Sandra F.
Ericson, MA
Nice to Meet You!
City College of San Francisco is an inner-city community college where people start and start over in San Francisco. It's your first stop if you are lower income, have dependents, need to work, or maybe your culture and the mainstream are very different and you're lost. It was hard, but heart-warming, as we in the Department introduced students to living independently, how America operates, or just needing to figure out how to stay in school and find a path -- we were the 'assimilation' department, no matter where you you started. Everyone needs Life 101 lessons. You do not acquire them in the US by osmosis, or even Mom, anymore; today, Mom needs lessons too. Now, Life 101 requires direct instruction, with a Handbook for contingencies. The lessons prevent human failure, and it works even if you are incredible, have money, and are over forty -- life lasts a long time; things change. Therefore, life planning and life skills are not optional if you want to have a say in your fate. So, welcome to Human Ecology, the study of how we comprehend and navigate our human selves and our world.
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I chaired the Consumer Arts and Science Department at City College of San Francisco for thirty years and met many wonderful people searching for a way to navigate the big world; they found it in our classrooms, and sailed on!
Education
San Francisco State University, MA, Human Relations
San Jose State University, BA, Home Economics
My Job
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Chair, faculty, Consumer Arts and Science Department 1971 - 2004.
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Developed and administrated General Fund and categorical budgets; planned and developed Strategic Plans and curricula;
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Generated teaching schedules for 16 instructors at 7 locations;
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Maintained ongoing publicity/public relations programs, including design, and distribution of brochures, posters, and print media advertising;
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Directed community and student surveys and research;
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Wrote initial VTEA grant for joint industry/education coalition;
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Planned yearly job fair exhibitions.