WHAT:
Santa Ana College (SAC) faculty, staff, students and friends will come together on Wednesday, May 11 at the Santa Ana College Centennial Garden to say farewell and thank you to retiring Santa Ana College President Erlinda J. Martinez, Ed.D. for her 11 years of service.
Martinez retires June 30, but this will be one of the last opportunities for many college faculty and staff and many others to personally wish her well and offer their gratitude. As part of the campus farewell, the Centennial Garden will be officially dedicated as the Martinez Centennial Garden.
A highlight of the garden is a new bench with tiles designed by SAC art students and a commemorative plaque honoring Martinez for her outstanding accomplishments, leadership and commitment to SAC students. The new garden includes drought-tolerant plants in keeping with the college’s new landscaping standards as well as some of Martinez’s personal favorites.
Light refreshments will be served immediately following the ceremony.
WHERE:
Centennial Garden
Located between Parking Lot 4 and 5 on the corner of 17th and Bristol near Building A
Santa Ana College
1530 W. 17th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706
WHEN:
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
2:00 p.m.
WHO:
Remarks will be made by:
Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Chancellor Raúl Rodríguez, Ph.D.
RSCCD Board of Trustees President, Claudia C. Alvarez
SAC Academic Senate President Elliott Jones, D.M.A.
SAC CSEA Representative
SAC Associated Student Government President Oscar Cortes
SAC President Erlinda J. Martinez, Ed.D.
WHY:
“President Martinez has made an indelible impact on the community in her 11 years at the helm of Santa Ana College,” said Rodríguez. “Her dedication to providing access to a college degree in every home in Santa Ana has been tireless.”
During her tenure, Martinez led SAC to achieve the following:
- SAC was named one of the top community colleges in the nation by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. SAC was ranked sixth in student enrollment and tenth in the number of associate degrees granted in the magazine’s “Top 25 Community Colleges for Hispanics.”
- In 2015, Community College Week, ranked SAC 10th among the top 100 associate degree producers for Hispanic students in the nation making it the state’s third highest producer of Hispanic graduates. In addition, SAC was ranked 20th among the top 100 associate degree producers for total minority nationwide.
- The Centennial Scholarship Campaign, commemorating the college’s 100th birthday, raised over $1 million surpassing the goal of creating over 100 additional annual student scholarships.
- SAC has been selected as one of 15 community colleges to participate in a landmark program allowing them to offer bachelor’s degrees. Beginning in fall 2017, the college will offer classes towards a baccalaureate degree in occupational studies.
- SAC was selected as one of 24 community colleges statewide to participate in the Community Colleges Pathway to Law School initiative providing students a smoother pathway to six of California’s top law schools.
- Now in its sixth year, Santa Ana ¡Adelante! guarantees that all Santa Ana Unified School District students who graduate from high school, enroll at SAC, and complete all academic requirements and application paperwork will be admitted as transfer students to CSUF or to UCI.
- Last year, Santa Ana College was awarded $5 million in Awards for Innovation in Higher Education Funds. SAC is one of 14 institutions of higher education to receive these funds from the California Department of Finance. The grant will help fund the Santa Ana Partnership.
- Most recently, SAC announced a tuition-free freshman year at Santa Ana College for all full-time students after SAUSD high school graduation.
HOW:
For more information, contact Kennethia Vega at (714) 564-6975 or vega_kennethia@sac.edu.
About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit www.sac.edu to learn more. For information about Santa Ana College’s Centennial, please visit www.sac.edu/100.
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