Downtown Center Culinary and English Programs To Be Relocated Next Fall
With the Downtown Center closure, City College's Culinary and English Departments are working to relocate programs, students and faculty to other campuses.
City College departments, still at the Downtown center this semester, are set for redistribution throughout other campuses starting in the fall.
While the only culinary class at the center temporarily moves to Ocean campus for two semesters, the English department’s 20 courses face a significant schedule restructuring and a more complex plan to move to other centers.
Baking and Pastry Relocation to Ocean Campus
Earlier this semester, longtime instructor at the Downtown center, Elizabeth Riehle, announced her retirement.
"We realized that we were at a good point to pause the program at the Downtown Center,” Jennifer Rudd, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies department chair, said. Even before the center closure announcement, she shared Riehle's departure and much-needed repairs to the Downtown kitchen led to a planned relocation of the program.
“I can't do anything until the college assures me that it's okay to hire someone – even on an emergency basis,” Rudd said. The department will hire a new instructor once cleared by the college
The advanced pastry class will be in the afternoons, with earlier start times on Fridays because of Ocean Campus’ early closure.
"This is not gonna be a huge financial burden by any means,” she said about the planned Chinatown kitchen revitalization.
Rudd noted that a retail café on the first floor of Chinatown Center has never been used, and hopes to have the program settled at the site’s kitchen within a year, and utilize the café for culinary pop-ups.
Future students can contact the program advisor, Lona Shea, who will explain the new schedule and the changes.
ESL Classes Changes and Redistribution
While the culinary department’s one class has a set redistribution, another department faces similar reduced funding without a linear redistribution plan.
The ESL program usually receives initial grants under the general fund, then requests additional funding to expand class offerings.
The cut of supplemental funds will force the program to shrink the overall schedule.
"There are other [ESL] programs at other locations where students will find ESL classes throughout the day, afternoon, evening and even Saturdays,” ESL Department chair Jessica Buchsbaum said.
Chinatown will receive an additional five to eight sections, while Mission and Ocean Campus will continue to offer their respective ELS and other English courses.
Online classes will be available, as well.
“We are not taking the whole Downtown Center schedule and moving it somewhere else,” highlighted Jessica Buchsbaum, English Department Chair. She said that although some students may struggle to access other campuses or adapt to online learning, the department is working to make this transition manageable for them.
“It is hard to know ahead of time how many students will enroll in each campus,” said Buchsbaum.
Faculty will also be affected by the transition and restructuring, however “layoffs are not expected,” said Buchsbaum.
“I wish this weren't happening,” she said. "But we are going to do the very best that we can to make sure students feel supported and comfortable in finding the other locations.”
