As higher education institutions confront attacks from the Trump administration, mounting financial pressures and shifting enrollment patterns, Santa Rosa Junior College President Dr. Angélica Garcia said SRJC is committed to being a steady force in the community.
“We cannot predict what the next headline or challenge will bring but we can choose how we respond. The current climate calls on us to stay attentive to students, to families and to one another and to create spaces where people can engage, learn and do their best work,” she said Thursday in an annual speech to the college community. “In the midst of uncertainty, we have the opportunity to be the source of stability, calm and connection and that is what our community needs most and that’s what we can offer in this community’s college.”
Garcia said SRJC continues to focus on maintaining the academic quality the college has long been known for, providing students with the support they need to succeed and creating an environment where all students feel seen and heard.
Addressing about 200 attendees at the Burbank Auditorium on the Santa Rosa campus, the theme of Thursday’s address was “Our community, our college, our future.”
One of her goals is to cement the institution as the top, affordable choice for local students – not a backup option – as well as a place where people returning to education can discover new career paths.
That’s critical to addressing the region’s workforce needs, disrupting generational poverty and tackling barriers like the high cost of living in Sonoma County, which has squeezed out lower-income people, young people and people of color and made it hard for employers to attract and retain workers.
Garcia highlighted the school’s nursing, first responder and construction training programs which are helping prepare the next generation of workers and pointed to the investments in revamped classroom spaces across its campuses that the college has made in recent years.
But the president said for SRJC to continue evolving to meet future needs and boost enrollment, the college must continue expanding and modernizing its offerings.
Garcia was appointed in April 2023 as the college’s sixth president and took on the role that July, replacing Frank Chong who retired after heading SRJC for over a decade.
Her appointment was historic, becoming the first woman, first Latina and first queer person to lead the school in its 105-year history.
She took on the role at a time when the school in many ways was having to reinvent itself amid years of staff turnover, declining enrollment and a changing student body that has changed how the school serves the community and responds to students’ needs.
Enrollment has begun to bounce back.
SRJC’s total enrollment, including students taking one-time or short-term courses, part-time students and full-time students, for the 2024-2025 school year was about 33,300 students, Garcia said.
That’s up 3.5% from the prior school year.
Garcia said the institution has seen the student population grow at the Petaluma and Roseland campuses and is seeing a greater number of Latino students, many who are the first in their family to attend college, and older adults enrolling in classes.
College officials hope to raise the number of full-time equivalent students – which includes students earning 12 or more credits as well as part-time students – to 17,500 by the 2027-2028 school year, according to the district’s long-term growth plan. The state uses that figure to allocate operational funding for community colleges.
Garcia said the college must close a gap of more than 2,600 students to meet that metric.
SRJC officials are looking at ways to continue expanding workforce training programs and are preparing for new industries to meet future needs and attract more students, she said.
The college also must continue investing in its facilities.
District voters in 2014 approved a $410 million bond that has helped SRJC overhaul and expand its campuses but as the last of that money is spent, the college continues to face a hefty maintenance backlog as well as pressure to modernize its facilities.
Garcia said that’s why the college is exploring a new bond that would allow SRJC to tap between $813 million and $952 million in financing, the largest school-related general obligation bond in county history.
The board of trustees in May directed staff to study the proposal and consultants are expected to survey prospective voters before returning with a recommendation to potentially place a measure on the November 2026 ballot.
Thursday’s address started with a performance by the school’s award-winning Forensics, Speech, Debate and Performance Team, which touched on the important of building on the past for a better future.
Garcia awarded the President’s Medallion to Sam Guerrera and his wife Ava, longtime college supporters who have provided scholarships to students studying abroad and were early investors in the Polly O’Meara Doyle Hall student housing complex. Though Ava died in 2022, Sam has continued their legacy of generosity, helping pay for technology updates at the Roseland campus.
Ezrah Chaaban, president of the SRJC board of trustees, said Garcia was the right person to lead the college in this effort.
Educational institutions are facing several unknowns, cuts to resources and changes in the workforce but must remain committed to their core mission of being a “catalyst for our students and our entire community to thrive.”
“We’re so incredibly fortunate to have (Garcia) helming the college,” he said. “She has the vision, passion and laser focus to help us meet this moment that we’re in.”
Trustees at their next meeting will consider offering Garcia a three-year contract extension, Chaaban announced Thursday.