(Santa Ana, Calif.) - Santa Ana College President Linda D. Rose, Ed.D., has announced her plan to retire effective July 1, 2020.

During her four years as president, Rose has guided the college through a tremendous amount of development and innovation, including the:

• Construction of the new Johnson Student Center (2021), a central plant and utility infrastructure project, and a state-of-the-art Science Center, scheduled to open in fall 2020.
• Launch of a bachelor’s degree in occupational studies and the graduation of its first cohort. Santa Ana College (SAC) was one of 15 colleges selected by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to participate in the landmark pilot program.
• Implementation of numerous programs to support students’ success, from a bus pass program to establishing the Asian Pacific Student Program, which offers a supportive bridge of academic counseling, career planning and support for School of Continuing Education noncredit students transitioning to credit coursework.
• Establishment of a Student Information Support department to launch new campus-wide technology projects with a focus on student needs, reinstatement of the public affairs department to support college communications and marketing efforts, and the expansion of the Research Office, increasing the college’s ability to collect, analyze and distribute data to all areas of the college, district, and community partners to support student success.
• Srengthening of SAC’s partnerships with business, governmental and community organizations, as well as with K-12 and higher education institutions in the area.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Rancho Santiago Community College District, I thank Dr. Rose for her unwavering commitment to community college education,” said Rancho Santiago Community College District Chancellor Marvin Martinez. “Through her dedicated leadership in the classroom and as an administrator, she has truly made a positive difference in the lives of the students of Santa Ana College, as well as those in our surrounding communities."

One of the college’s biggest accomplishments under Rose’s leadership was the launch of the Guided Pathways pilot program in Fall 2019, a project the college had been working toward for three years. Guided Pathways represents a cross-organizational shift in how the college approaches student success. The focus is to help students determine their interest, establish and follow their career/academic path while tracking their progress and providing feedback as well as any additional services they need. The ultimate goal of the program: to help all students to reach their educational and career goals in the shortest amount of time.

“My love for our students and the work we have done to ensure that all students enter, progress, and complete their chosen programs of study has been a highlight of my professional career,” said Rose, SAC president. “I am proud of Santa Ana College’s faculty, staff, and administrators for their deep commitment to our students, our campus community and external partners and the work they do to ensure that student learning does not end once our students graduate.”

A product of the community college system, Rose has dedicated her career to it. She began her education career as an English instructor at Cerritos College, where she later became a tenured faculty member. She served as the Puente Program co-coordinator, Cerritos College’s Program for Adult College Education coordinator, English Department chair and dean of the Liberal Arts Division.

Rose also served as vice president of academic affairs at Santa Ana College from 2011 to 2014 and as president of Los Angeles Southwest College from 2014 to 2016.

Rose has been both an academic leader – presenting at national and international conferences – and community leader, serving on the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Board, Santa Ana Workforce Development Board, a member of the Schools First FCU, President’s Forum, Santa Ana College Foundation Board, Los Angeles Southwest College Foundation Board, and the Taller San Jose Board of Directors. Rose has also served on numerous ACCJC Site Visiting Teams as a Team Chair and Team Member. During her storied career, she has amassed many honors and awards, including:

• National Hispanic Business Women Association 2018 Business Woman of the Year Award for Community Service/Education – Non-Profit Category
• California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award – I Lead for Change – Inaugural Banner Campaign
• National Council for Marketing and Public Relations 2018 Pacesetter Award
• Black Chamber of Orange County 2018 Community Service Award
• Los Angeles 100 Most Influential African Americans 2017 Los Angeles Extraordinary Leaders-Vanguard Award
• Orange County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 2017 Woman of Distinction and Honoree
• Cerritos College Outstanding Administrator Award
• Cerritos College Outstanding Faculty Award for the Liberal Arts Division
• Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Fifth Edition
• National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Teaching Excellence Award

Rose was awarded her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California, Los Angeles. She holds a master’s in English and bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies from California State University, Dominguez Hills and an associate degree in Liberal Arts from West Los Angeles Community College.

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About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 27,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and 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.