The SBCC Foundation will host SBCC at a Crossroads: Enrollment Trends and Student Futures, a virtual Campus Conversation, 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 17.
Panelists include Paloma Arnold, dean of Student Affairs; Michael Medel, director of Admissions & Records; and Pamela Ralston, executive vice president of Educational Programs.
Community college enrollment has become a key area of concern in the COVID-19 era. From all-time high enrollments in the wake of the Great Recession just over a decade ago, overall enrollments had begun a modest decline prior to the pandemic. Disruptions of the past year, however, have had a dramatic effect.
At SBCC, enrollment for the Spring 2020 semester is down 15% from a year ago, and for certain populations, the decline is twice that.
The panel will discuss SBCC’s history of innovation in student support programs, financial assistance, and counseling; and what the college is planning to encourage students to return to their higher education paths.
Click here to register in advance.
Arnold is a native of Santa Barbara who earned her BA in history from UCLA and MA in psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara. She has worked in Student Services at SBCC for almost 20 years. She began her career in the Financial Aid office at SBCC and worked her way to the EOPS program.
During these 20 years, Arnold said she feels fortunate to have worked as a student program advisor, associate professor/counselor, director of the EOPS/CARE program, and now as the dean of Student Affairs.
Through her work in the financial aid and EOPS, she has developed a passion for serving students and believes that Student Services plays a key role in students’ academic journey. Arnold also brings experience and commitment to equity and serving SBCC’s most vulnerable and marginalized students.
In addition to serving on various college wide committees at SBCC, in the greater Santa Barbara community, Arnold serves on the Board of Trustees for Marymount School of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara High School’s MAD Academy, CalSOAP Governing Board, and Cottage Hospital’s community health advisory committee.
In 2019, Paloma was honored to receive SBCC’s Administrator of the Year Award.
Medel is an SBCC alumni, who has worked at the college in a variety of capacities for 19 years in departments such as Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, and as a part-time faculty member in the Communication Department. His current role is director of Admissions and Records, where he has served the last eight years.
Medel is involved with his community and currently serves on the boards of directors for local nonprofit Leading from Within, and the 19th Agricultural District (Earl Warren Showgrounds). He previously served on the board of directors for United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County.
Medel, who was born and raised in Carpinteria, now lives in Goleta.
Ralston is the executive vice president of educational programs at SBCC. In the role, she provides leadership and oversight to all instructional and student services programs. She also is engaged in enrollment management, accreditation, and strategic planning.
Before coming to SBCC, Ralston served as vice president for Student Learning at College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California, overseeing the academic affairs of the college. Previously, she was the dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.
Before moving into administration, Ralston was faculty member and division chair of English and Written Communications at Tacoma Community College and a lecturer in American ethnic studies at the University of Washington.
She has her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oregon and master’s and doctorate from the University of Washington in comparative literature.