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Cliff Notes: August 2023
The SBCC Office of Communications invites you to enjoy the latest edition of our employee newsletter, Cliff Notes. We encourage staff and faculty to use this forum to share SBCC-related happenings that would be of interest to fellow staff and faculty members. Examples include awards, recognitions, lectures/presentations/events, and other good work you or your coworkers are doing on and off campus. Most of all, let's all use this forum to connect and encourage one another! Kindly send items of interest to marketing@sbcc.edu. Don't forget to include “Cliff Notes” in the subject line.
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Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D. begins as Superintendent/President
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.”
Dr. Murillo will assist Dr. Endrijonas in the transition during the month of August.
A staff and faculty "Meet & Greet" for Dr. Endrijonas was held on Monday, Aug. 7, ushering in the new era with coffee, pastries and welcoming conversation.
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A fond farewell to Dr. Murillo
Dr. Murillo's official last day as Interim Superintendent/President was Monday, July 31. She has held the interim position since the beginning of fall semester, 2021, and is on contract until Sept. 6, which will be her final day. Until then she and Dr. Endrijonas will work together to create a "bridge" between their leadership.
Click here to read Dr. Murillo's farewell letter to staff. She read it in its entirity at the July 20 Board of Trustees meeting.
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Student Housing Survey
SBCC will be launching a student housing needs survey on Sept. 13, 2023, with the goal of gathering information to better understand the needs, impacts and housing challenges that specific student populations may be facing.
This anonymous and voluntary 15-minute survey will be sent directly to students in order to gather vital feedback. This research will be utilized to better understand the needs of SBCC students as they pertain to student housing. It will allow the College to make informed decisions on how to address these challenges in the future.
SBCC has retained the services of a nationally recognized, independent consulting firm, Brailsford & Dunlavey, to administer the survey. All of the information that students provide will be strictly confidential and no individual responses will be identified.
Questions? Visit sbcc.edu/housingsurvey, and see the Student Housing FAQs at the bottom of the page.
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All-Campus Kickoff happening this week
Join us for an in-person All-Campus Kickoff and Faculty In-Service! Mark your calendars for the All-Campus Kickoff on Thursday, Aug. 24, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; and for the Faculty In-Service on Friday, Aug. 25, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Event agenda/workshop info here (Clear browser cache for updated version.)
Watch this video for instructions on how to log into the Vision Resource Center. Once you log in, click on the BLUE workshop names in the agenda for a direct link to sign up. As part of Thursday's events, all employees are asked to head to the West Campus lawn no later than 12:40 p.m. for an all-employees drone photo. Free Vaqueros T-shirts will be distrubed to wear for the photo.
We'll see you there!
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New MTD line to serve SBCC-bound passengers from Eastside/Carpinteria
There’s new express bus service coming to the South Coast! Starting Monday, August 28, commuters can hop on the Line 19x to get to and from Carpinteria, Milpas Street on Santa Barbara’s Eastside, and SBCC, with service running year round except during SBCC Spring and Winter breaks. With only 7 stops in each direction, you’ll get to your destination sooner while leaving the driving to MTD.
The new bus route promises to be a great solution for staff, faculty and students in getting to and from campus. For information on Line 19x and more, go to SB MTD Maps & Schedules. Read the SB Independent article for more information on this and other expanded MTD routes.
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| New Centers for Equity and Social Justice web pages await fall semester students
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In the NewsClick on the links for more in-depth features:
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Campus Highlights - Summer Edition
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Old Spanish Days' 'El Mercado de la Playa' a proud memory
SBCC partnered with Old Spanish Days Fiesta by hosting its four-day "El Mercado de la Playa" (Aug. 3-6) on the campus parking lot 2c by La Playa Stadium. Watch the KEYT news coverage of the El Mercado, along with its coverage of SBCC student Jack Harwood who was named "2023 Spirit of Fiesta," the first-ever male to receive the honor in Old Spanish Days' 99-year history.
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| Local teens experience college through Summer Bridge programs
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This summer two of SBCC's innovative "Summer Bridge" programs welcomed local students to experience college-level coursework on campus and gain confidence and motivation to seek higher education in their lives.
