Dr. Peter MacDougall, who served as City College’s president for 21 years, was appointed to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges by acting state chancellor Dr. Jack Scott.

The Board of Governors sets policy and provides guidance for the 72 districts and 112 colleges in the system.

The 17-member board is appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and formally interacts with state and federal officials and other state organizations. The group also selects a chancellor for the system.

MacDougall was president of Santa Barbara City College from 1981 to 2002.

Scott, who MacDougall says he has “known for years and years,” became close to MacDougall when he was the superintendent of Pasadena City College and spoke at various college conferences together as college presidents.

“I’ve always had a great deal of respect for (Scott) and I feel he’s a personal friend of mine,” said MacDougall outside of his Fighting Back workshop at the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in Santa Barbara.

MacDougall has volunteered for a number of nonprofit organizations such as Fighting Back like his shared five-year campaign to raise funds for the significant renovation of Cottage Hospital, now underway.

He was the chair of the group who coordinated the campaign cabinet to raise $100 million for the hospital’s construction. The campaign wound up raising $110 million.

MacDougall’s position on the board means his efforts will go towards issues like setting policies for the entire Community College System and the formulation of the state budget.

“Peter has significant knowledge of the entire California Community College System and he also knows how the Board of Governors works,” Dr. Andreea Serban, City College Superintendent-President said. “He will contribute significantly in a positive way.”

MacDougall said the lack of funding is “tremendously hindering” the Community College System. His goal is to seek funding to enable students to graduate at the community college level and then have the opportunity to advance to a CSU or a UC.

“I’ve seen, first hand, students come in who had not graduated from high school who all of a sudden caught fire and achieved things,” MacDougall said. “I’ve seen single parents come back to school after something like a divorce and not know what to do with their lives and all of a sudden they’re going on to become very productive members of society.”

MacDougall emphasized the importance of ensuring that such opportunities continue. Such opportunities are what he is striving to maintain during his tenure on the Board.