Santa Barbara City College Superintendent/President Utpal Goswami announced his resignation Monday, effective immediately.
He resigned following a special meeting of the Board of Trustees Monday which included closed session discussion of a public employee discipline/dismissal/release.
“Under the terms of the agreement that was reached, he will continue as a consultant for the next month when requested to assist in the transition and will be paid a portion of the remaining time on his initial employment contract,” SBCC spokesman Victor Bryant said Monday night.
Kathleen Scott, a member of the College Planning Council, will serve as acting superintendent/president until the Board of Trustees appoints someone as an interim replacement, Bryant said.
“As you may have heard from the report out from the board meeting I have resigned as Superintendent/President of SBCC,” Goswami wrote in an email message to the campus community around 5 p.m. Monday.
“This news may come as a surprise to some and may not be a surprise to some. I am leaving, as when I came in, inspired by the words that drive SBCC…’As a public community college dedicated to the success of each student…’ and I implore you to keep that ideal at the center of everything that you do.
“I understand that this transition will be unsettling to many. Many will also worry about how the institution will move forward. If it is of any help, I can state unequivocally that you will be able to navigate through these waters and do what is best for the institution — as you have done many times in the past.
“From my perspective, I have been a president whose presence has been primarily ‘virtual’— having spent more than 85% of my tenure here in remote operations. We did not get to interact on a personal level and get to know each other. It has been an unusual experience for all of us — but not unlike many of the unusual experiences we had over that last year. Think about all the students who graduated without being able to step foot on campus for the entire year.”
He shared similar sentiments during his commencement address in May.
“As I leave, I want to express my sincere thanks to all for what you do for our students. I enjoyed working with you as we transitioned to remote operations while continuing to advance our work on student success and other institutional initiatives,” he wrote in his email message.
“The large gift we received is a testament to our focus on serving students well and will allow us to dream big. Do take up that challenge. For now, the fall semester is just around the corner and I am sure you will quickly find a path forward to serve our students. It has been a privilege to serve as your Superintendent/President.”
Goswami was hired in October 2019 after a nationwide search for the position, and he started in January 2020.
He was hired to replace Anthony Beebe, who was in the job three years before leaving for health reasons in mid-2019.
Goswami previously headed the Metropolitan Community College-Longview campus in Missouri and has spent more than 30 years in administration at colleges and universities in Texas, California, Arizona and Missouri.
As Goswami says in his farewell message, almost his entire experience at SBCC was during the remote-learning operations of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the past 18 months, the college has seen a 30% enrollment drop among out-of-state and international students, a transition to mostly virtual learning and closures for on-campus activities, and opting out of the spring sports season due to novel coronavirus concerns.
As the campus community looks toward fall, faculty and staff members are urging the Board of Trustees to mandate vaccines for students and employees, or move more classes and support services online.
The Academic Senate held a special meeting and adopted a motion calling for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate to be in effect by Monday — when students, faculty and staff were expected to return to campus.
As of this week, SBCC requires everyone to wear masks at indoor public areas, regardless of vaccination status, and check in via the ‘Healthy Roster’ app before entering campus buildings.
Members of the Academic Senate said last week that they plan to hold a special meeting on Wednesday to consider a vote of no confidence for Goswami and Board of Trustees members Veronica Gallardo, Peter Haslund, Robert Miller and Kate Parker, who opposed a proposal for a vaccine mandate at a June 24 meeting.
The SBCC Board of Trustees on Monday evening announced a special meeting board retreat for Wednesday, held on campus, to discuss board goals, the 2021-22 budget, capital projects, and the $20-million donation from billionaire MacKenzie Scott that Goswami referenced in his farewell message.
The June donation is its largest-ever donation, and Goswami said the gift came at a perfect time, as SBCC starts work on its new Educational Master Plan.
“This gift will energize us to pursue our passion to serve all students,” he said in a statement at the time.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.