The PEAC program is a Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) initiative that exists to help close the achievement gap and change the trajectory of low-income, first generation college students, while also providing a system of academic and social-emotional support to guarantee students are prepared to enter a college or university.
Running Start is a six-week Summer Bridge program, supported by the Foundation for SBCC, designed to give local high school graduates the opportunity to start their education at SBCC during the summer, giving them a "running start,” in college.
Kudos to the SBCC teams who made these programs come to life on campus this summer: The Dual Enrollment program led by Angelica Contreras, and the Running Start program led by Alisha Sanchez.
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Colorado Plateau field seminar a memorable experience for students, staff
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In late May, SBCC Geology department staff and students took off for an unforgettable 15-day excursion of the National Parks of northern Arizona, Colorado, and Utah: Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon Dam, Four Corners, Navajo, Monument Valley, Natural Bridges. Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Escalante Petrified Forest, Bryce Canyon and Zion. The course is designed as an "honors level" field experience where principles and concepts learned in first year geology classes can be applied and interpreted in the field. Please enjoy the stunning photos by photographer Boxuan Zhan for SBCC.
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Dean's Council RetreatThe SBCC Dean's Council held a social retreat to "help us create community, team build, disconnect from work for a bit, regroup and refocus," said VP of Academic Affairs María Villagómez.
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Hutchinson, Escobar, receive Faculty Excellence awards Just before the end of the Spring semester, the Faculty Recognition Committee, led by Darin Garard, announced the Faculty Excellence award winners for the 2022-23 school year. The recipients are Communication Department Professor, Carrie Hutchinson, Ph.D; and Director of Creative Writing, Activities Director/RISE, and peer tutor/mentor Joshua Escobar.
Said Carrie, "Most of the life-changing work we do at SBCC is invisible- it includes being there for students and showing up in ways no one else ever sees. So while it’s a huge honor to be recognized for the visible work I’ve done, it’s the invisible work that matters most. And when it comes to that kind of work, I don’t believe that I deserve an Excellence award any more than all the other faculty who love their students just as hard as I do. This award makes me feel seen, and I really appreciate that, and I wish that same feeling for all of my colleagues who serve their students in a million ways most people will never know about.”
Said Joshua, "Maybe we have never known what the future holds. That said, figuring out how to serve students, how to hold events, how to struggle/write/dream during a pandemic with the people here at Santa Barbara City College has been an exhilarating experience. There’s no way that I would believe you if you told me, a closeted latinx nerd from the Inland Empire, that I would one day teach by the beach and be recognized for it. Thanks to my colleagues and special shout out to staff for this award."
Click here to read more about the good work Carrie and Joshua do for students, staff and the community, and what their nominators said about them. Congrats to both of you!
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Longevity RecognitionsEach month the college recognizes the longevity and dedication of our employees and the impact that those employees have on students, the institution and the culture of excellence at Santa Barbara City College. At the July 20 Board meeting, the following employees were recognized:
Jose Leon Acosta, Maintenance Technician, 10 years
Cecilia Martinez Contreras, Laboratory Technician, 10 years
Enrique Gonzalez, Facilities Assistant, 10 years
Oscar Najar, Facilities Assistant, 10 years
Maria Luisa Ramirez, Facilities Assistant, 15 years
James Tourville, Maintenance Technician, 10 years
That makes a total of 65 years of service to SBCC. Well done, and thank you!
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Welcoming New Staff and Faculty
Let's welcome new staff and faculty members whose start dates range from July 1-September 1. Many are brand new to SBCC; others have new/renewing roles at the college. Best of luck to all, and congrats to the HR team for bringing everyone on board just in time for the Fall semester.
