position, while Villalobos has become the Vice Chancellor. Taking Brandt’s place as Student Trustee is Angelica Campos. All three constituents bring years of experience advocating for students at City College. They will now have offices upstairs in the Student Success Center and encourage all students to drop by. They want to hear from you! The Associated Students also has a new set of officers, who will continue to meet in the Student Union building.
Success is the Latest Addition
The shiny new Student Success Center is open and bustling with activity. After the building opened on July 1, staff had a month to pack up their centers and offices for the movers before settling into their new homes.
Standing at the student ambassador’s desk, Vice Student Chancellor Mallinali pointed out the service desks which line the bright central hall: Counseling, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Bursar’s Office, Admissions and Records and Assessment. Disability Services & Programs for Students is now easily accessible, just inside the SSC’s front door, rather than being tucked away in a corner of the library.
Support Programs, including SparkPoint, Guardian Scholars/HART, City DREAM, Women's Resource Center, Students Supporting Students, Queer Resource Center and Rising Scholars have moved out of old digs into a bright upstairs wing of the SSC. Their offices open onto a shared lounge area.
In the Women’s Resource Center, there was laughter and hugs amid stacks of boxes. Ellen Estrada, an Ocean campus AS student senator, unpacked suitcases full of donated poetry books onto generous bookshelves. She pointed out where they plan to put their celebrated mural and their shrine to missing and murdered indigenous women.
There are more services in the other upstairs wing of the SSC: Family Resource Center, EOPS/NEXT UP/CARE, CalWORKS and the Veterans Resources Center & Services, among others.
Many of these groups have protested the reduction in their spaces. A student worker in the Veterans Resource Center noted that they have gone from two rooms to one.
More to ComeMulticultural Retention Services are small centers that provide academic support for students based on identity. These services will be moving into the Harry Britt Building sometime later this fall.
Latino Services Network, VASA/Oceania Student Success Program and Asian Pacific American Student Success Program will share Room 39 of the Harry Britt Building, the former counseling center. It’s a large open space, and Mack said they will miss their current rooms.
UMOJA/AASP programs and services were originally designed to help African American students, but are now available to all students. Located behind the Learning Assistance Center in Rosenberg Library for 18 years, with a suite of offices and conference rooms surrounding a computer lab big enough to serve an entire class. With grant funding, it will be moved to Room 101 in the Harry Britt Building.
An updated Facilities Master plan includes a student parking garage with space on the ground floor for a new police station and the Custodial Department. The structure will be built on Frida Kahlo Way between the STEAM building and Riordan High School. Associate Vice Chancellor Alberto Vasquez confirmed by email that a permanent police station is one of their goals. However, the parking structure design still has to go through a lengthy approval process.
The Registered Nursing Department remains in its current home in Cloud Hall but expects to join other Health Sciences departments at the John Adams campus, probably next summer.
Student Health Services remains in the Student Health Center off Frida Kahlo Way. They can help students with first aid, substance abuse counseling, immunizations, mental health counseling and referrals. For sexual and reproductive health, they offer STI and pregnancy testing, birth control and help with urinary/ gynecological/menstrual concerns.
