CAA and New America Media host a press conference in which City College Chancellor Art Tyler reports last spring's record number of graduates.

As the new school year begins, efforts continue to ensure City College of San Francisco stays open.  Recently, CAA successfully secured stabilization funds for City College in the California State budget. But we knew that those funds were only one part of the broader strategy to keep City College moving forward, though absolutely necessary as they were for the college’s survival.

In October, City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s lawsuit against the Accreditation Commission will go to trial. The community should stand with the lawsuit to make sure that the college is afforded every protection it deserves under the law. Meanwhile, the Accreditation Commission, whose actions have threatened to close City College, has changed its own policies to give City College more time. But because this policy is new and unclear, the public must vigilantly monitor how it will be implemented — unfairly punishing 85,000 community college students and adult learners would be unacceptable.

While all of this is happening, City College continues to serve and provide its students with high-quality education. During a recent press conference hosted by CAA and New America Media, City College Chancellor Art Tyler noted that a record number of City College students graduated last spring, and that successful transfers to four-year degree programs continue to be among the highest in California.

City College serves and teaches it students extremely well. This is the primary reason why City College is the largest and most diverse community college in California. As City College prepares for a return to local governance, elected and public officials must continue to ask the necessary and hard questions about the accreditation process and its lasting impact.