Lisa Adams, Instructor /25XDYS, Cosmetology/Esthetician
Yasmin Azam, Library Tech, Library
Fernando Cortes, Student Program Advisor, Dual Enrollment Program
Mihir Mahapatra, Academic Technology Support Specialist, Campus Safety
Ernesto Naranjo, Campus Safety Officer, User Support Service
Brenda Ocampo Ortiz, Office Assistant, Senior - CLRC, Learning Resource Center
Alejandra Rangel, Accounting Technician II, Fiscal Services
Ricky Sanchez, Student Finance & AR Tech I, Fiscal Services
Ramon Borunda, Director - EOPS/CARE, EOPS
Monica Campbell, Director, SEL, School of Extended Learning Admin
Erika Endrijonas, Superintendent/President, Executive Office Staff
Alejandra Ildefonso, Director, SEL, School of Extended Learning Admin
Jing Liu, Director, International Programs, International Student Program
Rachel Walsh, Director, SEL, School of Extended Learning Admin
Denise Aranda-Cedillos, Instructor, English as a Second Language
Christopher Bernt, Instructor, Chemistry
Tino Garcia, Instructor, English Composition & Literature
Grace Greaney, Assistant Professor, Associate Degree Nursing
Liliana Hensel, Director, Parent Child Workshop, Parent Child Workshop
Luis Hernandez, Instructor, School of Modern Languages
Kimberly Jordan, Instructor, Associate Degree Nursing
Diego Ramirez, Instructor/Coach, Physical Health Education
Karen Tepaz, Instructor, Arts
Christina Trujillo, Instructor, English Composition & Literature
Daniel Zarate, Instructor, Biological Sciences Enviro Studies
Trevor Hess, Counselor, Academic Counseling
Marc Narrie, DSPS Counselor, DSPS
Vanessa Olguin, Counselor, Academic Counseling
Selina Portera, Instructor, Library
Jonathan Ward, Instructor/ Umoja Counselor 20XDYS, Umoja
Emma Trelles, LTA, English Composition & Literature
Antonio Jimenez Jimenez, Supervisor, East Campus Cafeteria
Israel Nava, Supervisor, Schott Ctr Facilities & Operations
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New faculty begin tenure-track
Recently hired faculty (pictured at the orientation dinner on Aug. 21) begin their four-year tenure-track course on the first day of the Fall 2023 semester. Pictured, from left to right, are: Vanessa Olguin, Academic Counseling; Liliana Hensel, Parent Child Workshop Director; Kimberly Jordan, Associate Degree Nursing; Lisa Adams, Cosmetology/Esthetician; Diego Ramirez, Physical Health Education; Karen Tepaz, Arts/Ceramics; Luis Hernandez, School of Modern Languages/Spanish; Tino Garcia, English Composition and Literature; Christina Trujillo, English Composition and Literature; Christopher Bernt, Chemistry; Denise Aranda-Cedillos, English as a Second Language; and Daniel Zarate, Biological Sciences/Environmental Studies. The instructors will become fully-tenured at the end of the 2026-2027 school year.
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New Staff Spotlight: Jing Liu, Director of International Programs
SBCC's new Director of International Programs, Jing Liu, has extensive experience living and working abroad and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience within the field of international education.
Prior to joining SBCC, Jing served in a variety of related roles, including as Assistant Director of International Programs at Miami University, Assistant Dean of the Office of International Programs at Rutgers University, and Study Abroad Program Director at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Jing earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia, a Master of Education in International Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Master of Business administration from Rutgers Business School.
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New Staff Spotlight: Ramon Borunda, EOPS CARE Director
SBCC's new EOPS/CARE Director Ramon Borunda is originally from Southern California, and relocating from Tacoma, Washington, with his family. Ramon has a seasoned background in college housing and is an advocate for student's basic needs.
Ramon brings over twelve years of experience in student affairs/services at four-year institutions, and non-profit organizations. His experiences range from working as a volunteer, resident director, program director, and mentor. He previously served as the Director of Housing and Residence Life at the University of Washington, Tacoma. Ramon also served students at the University of South Florida, University of Southern California, Chapman University, The Pennsylvania State University and California State University, Dominguez Hills.
