For Daniel Ford, the Raíces program that served low-income, first-generation students at Santa Barbara City College offered him a sense of belonging and support.
Moving from Oxnard was a daunting experience for Ford because he didn’t know anyone at the college, but the Raíces program and its La Plazita space on the West Campus gave him comfort.
After hearing that Raíces was closing its doors for the upcoming year, Ford was sad to see the program’s academic advising and other resources he has used for the past two years go away.
“Whoever’s in charge needs to realize what this place means to students,” Ford said.
The decision to temporarily end Raíces was announced Monday by City College administration, in an email to the program’s staff and other employees at the college.
The program had fought to remain open since last fall following the loss of a federal grant for Hispanic Serving Institution programs. Raíces staff were also funded through the grant. The temporary closure of the program will affect the nearly 300 students enrolled in Raíces who were overseen by three staff members.
Raíces: First Year and Beyond was founded in 2023 by Melissa Menendez, a former faculty member at the college. Menendez said she directed the Title V Hispanic Serving Institution grant for the college to fund a program that served low-income, first generation and Hispanic students.
In the email sent to campus employees on Monday, the college said the result of departing Raíces staff, including Menendez, Sergio Lagunas and Nathalie Quintero, as well as the end of federal funding for the program puts it in a “temporary” pause while the college considers how to “restructure” it.
Paloma Arnold, vice president of student affairs at the college, wrote in an email to the News-Press that the college had originally secured alternative funding to keep the program alive through the 2026-2027 academic year after the federal government ended Hispanic Serving Institution grants this year.
However, the “unexpected departures of key staff and faculty” led the college to issue a temporary closure of the Raíces program, according to an email from Arnold.
“We have already communicated with all Raíces students to ensure they receive dedicated support through other SBCC programs during this transition period,” Arnold wrote.
In a joint post on Instagram from Raíces and City College administration, the “temporary pause” is not permanent and the college will continue providing updates about the program.
