Stop the Cuts to the Philippine Studies Department at City College of San Francisco!
CCSF President Shanell Williams, Vice President Tom Temprano, and CCSF Board of Trustee Members Brigitte Davila, John Rizzo, Thea Selby, Alan Wong, and Aliya Chisti
On March 15, 2021, 163 full-time tenured and tenure track faculty across 39 departments at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) received pink slips stating that their “services will not be required for the ensuing 2021-2022 academic year.” This includes Dr. Lily Ann Villaraza, the Chair and only full-time faculty member of the Philippine Studies Department.
The Philippine Studies department was founded alongside the African American Studies department in 1970 at the CCSF and celebrated its 50th anniversary this academic year (2020-2021). It’s the only department of its kind in the United States.
Losing Dr. Villaraza would significantly hinder the growth and the ability of the Philippine Studies department to provide relevant education to both Filipinos and non-Filipinos. These cuts threaten the stability of the Philippine Studies, provide justification to further cut the department, and possibly consolidate it with other departments in the future.
These cuts will be finalized by May 15, 2021. We ask the community to rally and demand that the CCSF Board of Trustees rescind the termination of Dr. Villaraza, and bolster the Philippine Studies department so that students can learn relevant education about their community.
Sign on to this petition to urge the CCSF Board of Trustees and administration to rescind Dr. Villaraza’s termination notice and commit to strengthening the Philippine Studies department by providing resources and institutional support.
#WeArePHST
#TellOurPHSTory
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To:
CCSF President Shanell Williams, Vice President Tom Temprano, and CCSF Board of Trustee Members Brigitte Davila, John Rizzo, Thea Selby, Alan Wong, and Aliya Chisti
From:
[Your Name]
The Philippine Studies department at the City College of San Francisco is celebrating its 50th anniversary this academic year (2020-2021). It’s the only department of its kind in the United States.
Under Dr. Lily Ann Villaraza’s leadership, the Philippine Studies Department was able to develop an Associates of Arts Degree and Certificate of Achievement in Philippine Studies, and partner with Filipinx programs and learning communities across the state to help support and foster the growth of Filipinx students, staff, faculty, counselors, and administrators in the California Community College system.
Losing Dr. Lily Ann Villaraza, the department’s sole full-time faculty member, would significantly hinder the growth and the ability of Philippine Studies to provide relevant education to both Filipinos and non-Filipinos.
The Philippine Studies Department, with full institutional support, would provide Filipino students the chance to learn about themselves, their families, and the conditions that they face in the Philippines and here in the United States. By understanding our history, we learn what forces and conditions shaped our community, and how we can empower ourselves to effect change within it.
We, the students of City College of San Francisco, community college students across the state, and all students in higher education urge that you:
- Place a moratorium on the termination of faculty at City College of San Francisco. This shows the commitment to supporting faculty that reflects the student body.
- Rescind the termination notice of Dr. Villaraza and provide assurance that her position is safe given her strong record of student engagement and service.
- Increase the course apportionment allotted to the Philippine Studies Department to support the growth of the department and/or its new programs (Associate of Arts Degree in Philippine Studies, Certificate of Achievement in Philippine Studies, Pilipino Language Certificate of Achievement, and the Filipinx LGBTQ+ Identities and Cultures course offering).
- Equip the department with resources for outreach into the San Francisco community for Philippine Studies, including marketing in the city’s third official language, Filipino.
- Approve at least one new tenure-track line to hire a faculty member in Philippines Studies with a focus on teaching the Filipino language.
Community Colleges are institutions that strive to best serve and empower their respective communities by providing students learning opportunities and resources to develop critical thinking skills to engage with diverse populations. We are asking for your support in bolstering the Philippine Studies Department and fulfilling CCSF’s vision to “provide a sustainable and accessible environment where we support and encourage student possibilities by building on the vibrancy of San Francisco”, by retaining Dr. Lily Ann Villaraza as a full-time tenured faculty in the department.