Welcome to the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD). As president of the Board of Trustees for 2013, I am honored to lead our outstanding college district. I am proud of our commitment to deliver quality educational programs and services to students, businesses, and the community. Our focus has always been, and always will be, on student success. We do this through the continued support of the community we serve and the exceptional talent of the professionals we employ.

Community colleges provide opportunities to obtain a degree or retrain for a changing job market, but they are also economic engines that save taxpayers money and contribute to a higher quality of life in Orange County. According to a recent study conducted by the Orange County Business Council (OCBC,) our local community colleges provide significant and measurable benefits to students, the local economy and taxpayers.

For every $1 invested in community colleges, $4.78 is returned to the local economy. This will be especially true in the next few years as RSCCD embarks on extensive infrastructure projects at our Santa Ana College campus and completes the work already started at Santiago Canyon College. We make a tangible, positive impact on the County of Orange and we urge you to remind your elected state officials that restoring funding to your community colleges is vital to our region’s success. The OCBC socioeconomic study can be viewed in full at www.occcltf.org.

Together Orange County community colleges contribute $9 billion in combined activity, higher earnings, increased spending, and public benefits each year. Our colleges touch every aspect of life in Orange County, enriching lives and earning power and driving the economy forward. If our colleges did not exist, taxes would have to be raised to offset the contributions in economic, quality of life, and social benefits.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I assure you that we take our responsibilities seriously, reaching out to all community members who need an education – first time college students, the unemployed and underemployed, veterans, those needing basic English, writing or math skills, and seniors. We will continue to act as good stewards of your tax dollars and ensure the success of every student who walks through our doors.

Arianna P. Barrios, President
Board of Trustees
Rancho Santiago Community College District