Large-scale reforms for City College were discussed at the Friday, Oct. 7 Associated Student Government meeting with plans to establish equitable practices and to provide a space for collaboration and innovation on campus.

A three-year Student Equity Plan was presented by Student Equity and Achievement Committee Members Z Reisz and Laurie Vasquez to ASG, with the intention of receiving feedback to solidify a plan. It will succeed the expiring Student Equity Plan that began in 2019. 

The plan was curated through a racially conscious lens to recognize the inequity that exists. This directly affects minority groups of students in many ways. Some of these are a widened achievement gap, underrepresentation, lack of enrollment success, and lower levels of transfer rates. Goals to deliver methods of appeasement for disproportionately affected students were supported and elaborated upon. 

“We understand that our current structure is in some part causing disproportionate impacts,” said Reisz. “Asian females and students identifying as Black and/or African American, male and female, all had disproportionate impacts in this metric of successful enrollment.”

Measures of action included in the plan are “equitable hiring practices”, increased “outreach to Black and African American students”, and increased awareness of special resource programs like the Umoja Program.

The curation of this plan had no direct student representation in the process, though it will be reviewed and revisions will be offered by ASG members.

The creation of a “Maker’s Space”, where students could engage in a communal room meant for collaboration, innovation, and opportunities for professional growth, was proposed by former City College attendee and current Harvard student Shimon Navon. 

He highlighted the lack of exposure for available resources to students and the inability for students to thrive in their professional ambitions. 

“There’s a mismatch between our resources and accessibility,” said Navon. “A space like this exists, but it’s not open on the weekends, and even if it exists, most people don’t know about it.” 

Navon positioned City College as being behind other California Community Colleges where students are excelling due to their school offering a space like this. 

“What if you’re here and you have a dream,” said Navon. “This is how you get there.” 

The room would interweave students of different majors and foster the merging of ideas to create projects like a business, for example.

“You get this hands-on experience and they get to collaborate with you, someone who’s from a whole different discipline, and you both get something great on your resume,” Navon said. 

He spoke highly of this project, expanding it to a larger, worldly scale of importance that has the potential to birth great people for our generation. He referred to figures such as Steve Jobs as being comparable to people who would result from the implementation of this space. 

“We’re trying to make a difference, we’re trying to make the world a better place,” Navon said. 

Navon strongly urged ASG members to adopt his vision for the collaborative space and use their connection with students to promote exposure and market to them.

“You guys have the power to make this happen,” said Navon. “Let’s change the world together.” 

Support for the project was expressed by several ASG members including Vice President Raphaela Griffith. 

“I feel so inspired by what you’re doing,” said Griffith. “I think this is so great.” 

ASG will discuss further implications of this project and continue to serve students with improvements at their next meeting on Oct. 14.