Santa Barbara City College Seeks Input on 5-Year Strategic Plan

Source: Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) seeks the public’s input as it moves forward with its strategic planning process to set goals and priorities for the next five years. The development of a new strategic plan comes at a crucial time for the college, as schools across the country have seen significant changes in how students access higher education and conditions created by the pandemic have revealed a variety of student and community needs in and out of the classroom. SBCC wants to hear from its local students and community members on how to best move forward and meet their needs.

SBCC has contracted the services of Gensler to assist it with this process. Interactive in-person and virtual forums to collect input from the communities which SBCC serves will be held in August:

Tuesday, August 9
5:30-7:00 p.m.
The Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center
865 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria

Wednesday, August 10
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Goleta Valley Community Center
5679 Hollister Avenue, Goleta

Thursday, August 11
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Virtual – Zoom; to join, visit: sbcc.edu/forum 

Thursday, August 11
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara High School Cafeteria
700 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara

Tuesday, August 16
5:30-7:00 p.m.
SBCC Wake Campus Auditorium
300 N. Turnpike, Santa Barbara

Each forum will begin with a brief presentation about SBCC’s current services and issues being considered as the college develops its five-year plan. Participants will then have the opportunity to share and discuss their ideas, needs and concerns regarding the college. Spanish-language and ASL interpretation will be available at each event.

SBCC would especially like to hear from its community members about the following topics:

• Programs and classes needed

• Facilities improvements

• Services and events 

• Modality of classes (in-person or online)

• Alumni engagement

• Business community/employer engagement

• Needs of local businesses

At the in-person forums being held at non-SBCC venues, all participants are strongly encouraged to wear face masks indoors due to COVID-19 and current guidance from Santa Barbara County Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control. At the Tuesday, August 16 forum at the SBCC Wake Campus, participants will be subject to the college’s COVID-19 visitor protocols and will be required to show either proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test result from within 72 hours at check-in. Masks are also required indoors at SBCC campus locations.

Feedback and input can also be provided via an online survey.

For more information, visit the SBCC Strategic Plan webpage. The planning process is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2022.