Carola Smith has been selected to serve as vice president of the School of Extended Learning (SEL) at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), the Santa Barbara Community College District Board of Trustees has announced.
Smith, whose new job is effectively immediately, has served as the interim vice president at SEL for nearly one year and has been with SBCC for more than 25 years. During her tenure she worked with a variety of academic and student support programs, including Study Abroad, International programs, Business, and Media Arts.
Before becoming an administrator, Smith served as faculty in several departments, including the School of Modern Languages, English as a Second Language (ESL), Work Experience, and Personal Development.
“It’s an honor to be able to serve in the role of vice president of the School of Extended Learning, which plays a critical role in the local community, providing adult learners with access to a wide variety of educational and community programs and the necessary skills to be productive, thriving and engaged members of the community,” Smith said.
As SEL’s interim vice president, Smith made it a priority to ensure better alignment of resources, services and programs between noncredit and credit divisions of the college.
She collaborated with the Guided Pathways team, Student Affairs, the Basic Needs Center, Health and Wellness, and Information Technology to begin integrating noncredit instructional and student support programs with existing college programs and initiatives, resulting in the expansion of services and better access to technology.
Working with the Economic Development Collaborative, Smith oversaw the launching of two Small Business Development Center (SBDC) satellite offices at Wake and Schott campuses.
“We are thrilled that in this well-deserved next step of her career Carola Smith will have the opportunity to build upon the good work and relationship building she achieved while serving as the Interim Vice President of the SBCC’s School of Extended Learning,” said Kindred Murillo, SBCC interim superintendent/president.
“Carola is a champion for students and passionate about serving her community,” Murillo said.
Smith first came to the U.S. as an international student, earning a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and teaching certificate at UCSB.
Outside her work at SBCC, she has held leadership roles within higher education professional associations including the National Association of International Educators and the State University of New York (SUNY) Hispanic Leadership Program, designed to develop, support, and foster the success of Hispanic/Latinx leaders at SUNY.