Tag: Santa Barbara City College (SBCC)

SBCC Celebrates a Year of Outstanding Success in 2024

by Community Contributor • December 19, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is proud to announce the “2024 Best of SBCC,” reflecting on a year marked by significant achievements, innovation, and community engagement. As a cornerstone of this celebration, SBCC is thrilled to highlight the passing of the Measure P Bond extension, ensuring the continued excellence and modernization of our facilities and programs.

Measure P Bond Extension: Building the Future
The Measure P Bond extension represents a historic investment in SBCC’s mission to provide exceptional education and resources. This extension secures funding for critical infrastructure upgrades, campus sustainability projects, and expanded access to state-of-the-art learning environments. This achievement underscores the community’s unwavering support for SBCC and its role as a leading educational institution.

Reclaiming Our Space, an Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration at Santa Barbara City College

by Community Contributor • October 14, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) iRaices: First Year and Beyond! Program – in partnership with local Chumash and Indigenous community leaders – invites the community to a special Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration on Monday, October 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Come learn about the significance and symbolism of the Chumash signage located on SBCC’s West Campus Bluffs and enjoy a panel discussion with Annette Cordero, Stephen Franco, Dr. Maura Sullivan and Solange Aguilar.

Chumash Sign Unveiling Ceremony on May 8 Honors Chumash People and the Villages of Mispu and Syuxtun

by Community Contributor • May 7, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and the Chumash Signage Project Committee are excited to invite the campus and community at large to officially share the Chumash Signage Project that has been added to the SBCC West Cliff Drive Campus. The event will be held May 8, from 9:30-10:30 a.m., at SBCC West Cliff Campus Great Meadow. (See event details below.)

The sign installation is a series of educational signs along the bluffs of campus. The signs cover a wide range of topics from history, language, and art as well as more recent history of colonization and the ways Chumash people continue to resist and thrive. Each sign is accompanied with stunning artistic elements to bring the stories to life in a visual way.

SBCC South County Black Grad Celebration honors more than 100 graduates

by Community Contributor • May 6, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Umoja Program hosted the second annual Black Grad Celebration in partnership with Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) and Goleta Union School District (GUSD) on Sunday, April 28, at SBCC’s West Cliff Campus Student Services Courtyard. The event brought together more than 300 community members who honored more than 100 Black identifying graduates from transitional kindergarten (TK) to SBCC graduates from Gaviota to Carpinteria.

“Today, we gather to celebrate not just the completion of an academic journey, but also the persistence, resilience, and unyielding spirit of our Black graduates,” opened SBCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D. “Each of you has not only pursued academic excellence but has also enriched your campus with vibrant cultural contributions and invaluable perspectives.”

Dr. María L. Villagómez of Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) selected for the Aspen Institute’s Rising Presidents Fellowship

by Community Contributor • April 26, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program (Aspen) recently announced that Dr. María L. Villagómez, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Academic Affairs at SBCC, is one of 40 college leaders from across the U.S. selected for the 2024-25 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. Applying lessons from over a dozen years researching exceptional community colleges, the Aspen fellowship aims to select and prepare the next generation of presidents who can lead institutions to higher and more equitable levels of student success.

SBCC to raise Pride Flag in all-campus celebration on Thursday, April 4

by Community Contributor • April 2, 2024 • Comments Off

“It is with immense excitement to see the support and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community on campus, for all students, staff and faculty! This flag raising is not just a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment. A commitment to creating an environment where everyone — regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity — feels safe, respected, and supported. It is a pledge to foster a campus culture of equality, equity and understanding.” — CESJ and Pride Program advisor Selena Martinez.

SBCC’s Financial Aid Festival on Feb. 28 to provide support to ALL college students in the SB area

by Community Contributor • February 28, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College invites all college students to the Financial Aid Fest on Wednesday, February 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on SBCC’s Cliff Campus in the Eastern courtyard of the Student Services Building (East Campus).
Expert specialists will be available to assist students in completing FAFSA and Dream Act Applications. This event is open to ALL college students including AB-540 students and students from other colleges and universities like UCSB, Westmont, and Antioch are welcome to receive support.

SBCC Nurturing a Pathway for Professional Journalism in the South Coast

by Community Contributor • January 30, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The Channels, the student news outlet of Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), welcomes the campus and community to tour their new collaborative workspace on the East Cliff Campus during a grand opening celebration from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 in Room A180 of the Administration Building. (See below for more event information.)