His most salient professional passions have come by way of working with students of color, and disproportionately impacted students. Beyond his campus-based role, Ramon has served in a number of volunteer roles in his fraternity, Gamma Zeta Alpha Incorporated. He is a graduate of Cal State, Northridge, with a bachelor's in History; and Cal State, Fullerton, with a master's in Higher Education. Personally, his passions are books, the Dodgers, donuts, tacos, Bad Bunny, and his two boys Elias and Kendrick, in that order.
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New Staff Spotlight: Fernando Cortes, Dual Enrollment Program Advisor
SBCC's new Dual Enrollment Student Program Advisor is Fernando Cortes. Before joining SBCC, Fernando served in a variety of related roles, including Student Support Services Specialist, Clerical Assistant and tutor at the College of the Sequoias.
Fernando graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California of Santa Barbara. He has experience working with high school partners to assist students through the steps to enrollment. Fernando will work with Santa Barbara High School/Santa Barbara Junior High and Carpinteria High School/Middle School; and will be assisting Carpinteria as they establish a new Early College program.
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New Staff Spotlight: Celine Park, Director of New Employer Engagement
SBCC's new Director of Employer Engagement is Celine Park, who comes to the college with seven years of experience developing employer partnerships among local businesses, community organizations, and government agencies to create opportunities for students that will lead to employment.
Celine completed her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her post-baccalaureate degree from Texas A&M University. She earned her master’s degree from Columbia University and her doctorate degree from CSUCI. She started her career as a teacher for the Dallas Independent School District, New York Department of Education, and with the United Nations Development Program, developing tutorial programs on employee training. She worked for the Ventura County Community College District for ten years developing local and county-wide career pathways. She also owned her own restaurant business in the mid-Wilshire area. Celine was appointed Vice President of the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council, where she organized hundreds of community outreach events that involved cross-cultural collaboration and support. She was awarded “Businesswoman of the Year” by the City of Los Angeles for her contributions in public safety, youth programs, and community policing partnerships.
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New role on campus: Devin Engbretsen, Associate Athletic Director
Devin Engebretsen will be filling the stipend position of Associate Athletic Director, which was held by Ellen O'Connor until her retirement this year. Devin has six years of experience as an athletic director and has been a California Community College coach (M/W Basketball, Women's Golf) for 20 years.
Devin will be responsible for EADA report development/ Title IX compliance, CCCAA constitution and bylaws, WSC compliance and program review, CCCADA attendance at meetings and conferences and SBCC game management for many of the home games.
He will also be responsible for SBCC Football-related duties including Daktronics scoreboard and technical management during games. His responsibilities also include management of student workers, statistics reporting, athletic survey data complation, sports information specialist duties when needed, and livestream setup for the Seasons on HUDL. He will also assist with event organization for annual department-wide events.
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New role on campus: Head Coach, Men's and Women's Soccer, Alexander Zermeno
SBCC Athletic Director LaDeane Hansten is pleased to announce the promotion of Alexander Zermeno to the position of Head Coach for both the Men's and Women's Soccer teams. Zermeno, who has served as Assistant Coach since 2021, now takes the reins, ready to steer the college's soccer programs towards greater heights.
"We feel exceptionally lucky to have hired a dedicated, local coach," says Hansten. "Alex has proven himself to be an exceptional coach, motivator, mentor, and role model for our student athletes. His commitment to their academic success and his ability to help them meet their life goals was a deciding factor in our choice to hire him as the head coach for both programs. We look forward to continuing to compete for CCCAA State Championships with him at the helm. Go Vaqs!"
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Sue Watkins
Retired instructor of SBCC's Health Information Technologies (HIT) and Cancer Information Management (CIM) programs, Sue Watkins, passed away on July 26, 2023. She was the mother of former SBCC Director of Information Technology Dan Watkins (pictured here with his mom) and remains beloved to those who knew her on campus.
Recalls SBCC's Physical Education Department Chair Kathy O'Connor, "Sue Watkins was an outstanding faculty and colleague. She developed the first completely online program at SBCC in HIT and later the CIM program. She developed these programs early in the online course/program movement and was a tremendous innovator in this field. In fact, this was the only online program in the country in this area, so she had students from all over the country and some from other countries enrolled in the program. These students also had remarkable pass rates on their national standardized exams, which demonstrates the quality of the programs that she developed.
