SBCC Commmunity e-Newsletter
SBCC Commmunity e-Newsletter
SBCC The Bridge

Santa Barbara City College's Community Newsletter

DECEMBER, 2019

Farewell and thank you to Helen Benjamin

It is with heartfelt gratitude and appreciation that SBCC bids thank you and farewell to Interim Superintendent/President Dr. Helen Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin came to campus in March 2019 when the Board of Trustees selected her to serve in an interim role after former Superintendent/President Dr. Anthony Beebe announced his retirement in February 2019. An experienced leader with 44 years of distinguished service in community colleges, she commented upon joining SBCC, "I am inspired by the vision and mission of the college and look forward to working with the Board, employees and the community in fulfilling both."
Over the course of her tenure here she has worked diligently to address the challenges facing the college and foster a sense of shared commitment among various campus groups.
Dr. Benjamin will be in her position through the end of the calendar year. We wish her all the best with future endeavors.

SBCC counselors go above and beyond during Cave Fire

When flames from the Cave Fire erupted on Nov. 25, evacuation notices, fluctuating power and poor air quality prompted the closing of all three SBCC campuses on the days before Thanksgiving. That didn't stop the staff and counselors of SBCC's Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) from serving their students, however. Read the Noozhawk story...

SBCC’s programming teams win top honors at ICPC  

SBCC’s computer programming teams turned in successful performances in the 2019 Southern California Regionals for the International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) in Riverside, CA, last month. Read the press release...
Photo by Paul Wellman

SBCC Vaquero attracts Division 1 attention 

Wide receiver Cyrus Wallace was a force to be reckoned with as a high school athlete at Dos Pueblos High School. But in the summer before his senior year he suffered a major knee injury. Overcoming adversity, he ended up leading Dos Pueblos High to the championships in 2017 and is now a formidable force on the SBCC Vaqueros. His dreams of landing on a four-year university team look promising. 
Geoff Green, CEO, SBCC Foundation; Gretchen Hewlett, Chief Development Officer, SBCC Foundation; Vince Caballero, Managing Director and Region Manager, Union Bank

Grant received to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses

The SBCC Foundation was awarded a $100,000 Small Business Technical Assistance grant from the MUFG Union Bank Foundation to be used by SBCC's Scheinfeld Center. The Scheinfeld Center offers a program for developing early-stage entrepreneurs that combines academics with hands-on, experiential learning. Read the KEYT story...
Top left: Instructor and SMPCW Director Suzy Granziera with Instructor Amanda Gilbert

San Marcos Parent Child Workshop celebrates 60 years

Offered through SBCC's School of Extended Learning, Parent Child Workshops provide opportunities for parents to learn about the  development of young children through lecture, lab, discussion and activities. The San Marcos Parent Child Workshop celebrated its 60th anniversary with a pancake breakfast on Saturday, Dec. 7. Read the story on Edhat...

National Communication Association recognizes SBCC with three major awards

At the 105th Annual National Communication Association (NCA) convention in Baltimore, MD, last month, SBCC once again received several national awards. Thanks to the SBCC Foundation, which provided last-minute funding, Professor Sarah Hock, Abigail Armen and Emma Malmen (two students in the honor society of NCA, Sigma Chi Eta) were able to attend and accept the awards. Read more...

SBCC honored as a finalist for Starfish Award

SBCC's Starfish implementation co-leads Christy Grant (Assistant Professor/Academic Counselor) and Steve Reed (Information Technology Specialist) were awarded $1,000 and national recognition as finalists for this year's Starfish Education Advances Award. The award is given to campuses that are pushing the industry to raise the bar for student success. 

SBCC recognized for top degree programs in U.S. by Intelligent.com

Intelligent.com has recognized SBCC for two of its outstanding online degree programs. Both the Photography and the Medical Coding programs were rated as some of the best in the nation, according to the web-based publication. Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs.
Photo: Nate Stephenson

Astronomy Club builds Dobsonian telescope

For 18 months students in the Astronomy Club have been building a Dobsonian telescope. On Nov. 22, they tested it for the first time to locate and observe Jupiter. “This is something we’ve dreamed about,” said astronomy professor, Sean Kelly. According to Kelly, the club spent countless hours welding and cutting steel, trying to perfect each piece going into the telescope.

Study Abroad student reflects on her European adventure

Jasmine Brewster, official blogger from the Paris and Rome Study Abroad program for Fall 2019, recorded her thoughts and experiences in blog posts during her overseas soujourn. Catch up with Jasmine with these posts:

Therapy dogs help students alleviate stress before finals

As the semester was nearing its end, the Associated Student Government collaborated with The Well (the College’s wellness group) and Therapy Dogs of Santa Barbara for the "Wag Well, Be Well" event on Dec. 3. Seven therapy dogs were brought to campus, giving students the opportunity to play with specially trained canines to lighten their mood and de-stress before finals. 

New V.P. of H.R. Michael Shanahan

SBCC is pleased to announce that Michael Shanahan will be joining the college on Jan. 2, 2020, as our new Vice President, Human Resources. Shanahan brings a wealth of experience to the position, including having worked in human resources in both Los Angeles and Ventura Community College Districts. In addition, he is a licensed attorney, having received his law degree from Loyola Marymount University. 

Sports Pavilion redesign community input meeting

Members of the community are invited to learn more about the project and give input on the architectural features and open space design of SBCC's Sports Pavilion (Physical Education Building) on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, 5:30-7 p.m. The meeting will be held in Room PE-215 (2nd floor of the P.E. Building). Funding for this project is provided primarily through facilities funds from the State of California.

Spring Semester starts January 13, 2020

Registration for spring is now open to everyone in the community, whether the goal is to earn an associate degree, transfer to a four-year university or enjoy life enrichment classes through the School of Extended Learning. Classes are held online or at one of SBCC’s three campuses: Main Campus on Cliff Drive, Schott Campus on Bath Street or Wake Campus on Turnpike Road. Many of the classes at Schott and Wake Campuses are free. 
For credit classes, visit sbcc.edu/classes
For classes through the School of Extended Learning, visit 
sbcc.edu/extendedlearning/

Upcoming SBCC Board of Trustees Meeting 

The next meeting of the SBCC Board of Trustees is scheduled for January (exact date TBD), at 4 p.m. at the main campus in room A211. The agenda for Board Meetings can be found at least 72 hours prior to the meeting on the Board webpage. SBCC Board meetings are recorded or live streamed and archived for public viewingClick here to watch previous or live Board meetings.

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