by Elisabeth Pinio
City College of San Francisco will soon welcome students for the Fall 2007 semester, which begins Wednesday, August 15. Online registration is available now, through August 13. Students may continue to register for credit classes through August 31 by visiting the classroom. Enrollment for noncredit courses is available anytime during the fall semester.
Credit courses are $20 per unit, with a health fee of $18 for the semester. Noncredit courses are free, and financial aid is available for all courses.
For a complete course listing and detailed information on admissions and registration, visit www.ccsf.edu, or call (415) 239-3285.
California Public Utilities Commission to investigate excessive executive compensation
The California Public Utilities Commission began hearings August 6 for Sempra Energy (Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas and Electric Company) to investigate the compensation of Sempra’s executives and its effect on rates.
Donald Felsinger, CEO of the Sempra holding company, received roughly 40% more in compensation ($12.4 million) than his counterparts in slightly larger utility companies in California – Edison ($8.5 million) and PG&E (9.2 million). Testimony revealed that Sempra’s top five executives earn more than twice the salary of comparable positions at Edison and PG&E.
The rate hearings will also compare Sempra’s philanthropic contributions to its peers, and in relation to the CEO’s compensation. PG&E granted $11.9 million to low-income communities, while Sempra contributed $1.2 million.
House passes Green Jobs Act, opportunities flourish
The Green Jobs Act, included in the Energy Independence Initiative passed in the House of Representatives, has opened up a new (green) world for poor people. The bill was sponsored by Representative Hilda Solis (D-CA) and John Tierney (D-MA), and the “pathways out of poverty” element of the bill was drafted with the help of the Oakland-based Ella Baker Center, the Workforce
Alliance, the Center for American Progress, and the Apollo Alliance, as well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
“A national effort to curb global warming and oil dependence can simultaneously create pathways out of poverty, resulting in more jobs, safer streets, and healthier communities,” said President and Co-Founder of the Ella Baker Center, Van Jones.
San Mateo County Psychiatry Residency recognized for excellence
Based on an evaluation conducted in November 2006, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has commended San Mateo County Psychiatry Residency for excellence in education design, utilizing all available resources and establishing an active learning process that includes a network of scholars, comprised of faculty and residents.
Founded in 1967, the Residency receives approximately 200 applications per year, and admits four new residents. A division of San Mateo County Mental Health Services, residents do inpatient clinical rotations at the San Mateo County Medical Center.
San Francisco teachers trained to garden in schools
The San Francisco Unified School District has embraced its greener side as school gardens are used to teach multiple subjects. A five-day intensive residential training took place in Occidental, Calif. to provide teachers with practical and theoretical methods to implement school garden programs.
Teachers from six schools attended garden-based professional development training last week to learn about integrating the garden into state-approved school curricula as well as nutrition, recycling, composting, art, team building, and fundraising.
