Launched in April 2020 as COVID Conversations, the rebranded Campus Conversations continues to introduce participants to the departments and programs that make SBCC a top-rated educational institution and a significant driver of a healthy and vibrant South Coast region. These 45-minute Zoom get-togethers feature discussions with campus leaders, students, and SBCC Foundation staff, followed by a Q&A.
Please join us! Registration information (and links to recorded sessions) will appear below when they are available.
Thursday, September 30, 2021 – Return to Campus. This conversation focused on our return to campus and was an opportunity for community members to meet some of our new campus leaders. We explored how the college is working to ensure a safe and healthy campus experience for students, faculty, and staff while meeting the challenges of an ever-changing environment.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 – A Celebration of Students. During this Campus Conversation we heard from four students who reflected on their time at SBCC (most of which was during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic!) and shared their plans for the future. Spoiler alert: the world will be just fine in their capable hands.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 – SBCC Promise Briefing. Promise Manager Sergio Lagunas, a Promise student, and an SBCC parent provided an update on the SBCC Promise – what we’ve learned over the past five years, what’s ahead, and what the SBCC Promise means for our students, families, and community. To date, more than 5,000 local students have benefited from this entirely privately funded initiative.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 – SBCC at a Crossroads: Enrollment Trends and Student Futures. Dean of Student Affairs Paloma Arnold, Director, Admissions & Records Michael Medel, and Executive Vice President, Educational Programs, Dr. Pamela Ralston discussed the decline in community college enrollment that began in the wake of the Great Recession over a decade ago and that accelerated downward in the COVID-19 era, especially for students from historically marginalized communities. They shared SBCC’s long history of innovation in student support programs, financial assistance, and counseling, and how the college encourages students to return to their higher education paths.
Thursday, November 5, 2020 – SBCC Theatre – A Look Behind the Curtain, with Katie Laris, Co-Chair of SBCC’s Theatre Arts Department, Pamela Shaw, resident costume designer for The Theatre Group at SBCC, and Ben Crop, the Theatre Arts Department’s technical director provided an entertaining look into their programs, how they serve students to advance their life goals, and how they’ve adapted to COVID-19.
Thursday, October 15, 2020 – Forum with Candidates for the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees.In a chaotic national election season, local races are sometimes lost in the shuffle. In 2020, the elected leadership for SBCC was one such race. The SBCC Foundation invited all of the SBCC Trustee candidates to a forum to discuss issues of importance to the campus and broader community.
Thursday, September 17, 2020 ) – Teaching Policy & Politics in California – The SBCC Sacramento Internship Program. Manou Eskandari, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Political Science and Economics, and special guest California State Assemblymember Monique Limón discussed the importance of educating our community about how policy is made and the value of bringing personal experience to bear in solving difficult issues.
Thursday, September 3, 2020 – SBCC Jazz at the Cutting Edge. Coming off of a remarkable summer season that included an innovative virtual Summer Jazz Series and first-of-their-kind experiments in remote music education and performance, acclaimed SBCC Music faculty Tony Ybarra and Jim Mooy shared what they’re doing, what they’re learning, and the future of music education.
Thursday, July 30, 2020 – Movement at the Moment: SBCC Physical Education and Athletics in the Time of COVID-19. Physical Education Department Chair Kathy O’Connor, Associate Athletic Director Ellen O’Connor, and Athletic Department Chair Rocco Constantino presented on the ways in which their programs pivoted to safely continue during the pandemic.
View recorded session
Read article referenced in the session
View image 1 and image 2 from the session
Thursday, July 16, 2020 – Update from SBCC’s Superintendent/President. Dr. Utpal Goswami provided information about COVID-19’s continued impact on higher education, plans for the fall semester, and the college’s budget for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Thursday, July 2, 2020 – Child Care: Not Just Surviving, but Thriving During COVID-19. Beth Rizo, longtime director of SBCC’s Orfalea Early Learning Center, discussed how the Center adapted to meet the challenges of providing safe, high-quality child care during the pandemic.
View recorded session
Opening and Re-Opening – A Practitioner Support Guide” from EveryChild California, referenced in Beth Rizo’s presentation
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 – Cosmetology in the Time of COVID. Cosmetology Academy Chair Michelle Puailoa and Esthetics Lead Instructor Jamie Muse Toste were joined by two current students who shared their perspectives on remote learning in a career technical major.
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View Michelle Puailoa’s presentation slides
View Jamie Muse Toste’s presentation slides
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 – Adult Ed: How the School of Extended Learning Has Kept Our Community & Businesses Connected During COVID-19. Melissa Moreno, SBCC’s Vice President, School of Extended Learning, discussed the unique role that the college played as a connector and driver of the local economy during the pandemic.
View recorded session | View presentation slides
Thursday, June 4, 2020 – The Art & Science of Distance Learning. Biological Sciences Professor Blake Barron and Art Professor Joy Kunz demonstrated how two very different academic disciplines approach remote learning.
Thursday, May 28, 2020 – I’m Not a Robot: Humanizing Online Learning at SBCC. Professor Matthew Mooney, one of SBCC’s true experts in online learning strategies, presented the innovative technology and tools available to optimize the remote classroom experience for students and professors alike.
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Thursday, May 21, 2020 – Applying an Equity Lens to Address Students’ Needs. Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) Director Paloma Arnold and Interim Coordinator of Equity, Diversity and Cultural Competency Roxane Byrne shared how SBCC approaches the critical work of utilizing an equity lens to serve students and the campus community.
View recorded session | Download presentation slides
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 – Supporting Students’ Mental Health during a Global Pandemic. SBCC Mental Health and Wellness staff members Alyson Bostwick and Becky Bean discussed how COVID-19 changed how they delivered high quality and effective mental health and wellness services.
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Thursday, April 30, 2020 – SBCC in the Time of COVID-19. Dr. Utpal K. Goswami, SBCC’s Superintendent/President shared how the college quickly and deftly pivoted in response to the public health reality of a global pandemic.