The Channels newsroom has relocated from a portable classroom on the edge of the East Cliff Campus to a newly redesigned space in the Administration Building at the heart of SBCC. This places students in the center of the action, giving them easier access to the administration, faculty, and staff and fellow media arts programs on campus. This move and investment emphasizes SBCC’s commitment to supporting and valuing students’ freedom of press and expression, recognizing journalism’s critical role in democracy and social justice, and operating with transparency. The new newsroom allows students to practice their craft within a professional space with state-of-the-art technology.

May 9 — SBCC presenting Panel on ‘Advancing Sustainable Development in an Era of Housing Growth’

by Community Contributor • January 1, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Join Community Environmental Council, the Santa Barbara Independent and Santa Barbara City College School of Extended Learning for a thought-provoking panel discussion at CEC Environmental Hub (1219 State Street) on Thursday, May 9, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The discussion is about advancing sustainable development in an era of unprecedented housing growth. Learn more about the challenges such significant growth poses to advancing goals for sustainable development, and hear possible solutions that can inform further community discussion. This is an effort to understand the impacts and planning of nearly 15,000 housing units on the South Coast by the County of Santa Barbara and its incorporated cities over the next eight years. Register for the panel discussion.

Oct. 30 — SBCC College Transfer Fair promises transfer goal success … and FUN!

by Community Contributor • January 1, 2024 • Comments Off

Students who are just starting their college education, plan to transfer to a four-year college in Fall 2025, or are somewhere in between, can explore their higher education possibilities with representatives from the University of California; California State University; and California private/independent, out-of-state, and international institutions. The Transfer Fair is a community event and all are welcome to attend.

SBCC Nursing Program marks endings and new beginnings at Dec. 15 ‘pinning’ ceremony

by Community Contributor • December 14, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — On Friday, Dec. 15, the most recent cohort of nursing graduates from Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) will formally complete the program with a “pinning” ceremony, earning themselves an Associate Degree in Science in Nursing (ADN). The graduates will have the distinction of completing the program having gone through real-life experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic in the medical field.

This particular cohort – made up of 18 Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) Bridge students and 20 ADN generic students – is special, according to Dept. Chair/Director, Associate Degree Nursing and ADN Program Director Mary Sullivan MSN-Ed, RNC- MNN, as they are “the last group that went through nursing school at SBCC during the full-on Covid-19 pandemic.” Curriculum for the program includes hands-on training at Cottage Hospital, where students and instructors from this cohort experienced varying degrees of challenges and stresses working in the medical field during and after the pandemic.

SBCC Nursing Program marks endings and new beginnings at Dec. 15 ‘pinning’ ceremony

by Community Contributor • December 8, 2023 • Comments Off

SBCC’s Raíces program hosts artist’s talk with Chicano mural painter, educator Manuel Unzueta on Oct. 26

by Community Contributor • October 23, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) student empowerment program ¡Raíces: First Year and Beyond! is hosting a talk with internationally acclaimed artist Manuel Unzueta on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. at the SBCC East Campus Center.

Unzueta will discuss his career as a muralist, educator, and community activist by highlighting “Metamorphosis of Reality,” the mural painted at East Campus Center with SBCC students in 1976. The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. outside the Campus Center near the mural. A talk with Unzueta will follow at 6:45 p.m. inside the Campus Center.

According to his longtime friend and colega, Mark Alarado, “Unzueta is a Chicano muralist, and his work spans six decades to include masterpieces that live in La Casa de La Raza, along with other works at educational institutions throughout the South Coast, the Smithsonian Institute, Paris, Mexico City and El Paso, Texas.”

SBCC celebrates 50 years of its life-changing Study Abroad program on Oct. 24

by Community Contributor • October 19, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — On Tuesday, Oct. 24, Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and the SBCC Foundation will host a celebration commemorating the 50-year anniversary of its Study Abroad program, which has afforded college students the invaluable opportunity to visit and learn in countries outside of the U.S. Tuesday’s celebration is sponsored by the SBCC Foundation and will be held on the patio of the Garvin Theatre on SBCC’s West campus.

“Study abroad provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about different cultures and perspectives, to broaden their horizons, to make friends from around the world, and to enhance their intercultural competency while earning transferable credits and progressing on their academic path,” said Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, School of Extended Learning and longtime director of the Study Abroad program Carola Smith.“Students acquire important skills such as intercultural communication skills, language proficiency, adaptability and problem-solving skills.”

SBCC on Oct. 18 unveils its new mural in celebration of Asian American, Pacific Islander-plus (AAPI+) heritage

by Community Contributor • October 16, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — If the past two months have been especially colorful at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), it’s largely because of the newly-painted mural at the Campus Center, dedicated to Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (AAPI+) heritage in the U.S. The mural will be officially dedicated in a celebration taking place on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 4-6 p.m. at SBCC’s East Campus – Campus Center Patio. SBCC students and staff, community members, and members of the media are invited.

