The sudden resignation of superintendent/president Utpal Goswami announced last week sent Santa Barbara City College administration scrambling to find a suitable candidate to fill the position on an interim basis, while the school searches for a permanent replacement.
After initially announcing newly hired executive vice president Kathleen Scott as acting superintendent/president, the Board of Trustees announced a motion to appoint Dr. Helen Benjamin — who previously served as interim president following the departure of Anthony Beebe in 2019 — in the role pending final approval at the July 22 board meeting.
If approved, Benjamin would serve a six-week term starting July 26. This would be the second time the former chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District has come out of retirement to temporarily fill the position as head of SBCC, which has seen six presidents come and go since 2008.