City College pursues LGBT studies major

City College of San Francisco is applying to become the first of the state's two-year community colleges to offer an LGBT studies major. School officials are hopeful they will be able to begin offering the new degree program in the fall.

The campus' curriculum committee recently voted to unanimously endorse adding the LGBT studies major to its offerings. The college's elected Board of Trustees is expected to endorse the proposal later this spring before school administrators seek final approval from the chancellor's office of the statewide community college system.

"No other community college in California is as well equipped to offer this as we are," said Ardel Thomas, Ph.D., chair of the LGBT studies department.

When City College created the gay and lesbian studies department in 1989, it was the first of its kind in the United States. The school had been offering individual classes as far back as 1972.

Thomas has wanted to offer an LGBT studies major at City College since she was hired in 2006 as chair of the department. The stumbling block at the time, she said, was that few four-year institutions offered an LGBT studies major or minor.

"One reason why we didn't put the major forward before is that up until recently there were no other programs you could really go to," she said. "Now, however, LGBT studies and queer studies is recognized internationally as a field in academia."

It is still rare for schools to have dedicated LGBT studies departments, said Thomas. Students seeking such a major are often housed within English departments or under gender or women's studies.

But numerous colleges and universities are offering courses in LGBT studies and now allow students to either major or minor in it. In the Bay Area, San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Davis all offer either certificates or degrees in LGBT or queer studies. In researching her proposal, Thomas found that more than 75 North American campuses offer such programs.

Having such a major at City College would allow the department's students to transfer to those four-year institutions with LGBT majors or minors and continue their education in the field, said Thomas.

"While the LGBT studies major at City College of San Francisco offers a full array of general education and diversity requirements, it will also prepare students for transfer to numerous LGBT/queer studies baccalaureate programs in the United States and Canada," stated Thomas in her proposal to the curriculum committee.

Benjamin Marmolejo, 19, said he is thinking about either seeking LGBT studies as a major or a minor to an English major. He has been taking classes in the department since he enrolled at City College three semesters ago.

"I was able to talk about, write about, and read about things in my mind even before I came out," said Marmolejo, who is gay and lives in Oakland. "I was able to meet a lot of really cool people. One course turned into another."

He is hopeful City College will secure the needed approvals to start the major this fall.

"It would be really sad if there were any issues. These classes attract a wide and diverse audience of students who are really interested in the subject matter," said Marmolejo.

In an interview, Thomas said not only would having an LGBT studies major better protect her department from budget cuts but also would cater to the academic needs of the department's students, a growing number of whom want to be able to major in LGBT studies. Nearly 40 students have expressed interest in doing so once the major is approved, she said.

"We are in un-normal financial times. I don't think anything is going to get cut from LGBT studies but having a major will legitimize the department," said Thomas. "And when we have a set of courses students need to take to get the major then we don't have any of this wrestling around will this class make it if it doesn't have X number of students."

For those students who want to major in LGBT studies, said Thomas, "I think it helps them feel empowered."

Lawrence Wong, the only out member on the community college board, told the Bay Area Reporter he sees no reason why he and his colleagues would not support the creation of an LGBT studies major.

"This is nothing more than a progression of what City College has done in the past in terms of being in the forefront of educating our community regarding the LGBT movement and empowerment of the community and the history of the community," said Wong. "It is very exciting and makes a lot of sense because San Francisco is the epicenter of the LGBT studies movement and the LGBT world looks to us for leadership."

City College's Dean of Curriculum Tom Boegel expects to present the local board with Thomas's proposal for the LGBT studies major in late March or early April. Once approved locally then the application will be submitted to the office of the chancellor for the statewide system. Boegel estimated it could take up to six months for state officials to review the plans.

"We have a very good track record in terms of getting majors approved at the state chancellor's office and I am very optimistic," said Boegel. "We are San Francisco for heaven's sake. If there is any city and any community college in this country that should have an LGBT studies major it is us."

A spokesperson for the chancellor's office did not respond to requests for comment.

One of the key issues will be proving that City College students who major in LGBT studies will be able to transfer to a four-year school, said Boegel.

"This is not like chemistry where the first few years what you have to do is very cut and dry across different four-year schools, not only in California but across the country. This is different. There is no set lower division pattern," said Boegel.

He has been working with Thomas to ensure they provide enough evidence to the chancellor's office about the other schools that offer an LGBT studies major and the classes City College will require students to complete before they can graduate.

"Never say never but I would not anticipate we would have difficulty with this. The way Ardel has worked to put this program together and the work she has done with our articulation officer on ensuring the students have the credits they need to transfer and the courses we have are recognized and approved at four-year schools; we have done a lot of our homework here," said Boegel.