GIS Education Center

GISEC Policies

Workshops

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Transfers/Credits/Refunds:
If you cannot attend a course as planned, you may receive a GIS-EC credit towards a future workshop. You must notify us three business days prior to the first class meeting. Credits may be applied toward the cost of any future GIS Education Center workshop within one year from date of issue.

If you choose to withdraw from a class, please notify us before 5:00 pm at least three business days prior to the class start date. A full refund will be issued, minus a $15 processing fee. If you withdraw after the three-business-day deadline, but before the class begins, you will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be given after a class begins.

GIS-EC is self-supporting and all costs are covered through student registration fees. In the event of cancellation or changes of times and dates, we will attempt to notify you at least two business days before the course begins. 

Classroom Policy:
GIS-EC reserves the right to change class locations, schedules, fees, instructors when necessary.

Please no audio or video tape recording during classes without prior permission from the instructor. GIS-EC is pleased to welcome and admit students of any race, color, religion, or national and ethnic origin to all classes.

Lab policies may vary; please be respectful of all equipment.

Our classrooms can sometimes be too warm or cool. For your comfort, we recommend that you dress in layers or bring a light jacket with you to class.

Students with Disabilities:
Most of our facilities are designed to assist people with disabilities. Visit the CCSF Access Guide for more information. Please contact us if you require additional needs.

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Privacy Policy

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Your privacy is very important to us. Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how we collect, use, communicate and disclose and make use of personal information. The following outlines our privacy policy.

• Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.
• We will collect and use of personal information solely with the objective of fulfilling those purposes specified by us and for other compatible purposes, unless we obtain the consent of the individual concerned or as required by law.
• We will only retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
• We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with the knowledge or consent of the individual concerned.
• Personal data should be relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used, and, to the extent necessary for those purposes, should be accurate, complete, and up-to-date.
• We will protect personal information by reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
• We will make readily available to customers information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
• We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.

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Ethics Policy

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GIS-EC's purpose for this ethics policy is to establish a culture of openness, trust and integrity. GIS-EC will not tolerate any wrongdoing at anytime. GIS-EC will take the appropriate measures act quickly in correcting the issue if the ethical code is broken. Any infractions of this code of ethics will not be tolerated.

Scope: This policy applies to employees, consultants, temporaries, and other workers at GIS-EC, including all users of the GIS-EC website located at www.ccsfgis.org.

Policy: Unethical Behavior: GIS-EC will avoid the intent and appearance of unethical or compromising practice in relationships, actions and communications. GIS-EC will not tolerate harassment or discrimination.

Enforcement: Any infractions of this code of ethics will not be tolerated and GIS-EC will act quickly in correcting the issue if the ethical code is broken. Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

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Site Usage

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Terms: By accessing this website, you are agreeing to be bound by these website Terms and Conditions of Use, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this website are protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.

The GIS Education Center reserves the right to edit, delete or alter any or all information on the website or submitted to the website. This includes content contained in the News, Events, Jobs, and Resources, or any other submitted content. We may edit or delete your data without your notice or your permission as we see fit.

Links: GIS-EC has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its Internet website and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by GIS-EC of the site. Use of any such linked website is at the user's own risk.

Site Terms of Use Modifications: GIS-EC may revise these terms of use for its website at any time without notice. By using this website you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these Terms and Conditions of Use.

GISEC Team

Feel free to contact us at anytime regarding your questions or comments.

