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#1 in transfers to UC for 31 consecutive years!!!
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Clean audits with NO findings for 16 years
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Protected Emeritus College from proposed state budget cuts
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Leader in environmental sustainability
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Strong partnerships with City of Santa Monica, Malibu, and SMMUSD
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Priority enrollment for residents
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Free tuition for high schol students |
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SMC Promise (free tuition) for first-time full-time students |
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World-class faculty, staff, and facilities
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I see my role as a trustee as representing the community to the college and representing the college to the community. I actively participate in civic life in Santa Monica, keeping my eyes and ears open to issues in the community and opportunities for the college to interact constructively. Perhaps the best example of this is hearing at a PTA Council meeting that the JAMS auditorium had been closed for years with no plans to renovate. I brought this information to the college and $20m for partnering with SMMUSD on a new JAMS Auditorium was included in Measure V.
Santa Monica College is an extraordinary asset for our community and our residents benefit when our civic institutions work together, leveraging our resources for the public good. I have championed and facilitated community partnerships with the school district, the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu and the county as well as with local non-profit organizations. SMC and SMMUSD partner as The Education Collaborative to plan and coordinate better services and educational outcomes for our local public school students. We have expanded dual enrollment opportunities for high school students and pathways to college. We also hold an annual joint SMC/SMMUSD Board meeting to ensure that we are making real progress. The City of Santa Monica also participates in the Ed Collaborative as part of the Cradle to Career Initiative and their Learn + Thrive strategic objective. I have been a member of the Cradle to Career Work Group since it's inception.
During my term, the Board, working with the Associated Students and the Big Blue Bus, established Any Line, Any Time, a free bus pass for all SMC students and staff. Any Line, Any Time has been a huge success, improving air quality and transit services for students and residents while reducing traffic and parking problems. We also successfully advocated for an Expo SMC Station.
We have completed, opened, and are building new environmentally friendly state-of-the-art facilities to improve the campus and learning environment and increase sustainability. I was honored and delighted to ring the gong at a celebration opening the beautiful quad on the main campus and the first Leed certified community college instructional building in California.
As a trustee, I have supported new initiatives in greening the campus and the curriculum, and in introducing global citizenship across the curriculum.
The beautiful Broad Stage celebrates its 10th anniversary this year! I take great pride and pleasure in the extraordinary creative benefits this inspiring venue provides our community.
KCRW is about to complete their move into a state-of-the-art studio at our new Center for Media and Design (CMD). This move begins a new above-ground chapter for KCRW that will include more opportunities for community members and students. For example, KCRW will host three Summer Nights Concerts on the CMD Campus.
The CMD also houses SMC's baccalaureate degree in Interaction Design. This innovative program meets the needs of the 21st industry economy and local Silicon Beach employers and entrepreneurs. The first cohort of IxD students graduated with baccalaureate degrees this year.
In Malibu, we will soon begin construction on the beautifully designed new SMC Malibu Center. The Malibu Center will extend our academic programming and complement Legacy Park and the environmental resources unique to Malibu while also enhancing security with a new Sherriff's sub-station.
During my terms, California's community college saw a devastating decrease in state funding due to the Great Recession coupled with an unprecedented surge in enrollment.
Throughout these turbulent years, I worked to maintain a thoughtful, deliberative, respectful, and inclusive decision-making process. With careful fiscal management and foresight, we kept the ship stable and on course. Kudos to then Superintendent/President Dr. Chui Tsang and his team for their leadership and skill.
Dr. Tsang retired in 2014 and the Board began a thorough and deliberative search for a new Superintendent/ President. We unanimously and enthusiastically hired Dr. Kathryn Jeffery to be the new Superintendent/President of Santa Monica College. Dr. Jeffery assumed her duties in February of 2015, a year I served as Board Chair. My top priority throughout that year was to make sure Dr. Jeffery and SMC successfully transitioned, and to do all that I could to introduce Dr. Jeffery to our college and our communities. I believe this hire and this transition were both very successful and SMC has strong stable leadership going forward.
As the economy has rebounded from the recession, enrollment demand has declined while the clamor for reforms has grown louder and ever more insistent. Due to my leadership and experience in Sacramento, serving on the California Community College Trustees Board and on multiple committees, I have been engaged with and able to influence state policy to benefit our students. I am especially proud that SMC played a leadership role in protecting Emeritus College from proposed budget cuts.
Santa Monica College exemplifies inclusive, affordable, world-class education. Every day we prove that open access and high quality can go hand-in-hand. SMC is welcoming and supportive for everyone who wants to learn. Our motto: "Changing lives in the global community through excellence in education" is actualized every day on our campuses.
None of SMC's many accomplishments would be possible without responsible fiscal management. While I serve because of my deep commitment to public education and my belief in the power of education to change lives, I know that SMC cannot thrive without solid financial footing. There is no responsibility greater for me as a trustee than the obligation to ensure the college is fiscally sound. In short, my focus is on student success and the fiscal responsibility and resources that are essential to ensuring SMC's continued vitality and excellence.
If re-elected, I pledge to continue to be a diligent, studious, thoughtful, and responsive steward for this wonderful institution. Please support my re-election by endorsing my candidacy and by making a financial contribution to my campaign. Thank you.