SANTA BARBARA — On his first day as Superintendent/President of Santa Barbara City College, Anthony E. Beebe sent out a community survey asking “If only I were the new SBCC President, I would…” The survey was released on July 1, 2016 and the community was invited to submit anonymous responses through July 29th.
At the close of the survey, 675 responses had been received from members of the community and SBCC Faculty, Staff, and Students. Of the responses, 429 came from community members, 111 from Faculty and Staff, and 135 from students. “I was overwhelmed with the response to my survey from our community. Clearly, there is a lot of interest in SBCC!” said President Beebe. As promised, he read every single response and presents the following top highlights to each of his questions:
Top Six Responses to “If only I were the new SBCC President, I would…!”
- Restore State-Funded Adult Education
- Find the Optimal College Size
- Improve College Service
- Listen to Faculty, Staff, and Community
- Connect with the Community
- Address Student Housing
Top Six Perceived Strengths for SBCC?
- Faculty, Staff, and Administration
- Broad Program Selection
- Beautiful Location
- Pathways to Careers and Higher Education
- Quality Instruction
- Outstanding Reputation
Top Six Perceived Weaknesses for SBCC?
- Neglect of Santa Barbara in Favor of Out-of-District Revenues
- No State-Funded Adult Education
- Terrible Parking
- College Growth
- Focused on “Junior College”/Transfer Mission
- Lack of Housing
Top Six Perceived Opportunities for SBCC?
- Connect with the Community
- Bring Back the Community’s College
- Restore State-Funded Adult Education
- Offer Certificate/Vocational Programs
- Develop New Programs
- Build on the SBCC Foundation’s Promise
Top Six Perceived Threats for SBCC?
- Growth
- Lack of Community Focus
- Poor Community Relations
- Housing
- Poor Community Perceptions
- Loss of Community College Mission
Although the survey is not intended to be statistically valid, it does provide valuable input across stakeholder groups that will help inform College decision making. SBCC is committed to a more intentional approach to reaching out to our local community and engaging in community dialogue around important issues.
About Santa Barbara City College: Founded in 1909, Santa Barbara City College currently serves approximately 25,000 students each semester who enroll in courses for transfer preparation, career education, and foundational skills and an additional 4,500 enroll in lifelong learning classes. SBCC was the 2013- 2015 national co-winner of the prestigious Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence. The college was recognized for its quality and focus in four areas: facilitating underrepresented and minority student success, student learning outcomes, degree completion and transfer rates, and labor market success in securing good jobs after college.