Staff
Suzanne Korey | Mono Simeone |

Instructors
Cyndy Comerford | Rick Kos | Jen McLaughlin | Mike Pogodzinski |

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Suzanne Korey
Program Director

415.550.4420
Contact Me

Day job: Program Director, GIS Education Center & Director, Career Technical Education

GIS Focus: Growing the GIS Education Center to be a dynamic and responsive hub of GIS Education

As Program Director My Goal is: I have multiple goals for the Center, which include expanding the reach of our workshops so that more Bay Area residents know about us and participate in our classroom. As we expand our reach I would like the Center expand the range of workshops we offer to benefit people working in transportation, health, urban planning, business, homeland security, and multiple other disciplines. Along side working as Center director, I also work in San Francisco's public schools. My current passion is to see Geospatial technologies utilized in multiple curricular area and across a variety of grade levels. Teachers have successfully integrated Geospatial technologies with students from 3rd grade through high school and in a variety of curricular areas such as art, civics, earth and environmental science, English, geography, history, and outdoor education. Spatial literacy is as important a goal as traditional literacy is. The Center can play an important role in facilitating this technology and preparing teachers to develop modules of geospatial technology for students of all ages.

GIS is important to me because: Using maps to display information is a far more powerful tool then graphs and statistics. Maps provide something that narratives and statistics lack, and indeed demonstrate that "a picture is worth a thousand words". I find the multi-disciplinary nature of GIS and its broad application very exciting, and the students who come into the GIS EC classes represent this breadth of knowledge and experience.

You Should Also Know: I am a big champion of community colleges as a dynamic learning institutions that are directly responsive to local community. The GIS-EC is a good example of how a community college has capacity to address a broad range of disciplines and technologies, and to bring both graduate level and high school students into the same classroom.

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Mono Simeone
Program Manager/ Faculty/Web Master/ Ice Cream Truck Driver

[415] 239.3988
Contact Me

Day job: GIS Coordinator for City College of San Francisco

GIS Focus: Facilities Management using GIS, GIS for Academic Administration

As Program Manager My Goal is: To build a robust and solid GIS program. Provide a service that delivers relevant knowledge, techniques and work-flows to those seeking jobs, students, organizations and community activists. To actively engage the GIS EC in community projects and build relationships with local organizations and private entities.

GIS is important to me because: I believe GIS can facilitate better communication within a community or organization. The ability to analyze data spatially  can provide vital information for decision makers regarding policy. Maps are critical to understanding and improving our environment.

My Projects

• Facility Management and GIS for Campuses - City College of San Francisco
• GIS for Campus Administration - City College of San Francisco
• Crime Analysis, Homicides -  San Francisco Police (SFPD)
• Utility/asset mapping, Oakland & San Jose Airports - Towill Inc.
• GIS database and feature creation, Hetch-Hetchy ROW - Towill Inc.
• LiDAR, Forest and Power Utility mapping -  Towill Inc.
• Georectification and aerial time-series, Formally Used Defense Sites (FUDS) - Towill, Inc.
• CAD conversion, Towill Inc.
• Invasive species mapping, Tomales Bay - Pacific Coast Science & Learning Center, Point Reyes National Seashore
• Marine mammal stranding database, California - Point Reyes National Seashore
• Major Contributor to 'Thinking Globally, Acting Regionally' by Richard LeGates, SFSU Urban Planning Department (ESRI Press)

Organizations: BAAMA, BAR-GC, and about 8 committees of the shared governance at City College.

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Cyndy Comerford
Instructor

Contact Me

Day job: Environmental Health Planning and Fiscal Policy Manager for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Environmental Health

She holds a Master’s Degree in Resource Management and Environmental Planning and has comprehensive experience planning and developing public health programs to incorporate public health considerations into federal, state and local planning decisions. She directs the planning and fiscal functions of the Environmental Health Section and also facilitates the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Urban Health and Place Team which develops research and expertise to assess environmental conditions and respond to urban health inequities.

Cynthia is currently managing a CDC funded project to develop public health capacity and adaptations to reduce human health effects of climate change. Her current research includes the development of an index to assess pedestrian environmental quality, understanding how green building design can improve health outcomes and developing indoor air quality policy.

Past work includes:

• The design of an evidence based healthy development measurement tool which is used to assess the health impacts of urban planning;
• Directing the Treasure Island Community Transportation Plan which promoted physical activity in community design;
• The development of a Retail Food Availability Survey to assess neighborhood food security; and the creation of a geographic sound propagation model to be used for emergency response planning.

