As the foggy sky clears, Skyline paved a powerful tone for the fall semester. Multiple events, spearheaded by different clubs and organizations, highlighted strong engagement and participation on global and local issues, catering advocacies, protests and education for all. From a life-changing study abroad program and on-campus and off-campus community programs, to free-speech events and protests, Skyline encourages participation on various fronts.
International Programs, Learning Communities, Clubs and Organizations
The fall semester started with a plethora of programs recognizing diverse cultures and perspectives toward global engagement. Newin Orante, Skyline College’s acting president, talked about these programs and how they can help students, especially new students, in making their stay on campus meaningful and worthwhile.
“As an educator and a change agent, it is important to recognize the diversity to acknowledge the opportunities and the agency that they [diverse people in the community] bring,” he said.
The first program that he highlighted is the study abroad program. He mentioned that the student interns from the recent programs in the Philippines and Ghana came back empowered and transformed after being immersed in these countries based on the debriefing that they had done in the spring semester. This program is a powerful way of integrating the role of experience into academia. Right now, the SMCCCD Study Abroad – housed in Skyline – is offering programs such as semester abroad, short-term study abroad, global internship, transfer abroad and community travel.
Aside from the study abroad program, there are also learning communities that are divided into two categories. The first category is the college success/general education path like the Umoja-ASTEP, CIPHER, Kababayan Learning Community, First Year Experience and Puente. The second category is the major/degree path, namely the Biology & Chemistry Scholars, Engineering & Technology Scholars and Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program. These communities not only help a student determine their future paths but also help in the development of their identity and culture.
Moreover, there are also various organizations and clubs in Skyline. As a matter of fact, they participated in the recent resource fair and club rush that happened last August 21-22. Joining clubs and organizations is definitely a great way to balance academic work with co-curricular and community engagements.
Bridging gaps and raising voices
As a community college with a masterplan for equity, anti-racism and global engagement, it is important to have a platform for the students to raise their voice about their advocacies, perspective on social and global issues and beliefs.
Among the first ones to raise their voices were the Myanmar Student Union members who set up a booth in Building 6 on the first day of class to get in touch with students with connections to Myanmar. They were also the first ones to set up a general meeting to discuss the issues that the students are facing in and out of the campus. The goal of the student union centers around democratic education and support, being able to organize, and the realization of what is right from what is wrong – with the society and greater population in mind.
Another group that engages in global issues at present is the Skyline Students for Justice in Palestine (SSJP) with the goal of educating students about the Israel-Palestine conflict. They conduct teach-ins and other programs to educate students. Their events also talk about relevant societal issues, not only based on media coverage but individual experiences.
Mustafa Popal, adviser for SSJP said that the group also addresses the oppression, inequality, and the misconceptions associated with being Israeli and being Jewish.
“It is very important to decouple Judaism from Zionism,” Popal said. “Critiquing the state of Israel’s political and military decision is not a critique of Judaism.”
Additionally, the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC) ensures that the concerns of the students are heard. They set up tents and give out flyers containing useful information during the first few weeks of the semester.
These are only a few among many Skyline groups and organizations that give a platform for the student voices.
Equal opportunities and community engagement
When it comes to equal opportunities and community engagement, the Equity Institute (EI) remains true to its goal as it provides and oversees assessments that are designed to develop strategic institutional responses to relevant concerns regarding race, gender and equity.
The institute prioritizes collaborations with the departments in Skyline College and throughout the San Mateo County College District in terms of building and developing skills that are anti-racism, anti-sexism and anti-classism. As per the institute’s manager, Allen Byron Ocampo, the EI advocates for the needs of the students to help them advocate for themselves and their communities.
One of their many collaborations and programs include the Counseling 101 course created out of an equity need at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with Carlos Romero of the International Student Program, EI spearheaded the course to help the international students, especially those who were from countries with political turmoil, to comply with the in-person classes requirement and keep their student visa. The course provides students with the opportunity to understand the terms of equity and social justice and connect it to the experiences of the students in their home countries. The classes are now required for international students, not only because it is beneficial to help them as they start their academic journey but also, due to the historical relevance of being in these classes.
Moreover, the institute is also collaborating with the Queer Students of Color Conference that will happen in the spring semester.
