SMC Faces Hiring Freeze And Lay Offs

SANTA MONICA—On Tuesday, February 3, the Santa Monica Board of Trustees met to discuss the $16.7 million budget deficit Santa Monica College (SMC) is operating under. SMC has roots in the community dating back to 1929, during the Great Depression. The campus faces the prospect of having to lay off close to 70 employees, where the Santa Monica College Annual Report 2024-2025 indicates they need to hire more personnel to oversee incoming grants. Canyon News spoke to Santa Monica College’s Director of Public Information Grace A. Smith, about the possibility of a hiring freeze. “Yes, there has been a hiring freeze except for positions deemed essential to fulfill a vital function since last year, due to an ongoing large structural deficit and a decline in revenue. Enrollment and many other factors including volatility in the state funding,” said Smith. In the California Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget, the state discontinued funding that directly impacted Santa Monica College. SMC is a recipient of a $200,000 grant CA Learning Labs’ Ai FAST Challenge to support professional development for faculty incorporating AI into their curriculum. SMC are the benefactors of a $355K grant through United Way for brand new training for students to become skilled in street outreach or working directly with the homeless. The training will be for outreach workers, case managers and housing navigators to help a community with approximately 72,000 unhoused individuals. “The demand for trained professionals has never been greater. As we prepare to welcome our second cohort in February, this funding allows us to do what our community needs most, prepare a skilled, compassionate workforce to support individuals experiencing homelessness. Our students and faculty are answering that call with heart, purpose and dedication,” said President-Superintendent of SMC Dr. Katheryne E. Jeffrey. “Helping our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness requires a caring compassionate, and well-trained workforce. Investing in Santa Monica College’s Homeless Service Work Certificate is an opportunity to invest in training a vital workforce but also to invest in solutions form homelessness. This program will equip sector professionals with the skills, training and support they need to transform community care into lasting solutions. This is how we strengthen systems, uplift people, and create a Los Angeles where everyone has an opportunity to thrive,” said Elise Buik, President and CEO of United Way Of Great Los Angeles. Applications for the Second Cohort of Certificate Program will be accepted through February 6th.   By Sharon