SBCC Earns Hewlett Foundation Award for Basic Skills Program
The prestigious award recognizes innovative strategies to increase the success of students.
Santa Barbara City College was one of only four from among 110 California community colleges to receive statewide recognition in October for its innovative efforts to increase the success of students in basic or “pre-collegiate” skills. SBCC was named one of the Hewlett Leaders in Student Success at an educators’ conference in Anaheim and received a stipend to support efforts to share their strategies with other schools.
The Hewlett Leaders in Student Success program seeks out colleges that have made significant progress in basic skills education, offering models of institutional commitment to this issue in mission, planning and practice. Along with SBCC, the other winners were Columbia College in Sonora, De Anza College in Cupertino; and Southwestern College in Chula Vista.
Basic skills education is designed to help underprepared students master the skills required for success in transfer-level courses. Every year roughly a half-million students arrive at a California community college with the goal of transferring to a four-year college. But at least 70 percent are not prepared.
Experts from across the country contributed to the selection of the 2008 Hewlett Leaders. Data analyses identified strong programs, and visiting teams made site visits to interview faculty and administrators. Hewlett Leaders in Student Success is administered by the Research and Planning Group of the California Community Colleges and funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Joan Galvan is SBCC’s public information officer.