"Sue was always eager to assist other faculty in the development of online classes and she worked closely with our Curriculum Committee in online course training and development. She set a high standard for her students and her program which allowed for most of them to attain work in the fields of health information and cancer information. Even though Sue retired several years ago, she will be greatly missed but her program will live on for years serving students all over the country."
Said Dr. Endrijonas, who served as her dean: "Sue Watkins was a force of nature. She developed the first 100 percent CTE online program at SBCC that was consistently ranked in the Top 5 HIT/CIM programs in the nation. She could always be counted on to serve on committees and to be a strong colleague to faculty. Her passion for her students and profession knew no bounds."
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Ana Maria Ygualt, Ph.D
A former professor in the SBCC's School of Modern Languages, Ana Maria Ygualt passed away in Santa Barbara on June 15, 2023. Ana Maria taught Spanish and Portuguese language and literature at SBCC, as well as at UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. She retired from SBCC in 2013. Please take a moment to read her obituary in the SB Independent.
To commemorate Dr. Ygualt, the family suggests considering a donation in memory to the SBCC Foundation at sbccfoundation.org.
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Barbara Dunaway
Longtime director/coordinator of the SBCC Math Lab, Barbara Dunaway, passed away on June 3, 2023.
Here's a remembrance by her former SBCC colleague, math teacher Ignacio Alarcon: "Barbara was a long-time director of the math lab at SBCC, which includes the math computer lab and the math tutorial lab. Barbara had the responsibility of recruiting, training and scheduling of tutors. During Barbara’s time, the math lab would offer tutoring for all SBCC math classes, from basic mathematics to calculus and differential equations. Barbara expertly led the math lab, and built up an environment that is welcoming and effective for students to get assistance in their work on math classes at SBCC."
Before her coming to SBCC, Barbara served as an elementary school teacher. Read more about her in her SB Independent obituary.
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Webmaster Hong Lieu and and Senior Admissions Tech Akil Hill
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Hong and Akil continue their casual, informal conversations with SBCC colleagues.
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Latest episode: Get to know Associate Professor and Librarian/Library Department Chair Ellen Carey, who discusses all-things-Luria Library in addition to her path to sunny Santa Barbara from the East Coast. Other topics include strawberry rhubarb pie, Indian food, the importance of labor unions and Ellen's Top 5 book selections.
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Recent episode: Akil and Hong welcome SBCC Board of Trustees President Jonathan Abboud. Their wide-ranging discussion includes Trustee Abboud's leadership philosophy and explanation of the inner workings of the Board, his early activism and roots in high school and college government; video games (Halo!), movies (Godzilla!) and where to find the best pastrami sandwich in Los Angeles.
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SBCC is Hiring!
SBCC Human Resources accepting applications for newly-opened positions
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SBCC Theatre Group announces auditions for next productionMark your calendars! The upcoming season of SBCC Theatre Group has been announced, and you can find the productions listed here. Auditions for the next production, "Emma" by Kate Hamill based on the novel by Jane Austen, are taking place Tuesday, Aug. 29, 6-9 p.m. (info here).
And while you're at it, don't forget to vote for SBCC Theatre Group in the SB Independent's Best of Santa Barbara Readers' Poll by Aug. 30. Vote here.
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Atkinson Gallery gears up for fall
- Sept. 6-Oct. 18 - Chicana/o/x Time and Space, Curated by Thomas Carrasco
- Nov. 1-Dec. 8 - New Landscapes I
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SBCC Music gears up for fall season
SBCC's renowned music program features a variety musical groups that perform on campus and throughout the community. Find the performances on SBCC Music's upcoming events page.
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Employee Assistance Program
The Self-Insured Schools of CA Employee Assistance Program (SISC EAP) is available to ALL SBCC employees, dependents and anyone living in your immediate household. The program provides confidential counseling and referral services for job-related or personal problems. Up to six counseling sessions per issue per benefit year are covered at no cost. Resources for managers are also available via SISC EAP. Click here for info.
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