With so much happening around City College, The Channels would like to offer a single place for the most important information. We’ll be compiling a weekly list of current and upcoming events to keep readers up to date on campus news.

-The second Campus Climate Advisory Committee town hall will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25 on Zoom. The discussion will be on “retaliation,” particularly, a fear of retaliation when speaking out. This comes in regards to the first forum, when participants expressed their concerns about not being taken seriously on campus or feeling safe when voicing their concerns. Responses will have a 5-minute limit. People can also submit feedback anonymously via the comment form on the Campus Climate Advisory Committee website.  

-Joyce Coleman, vice president of the School of Extended Learning, will be conducting a campus book club on “How to Be an Antiracist,” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, every Thursday from noon to 1:10 p.m. The first session will be held on March 4. Those interested can email Coleman here.

-The Career Center and the Justice Studies Department will host a collaborative Zoom on Friday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. The meeting will highlight professionals in the mental-health field who are involved with the justice system. They will be sharing their own education and career experiences with students. 

-The SBCC Foundation introduced three new board members to its board of directors:

The SBCC Foundation has assisted Santa Barbara City College with private philanthropic support since 1976, in which individuals and organizations invest in the college and its students. The board includes 13 community leaders who serve voluntarily and six ex-officio members who serve by leadership position at the college.  The three new members include: director-at-large Graciela Montgomery, and ex-officio members Joyce Coleman and Robert K. Miller. 

Graciela Montgomery is a Human Resources consultant in the areas of Leadership, Culture & Transformational Management, previously serving as chief HR officer for NPR and Deckers Brands and senior leadership roles with AECOM, Nortel Networks and ABC/Disney. She is also involved with several Santa Barbara nonprofits.

Joyce Coleman has over 28 years of experience as a community college educator and administrator, including 18 years in California and 10 years in Minnesota and Oregon. She was the Dean of Students at Bakersfield College, Dean of Community Learning Programs at Mt. Hood Community College, Vice President of Student Services at Umpqua Community College, and Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Century College. Coleman states that her action plan has always been to lead by example with her heart, head and hands, and “to provide others with an awareness and knowledge of cultural humility with a major aspect being self-exploration.”

Robert K. Miller joined the SBCC District Board of Trustees in March 2018 and was appointed to the SBCC Foundation Board of Directors in December 2020. Miller has a long legal career spanning about 30 years. Since retirement as a lawyer, Miller has worked as a legal mediator. He volunteers his services for the Santa Barbara Superior Court. Miller received his B.S. degree from Iowa State University and J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota. Prior to law school, he served in the Peace Corps in Morocco, worked as a congressional assistant, managed a U.S. Senate Campaign in Iowa, served as the chief political aid for a U.S. Senator and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Refugee Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

-The Career Center is accepting current student nominations for the Gertrude Calden Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. This award originated through the estate of Gertrude Beckwith Calden, who served on the Foundation for SBCC’s Board of Directors since the Foundation was first established in 1976 until her death in 2001. She was president of the board from 1967-69 and served as the co-chair of the successful $3.8 million bond campaign to purchase the West Campus in 1972. 

The Gertrude Calden Memorial Award is received in the spring of each academic year honoring a student whose passion for others is demonstrated through a commitment to community or campus service. The award winner will be presented with $700. The deadline for submission is Monday, March 8.