Cynthia serves on several City advisory committees and currently represents the San Francisco Department of Public Health on the Municipal Green Building Task Force.

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Rick Kos
Instructor

Contact Me

Day Job: GIS and Urban Planning Consultant; GIS Instructor at San Jose State University and City College of SF

GIS Focus: Introducing students to GIS technology and demystifying it.

GIS is Important to me because:  In order to solve local, regional and global problems, we first need to know as much as possible about the topic to be solved.  In almost every case, this information has a locational and relational component that can be represented on a map - this is why GIS becomes such a powerful tool to study and solve multi-faceted problems. Unfortunately, I feel that today's GIS software is clunky, confusing, unfriendly and off-putting to new learners, so I've made it my mission to promote GIS as a powerful tool that needs to be clearly explained and demystified for the benefit of present and future problem-solvers.

You Should Also Know: Proud to say I was born and raised in New Jersey, though I love California and the Bay Area!

My Projects

• City of Mountain View 2030 General Plan Update mapping
• City of Orinda GIS training
• Co-author: GIS for Economic Development
• Digital Cartographer: Worldlink
• Urban Planning and GIS instructor: San Jose State University
• Personal GIS tutoring services

My Groups: American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, BAAMA (Bay Area Automated Mapping Association), Faculty, San Jose State University Urban & Regional Planning Dept.

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Jen McLaughlin
Instructor

Contact Me

Day job: Environmental Health Planner for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Environmental Health

GIS Focus: Health Impact Assessments using GIS

GIS is important to me because: It allows us to better understand the spatial distribution of our neighborhood resources which can inform planning and policy to address social and environmental inequities. It also helps paint a better picture of those communities with the most need.

You Should Also Know: I'm currently involved with the Mayor's Open Space Task Force and the San Francisco GIS User Group.

My Projects

• GIS mapping and spatial analysis for Healthy Development Management Tool, SFDPH
• Air Quality Model and Map for PM 2.5 in San Francisco, SFDPH
• San Pablo Avenue Air Quality Mapping and Spatial Assessment to Public and Retail Services, Human Impact Partners
• Treasure Island Bicycle Environmental Quality Index Map, SFDPH and SF Bicycle Coalition

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Mike Pogodzinski
Instructor

Contact Me

Day job: Professor of Economics at San Jose State University

GIS Focus: Economic development

You Should Also Know:  I'm interested in the econoimcs of education (K-12 performance and finance), economic development, and urban economic issues.

My Projects

• Co-author, GIS for Economic Development

My Groups: Association for Institutional Research

Employment Opportunities

The GIS Education Center would like to expand the services we provide, continue to offer a wide range of GIS workshops and complementary Lecture Series. See opportunities below -

Curriculum Development

The GIS Education Center is seeking individuals interested in developing GIS curriculum on a broad range of subjects. Workshops are generally 3-5 meetings and can focus on a particular aspect of GIS software, such as Raster GIS, ModelBuilder, 3rd party tools, etc. Or, focus on specific fields such as, Archeology, Urban Planning, and web GIS.

Lecture Series

Share your GIS knowledge with others in a 1-2 hour presentation. Demonstrate the theory and/or practice of GIS as it relates to your field of expertise. Past lectures have included topics on GIS and health, mapping the vote, and city planning.

Please contact us to discuss your ideas, interests, or other opportunities.

Partnerships

GIS Education Center has formed strong partnerships with City and County organizations that deliver geospatial resources to the San Francisco Bay Area as well as community organizations that work in the neighborhoods and schools. We also partner with community colleges in the Bay Area and around the country that provide technical assistance and include the GIS Education Center in national grant activities.

Below is a list of partners with whom the GIS Education Center shares resources, skills, expertise, and information. This list reflects the expanding use of geospatial technologies across many areas, and we are pleased to be a part of this growing field of researchers, practitioners, and educators who promote and share this technology.

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