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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