Dear Community Leader:
Thank you for inquiring about providing classes at your site under the auspices of the City Colleges of Chicago Adult Education Division. The Adult Education Division greatly values its many community partners, one of our greatest assets in our mission to serve adult learners. We could not provide the expanse of services at the level of accessibility we do without them.
The Adult Education Program serves a wide range of students by providing Adult Basic Education (ABE), literacy and GED preparation courses for students to improve their academic skills and earn their GED; and English as a Second Language (ESL) and Citizenship courses for non native English speakers and those who plan to take the citizenship exam. We currently offer these classes at each of our seven colleges and at close to 100 satellite locations throughout the city.
When we are asked to establish a new site, we consider a number of factors, including how classes at this site would serve community needs, how they would complement our existing program, and what resources are available from both parties to ensure continued success. Below you will find some general information pertaining to off-campus sites. The attached sample Site Provider Agreement covers in greater detail the responsibilities of both parties in offering an instructional program.
Benefit to the Community: It is our goal to select sites which will provide the optimum educational environment and access to the community. When adding sites, we are mindful of increasing access to underserved communities and groups. As such, our decision to open or not open a site is the product of multiple factors and should not be deemed an assessment of the value or quality of your organization. At minimum, we require that new sites be governmental agencies or designated as a 501c3 organization for at least two years.
Size of the program: The City Colleges of Chicago Adult Education Program is required to test and place students in defined instructional levels according to federal and state guidelines. Therefore, for a site to provide Adult Education classes there must be enough students of similar ability to be able to group the students by instructional level.
Facilities: The site provider must provide for the safety and security of its students. Specifically:
- The room(s) where classes are to be held must be conducive to learning.
- The site must provide adequate desks and/or tables and chairs, blackboards, lighting, and storage space for books and materials.
- The site must provide a safe environment for staff and students. All new sites must pass their most recent fire inspection.
- It is a strong plus if the site has one or more computers available for students to use during class, and such equipment as a blackboard, telephone, photocopier, and TV with DVD player for use by the adult educator.
- To the extent that students will be coming by car, parking should be easily available.
Access: We know that many community organizations exist primarily to serve the needs of a particular cultural or language group. However, we require that the classes held at each site be open to all interested neighborhood residents who are at the appropriate level for the class. We also ask that sites encourage students to access classes at the main college campus when they have advanced beyond the level offered at that site.
- Teaching Staff: The Board and the College are subject to a collective bargaining agreement (Agreement Between the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508, County of Cook, State of Illinois, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31, AFL-CIO, and its Local 3506 Adult Educators) (“CBA”, herein incorporated by reference), which governs the employment relationship for Adult Educators. Pursuant to Article VI, Section 7, of the CBA, “Conflicts of Interests”, staff, board members and volunteers of the Site Provider may not be employed at the site as an Adult Educator. They may, however, be employed as an Adult Educator at another site. Newly hired teachers will be given orientations, and all teachers are required to attend periodic staff development on campus.
Books, Materials, and Curriculum: The College will provide a curriculum, as well as appropriate books and materials for students to use in class (per teacher requisition). Students are not permitted to take books home, except for certain consumable workbooks.
Written Agreement: Site providers are required to sign an agreement with the College detailing which responsibilities fall to the College, which fall to the site provider, and which are joint responsibilities. This agreement may be renewed on an annual basis, subject to available funding, enrollment and the viability of the site. A sample copy of this agreement is attached.
We look forward to speaking further with you about the possibility of working together. Should you have questions, please feel free to contact one of us.
Sincerely, |