SBCC ranked No. 1 ‘Community College Campus in California’ and No. 3 ‘Online Medical Coding Program in the U.S.’

by Community Contributor • September 20, 2023 • Comments Off

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) recently attained the titles of No. 1 “Best Community College Campus in California” and No. 3 “Best Online Medical Billing & Coding Certificate Program in the U.S.” in the top college rankings recently announced by Niche.com (for 2024) and OnlineU (2023).

In total, SBCC attained the following Top 10 rankings by the two college ranking surveys:

No. 1 Best Community College Campus in California – Niche.com (for 2024)
No. 3 Best Medical Billing & Coding Certificate Program in the U.S. – Online U (2023)
No. 3 Best Overall Community College in California – Niche.com (for 2024)
No. 8 Best Overall Community College in the U.S. – Niche.com (for 2024)
No. 10 Best Online Community College in California – OnlineU (2023)

Santa Barbara City College — THE BRIDGE Community e-Newsletter – August 2023

by Community Contributor • August 29, 2023 • Comments Off

Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D., began her new role as SBCC Superintendent/President on Tuesday, Aug. 1, marking her return to SBCC (she was the Dean of Career and Technical Services from 2000 to 2009). Most recently she served as Superintendent/ President of Pasadena City College since January 2019.

“My first week back at SBCC has been wonderful,” said Dr. Endrijonas. “I had my sights set on returning to SBCC for over a decade, and I am still pinching myself that my dream became a reality. I have started to meet folks here on campus — some for the first time, some I haven’t seen in 14 years — and it does feel like I have come home. I look forward to the next few weeks on campus as we launch our Fall 2023 semester and as I start to meet members of our local community who hold a special place in their hearts for SBCC.”

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) — The Bridge — May 3, 2023

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2023 • Comments Off

Black Grad will honor local African American graduates from TK-SBCC

SBCC, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, announces a special, invitation-onlyceremony honoring and celebrating the promotion, culmination, graduation and transfer of Black students in south Santa Barbara county, from transitional kindergarten through City College.

SBCC’s ‘Unity in the Community’ on May 4 unites students via 2nd annual cultural heritage celebration

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2023 • Comments Off

The SBCC Associated Student Government (ASG), Asian Student Union and Ambassadors club, are excited to present the second annual “Unity in the Community,” Thursday, May 4, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the SBCC West Campus lawn. Conceived and organized entirely by students, the festival will celebrate the diverse cultures represented throughout the SBCC campus community.

Themed “All Around the World,” the event will highlight the cultures of 15 countries by showcasing food/snacks, arts and crafts, and performances, along with addresses by SBCC Interim Superintendent/President Dr. Kindred Murillo and special guest speaker, SBCC District Board of Trustees President Jonathan Abboud.

SBCC’s Board of Trustees extends Superintendent/President search

by Community Contributor • April 3, 2023 • Comments Off

The Santa Barbara Community College District Board of Trustees has extended the Superintendent/President search process and has reopened applications for the position until April 16, 2023.

SBCC announces finalists for Superintendent/President

by Community Contributor • March 6, 2023 • Comments Off

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) announces the selection of three finalists for the position of Superintendent/President. The finalists for the position are Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D., current Superintendent/President of Pasadena City College; Richard Storti, Ph.D., current Executive Vice Chancellor of San Mateo County Community College District; and Katrina VanderWoude, Ph.D., current Vice Chancellor of Los Angeles Community College District.

Read more about the Superintendent/President candidates here.

The candidates were chosen by a 19-member screening committee comprised of credit and non-credit students, faculty, classified professionals and administrators; the SBCC Foundation; community members; and members of the SBCC Board of Trustees. The Superintendent/President search committee unanimously identified the finalists through an extensive screening process that began in November, 2022. Since January 20, 2023, the committee reviewed 36 candidate applications and conducted Zoom interviews of 14 candidates, followed by in-person interviews of eight semi-finalists.

SBCC’s The Bridge Newsletter — January 2023

by Community Contributor • January 23, 2023 • Comments Off

Newly elected trustees Ellen Stoddard and Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore (pictured in center, left to right) were sworn into the SBCC Board of Trustees by their retiring predecessors, Dr. Peter Haslund and Kate Parker, at the Dec. 15 meeting of the Board. Each will serve a four-year term. Additionally, Jonathan Abboud (left) and Dr. Anna Everett (right) were elected president and vice president of the Board, respectively.
Read about the new trustees on the SBCC Board of Trustees web page.
Read the press release on the new Board appointments.