Message from the President - February 2017
The SBCC “School of Extended Learning”
Since beginning at the College, I have heard a lot about the history and lore of Adult Education at SBCC. College and community members alike have shared with me what it was like during the heyday of SBCC Adult Education. It was a model program serving the community like no other in the entire state! Having experience in Adult Education and Continuing Education, I have been studying the idea of bringing back a state-funded program. Many of you have helped in my education. The conclusion: Move forward in developing the SBCC “School of Extended Learning,” incorporating all the best of what we know works in such a program! What a wonderful opportunity to serve!
The Board of Trustees overwhelmingly supports the idea to move forward in development of the School of Extended Learning. College faculty, classified staff, management, and student leaders have also expressed tremendous support for the idea. There are a lot of elements to this, and we want to create something very special for the community. We all want this new endeavor to be something we can all be very proud to establish. Accordingly, we have assembled a top-notch College team to pull this new venture together. This is very exciting! Our plan is to get things in place for a grand opening of the new School of Extended Learning in the fall of 2017.
As a community college, our core purpose is to provide accessible, high quality education for all. In that spirit, I am thrilled that the College and community understand and respect the significance of community focused education programs. With the support of our SBCC Board of Trustees and College leadership, our goal will be to offer a robust schedule of tuition-free courses that meet the needs of our local community. We all look forward to extending learning and providing access to education beyond the bounds of the Santa Barbara City College campus.
Budget Deficit Update
On the budget front, we have some good news to share with the community and campus. As you know, the state’s Financial Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) substantiated some months ago a $9 million dollar deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. A deficit of this magnitude is unprecedented in the state for a College of this size. Learning this, the College community responded in an unprecedented way. It assembled several teams to work on revenue enhancement opportunities and cost savings strategies. Solutions from these teams included the Supplemental Early Retirement Program (SERP), massive College reorganizations, enrollment management strategies, and much, much more.
I am so very proud to report that this diligent work across the College has resulted in a cut to our projected deficit next year of nearly $4.5 million – half of the $9 million problem. This is an extraordinary accomplishment! Although the $4.5 million remaining deficit is still nothing to be happy about, the work that we have accomplished to date in a short time frame speaks to the commitment of the College to find common solutions and work together to address our budget challenges. I am confident that the collaborative and strategic approaches we have taken to addressing our budget situation will allow us to close the remaining gap and continue to be a strong Santa Barbara City College. Thank you for your exceptional effort and support!
I want to personally thank you for your continued support of our Community’s College! Please share this Bridge newsletter with your friends and neighbors. If you received this from a friend, you can sign up to receive it directly by
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Dr. Anthony E. Beebe, Superintendent/President
