Student Representation: Updates from CCP’s Standing Committees

M.P. Hassel

January 27, 2025

Standing committees at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) are an outcome of shared governance, where students, faculty, and administrators shape policies that impact every aspect of campus life, to provide recommendations to higher levels of the administration where students and faculty have not had representation.

Meaningful student representation requires student participation as well as transparency and accountability from the administration.

This report covers updates from recent committee meetings.

Institution-Wide Committee (IWC)

Meets fourth Monday of each month, 2:30 p.m. via Zoom

The IWC reviews and evaluates recommendations forwarded by standing committees, serving as the final checkpoint before decisions reach the College President. The most recent meeting was cancelled due to lack of committee activity.

Sub-Committee on Academic Support

Meets fourth Thursday of each month, 3:30 p.m. via Zoom

Administrators reported a significant shift in student preferences toward online classes since the pandemic. Prior to 2020, a large majority of classes were held in-person; now, most are online. In response to concerns about limited in-person options, a sub-sub-committee co-chaired by student delegate Eleanor Noszka-Kress and Dean of Student Success Michael Webber has been formed to evaluate class modalities and improve alignment with student needs.

Students expressed frustration over the lack of transparency in how and why classes are canceled. A suggestion was made to disclose enrollment thresholds for each course in the registration portal, allowing students to make informed decisions. A sub-sub-committee co-chaired by student delegate Darren Lipscomb and Asisstant Vice President of Enrollment Darren Lipscomb has been established to address this issue, with participation from both students and staff.

Standing Committee on Business Affairs

Meets second Wednesday of each month, 3:00 p.m. via Zoom

This committee handles policies and procedures related to campus operations and facilities.

Delegates discussed the difficulties new students face navigating the campus. While administrators touted the CCP app as a potential solution, students emphasized the need for physical directories and improved signage. Issues about college maps remains under consideration and may be reintroduced in February’s meeting or in a small meeting between student delegates and Associate Vice President of Facilities & Construction John Wiggins.

Standing Committee on Curriculum

Meets fourth Wednesday of each month, 3:30 p.m. via Zoom

According to Dr. Lisa Sanders, Dean of Liberal Studies, January’s meeting was “cancelled due to lack of business. We are expecting to receive four curriculum projects to consider during February’s meeting.”

The administration’s reluctance to embrace transparency and accountability is evident in procedural maneuvers, such as deflecting discussions on agenda items to other committees or categorizing decisions as “procedures” rather than “policies,” reveal a calculated strategy to stifle meaningful progress. This pattern is broken only by the turbulance of incessant and informed student advocacy. Attempts to delay action and obscure responsibility are daily plays at a long-term waiting game for informed students to matriculate away and for the newer students to never care.

The lack of transparency further exacerbates student frustration. Critical decisions, like class cancellations or the tools for navigating campus, are often skillfully shrouded in ambiguity. The advocacy of student delegates in attendance this semester has led to tangible outcomes, such as the creation of sub-sub-committees to advocate for change on key issues like class modality and cancellations. When students take their place at the table, they force the administration to confront issues it might otherwise ignore. This momentum must continue and, yet intensify.

The future of our college is not shaped by the decisions of a select few but by the collective action of the community. Participation is not a favor to the institution; participation is a declaration that Philadelphia’s higher education matters.

Attend these meetings. All committee meetings are open to the public. You can request Zoom links by emailing governance@ccp.edu. Scan or click on the QR code to connect with those advocating on your behalf. Share your concerns, challenge complacency, and hold them accountable to the trust you place in them.