By Jondi Gumz
Cabrillo College trustees, after hearing much public comment, evaluating student success and discussing goals for 2020-21, voted 7-1 Monday night to create a board subcommittee of three trustees to lead a process exploring whether the college should be renamed.
During public comment via Zoom, the board heard from students and faculty saying the name of the Portuguese explorer who discovered California for the Spanish empire was no longer appropriate, given his impact on the indigenous people of the region. Some community members objected to a name change, in part due to the estimated $1 million cost of changing signs and logos and obtaining a new website.
The subcommittee, consisting of three people, will be chosen based on who volunteers to Superintendent/President Matt Wetstein and board president Leticia Mendoza.
The process will involve seeking internal and external input, with details to be determined by the subcommittee.
Adam Spickler, the only nay vote, had proposed a different process but he volunteered for the renaming subcommittee, noting he is not up for election in November.
“I’m glad we’re moving forward,” he said.
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Official Press Release:
Cabrillo College Governing Board Votes to Establish A Board Subcommittee to Consider Whether or Not to Rename Cabrillo College
APTOS — During its annual retreat earlier tonight, the Cabrillo College Governing Board voted to establish a subcommittee that would undergo a months-long process of considering whether or not to rename Cabrillo College. The process would involve opportunity for stakeholder input from community members, students, faculty and staff members. The decision was made after a proposal to rename the College was presented to the Cabrillo College Governing Board by a grassroots organization consisting of some faculty members, students, and community members.
The basis for this proposal comes amidst the growing calls for social and racial justice in the U.S.Cabrillo College has faced internal criticism for continuing to be named after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. The namesake of the College is noted in history for being the first European explorer to arrive at the California coast, a date that is commemorated in California law as September 28, 1542. Cabrillo was in the service of Spain at the time, and his “finding” of California for the Spanish empire led to the conquest of the native population and their relegation and decimation within the Spanish missions.
Despite the unwholesome historic forces that Spanish colonial powers unleashed on native inhabitants, Cabrillo has a number of monuments and places named after him both locally and throughout California, including the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma in San Diego, several high schools and middle schools throughout the state, various beaches, and stretches of the Cabrillo Highway along the coast.
After hearing public comments from 34 speakers representing current and former students, faculty, and community members, the Board of Trustees voted to create its own, externally oriented subcommittee thatwould solicit input from internal stakeholder groups as well. The Board subcommittee approach will allow select Board members to steer the process of studying the College name, its historic roots, and whether a more appropriate name is in order. External constituents from the business, education, and Cabrillo alumni community will be invited to provide input in this study process. The subcommittee will develop recommendations that get brought back to the Governing Board for a vote.
Renaming the College involves operational and fiscal costs that must be considered, including: changing signage, both on the campus and on highways and roadways, changing way-finding maps, and other operational impacts such as the College’s website domain name, marketing materials, and legal costs associated with a name change.
The Board subcommittee will consist of three Board members, and those interested in serving on the Board subcommittee will notify Board Chair Leticia Mendoza of their interest to serve. The consideration process will take place over the course of the next several months.
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Cabrillo College is a leading California community college serving Santa Cruz County with locations in Aptos, Scotts Valley and Watsonville. It is ranked #1 in transfers to UC Santa Cruz. Founded in 1959, the college offers over 100 academic and career technical education programs that serve multiple educational goals such as A.A. and A.S. degrees, certificates of achievement, skills certificates, transfer to 4-year institutions or for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. Cabrillo College empowers students to be effective communicators, critical thinkers, and responsible world citizens. With a commitment to quality and equity, we connect all learners to pathways that propel them from where they are to where they aspire to be, including: academic, personal, and career growth.