Santa Barbara City College is once again in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons. Even Fortune magazine has picked up the story on the mishandling of Jeff Bezos divorcee Mackenzie Scott’s trust-based 2021 philanthropic donation of $20 million to SBCC, the largest such gift in the school’s history. Coincidentally SBCC Foundation CEO Geoff Green seemed to have left as quickly as it unraveled, departing to take a job as CEO of the California Association of Non-Profits.
Upon receiving the donation, Mr. Green called it “an act of incredible generosity,” and pointed to its “unrestricted nature” (meaning the money could be spent on anything SBCC trustees agreed to spend it on) and a demonstration of tremendous trust in our community’s college.”
The current controversy concerns some $10.5 million of that gift that has apparently been spent without the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, or even college administrators or officials, signing off on the spending.
SBCC is totally mismanaged by inept, irresponsible, politically litmus-tested, far-left Trustees. College presidents and superintendents – one after the other – have been terminated. In my observation, the Foundation’s Geoff Green seemed to be trying to run the college behind the scenes, sabotaging competent college presidents who disagreed with his positions.
Stellar SBCC President-Superintendent Utpal Goswami – who had recently relocated to Santa Barbara at great personal expense to take the position – obtained the Mackenzie Scott $20 million gift. No surprise, he was then let go, as was highly competent former College President Anthony Beebe.
The then Foundation Board President sided with Beebe over Green. Beebe then resigned that same afternoon, implicitly understanding that bringing SBCC back to its years of glory – pre the infamous 2010 ‘Blum Takeover’ – would mean endless combat.
Prior to 2010, SBCC had a stable, high-level executive Board of Trustees that prioritized educating students to meet local District needs. The Foundation raised money to meet those needs. Those years ended as competent business savvy trustees were replaced by DEI types reflective of former Marie Marty Blum’s vision.
There is no oversight or accountability at SBCC. “Internal investigation” or oversight is done only on what administrators provide, by companies handpicked by the administration being investigated. The CA statewide Fiscal Management Assessment Team (FMAT) has proven dismissive.
What are heavily burdened property taxpayers to do? Property owners within the SBCC District boundaries pay the bills. Waste at SBCC is excessive; its mismanagement is no secret.
I served on the Foundation board from 1980 to 1998, and have remained aware for 46 years, meeting 1:1 with college presidents since being part of the Foundation’s formal creation in 1980. We acquired and developed the West campus. I co-founded its President Council, Business & Industry Associates, Theater Group, Adult Ed Donors, and was involved in its 21st Century Campaign. We were able to raise $31 million for programs, when our goal was $21 million. Collectively Foundation directors earned donor and community trust.
The recent Foundation directors, unable to raise $2 million to fund the statewide legislatively created Promise Program, ran daily paid ads that read: “Come enroll at SBCC for free” (not necessarily attend).
To meet deficits – I suspect at the explicit request of Trustees – the Foundation paid for the promotion of the ‘Yes on P’ Bond for Trustees to build a $120 million gym to attract foreign students, despite the purpose of CA Community Colleges to serve local students within district boundaries. Trustees seem to rely on bond financing (vote was 5-2 Gallardo-Croninger dissenting) which is another topic deserving of a deep dive.
College Trustees refuse to cut spending to reflect declining enrollment, remote instruction, and reduction in essential training programs to meet local job openings.
Donors must stop contributing until outside, not internal, investigations are made with all books and investment accounts open for public review. A submitted Freedom Of Information Act request and topic specific letters have never been answered. SBCC has problems on multiple fronts that must be externally, openly investigated.
The decline of SBCC is a tragedy: a huge community, employer, and student loss.
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When I taught art for the SBCC Adult Ed program forty-odd years ago I was very proud to be a part of a vital system. "Life enhancement" was the goal, both with skills acquisition and a social environment to develop friendships of many ages.
Nowadays I look at the boondoggle of the new sports complex being built and sigh, an indoor facility in an area where outdoor sport is possible year-round.
IF the college were on track with reality they would be serving the LOCAL community by providing job skills as an alternative to processing students into the University pipeline. All the trades that require apprenticeship training suffer from a lack of willing workers who can put in a full day's work. The list of "jobs Americans don't want to do" supports the illegal immigrants in a cash paid underground economy. But that could change if schools did not encourage every student to a University for a useless degree and instead encourage the Trades.
In my dreams the philosophy behind "Mike Rowe Works" would set up SBCC as a training ground for the kind of trades that will always be needed. The looming future with robots and AI taking over will still need humans who can do electrical and plumbing and automobile repair in the real world.
Being able to type is not the end goal of an education, and the City Colleges have always filled the gap to prepare for life and work those for whom a University degree was not the right path. It seems SBCC has lost their purpose and mission.
Thank you, Denice, for writing this strongly worded condemnation of Santa Barbara City College's governance and gross mismanagement of the MacKenzie Scott $20 million gift. Upon reading the agenda last Monday, I immediately emailed the Board of Trustees. And then I showed up Thursday evening to give Public Comment. Both communications fell on deaf ears. I specified 3 concerns. The first, that the Board did not include on the agenda, a statement regarding the missing (and at this point, it's missing) $13 million. They could have updated the public, offered a Mea Culpa, and revealed what is advised by their legal counsel. Instead, they were silent.Two: That the trustees hire an independent, outside firm to investigate and audit the MS Fund, the Foundation operations, and also thenselves for inattention these past years. Griffith Thornburgh serves the College. Any investigation will be conducted with an eye to protect SBCC. Outside investigation is warranted. Three: Appoint a committee to oversee how to use this incredible gift. I suggested: faculty and staff; community members; former trustees and former Foundation Board members. A diverse group of community members. Instead, we got a hastily chosen committee of three -- all and only trustees. Jett Black-Maertz, Kyle Richards, and Trustee Board President Abboud. After years of inaction, suddenly the trustees decide to step in. Abboud's reasoning? An Ad Hoc committee could move quickly, unemcumbered by the Brown Act, and work behind closed doors. It should also be noted that their open session suggestions were -- well, lacking. Jett suggested student housing. Jonathan, the Promise Program. The MacKenzie Scott grant is an unprecedented tremendous gift to Santa Barbara City College. As such, it merits being used in an extraordinary way. NOT to infill unmet funding. NOT to build housing when the whole point behind California's 2-year college system is that they are commuter schools: to serve those already living, working, and raising families here. I'll be writing upward, most likely the CC Chancellor's Office. One last thing: Check out The Channels editorial from February 10. Unlike the soft-pedalling local press, the student newspaper got it right and pressed hard. Students. You know, the population forgotten by the folks entrusted to educate them.