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Dear UCSB Community,

As I step into the role of Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, it is a privilege to present the 2024-25 Annual Report. While I have served this campus for many years, I am honored to lead such a dedicated division during this period of transition. This report is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment of our staff, who ensure that our students thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

The past year has been one of significant change as we said farewell to three titans of our campus community. We celebrated the retirement of Vice Chancellor Margaret Klawunn, whose ten years of leadership transformed the student experience. From championing the Promise Scholars Program to her critical work with the Financial Crisis Response Team and the Mobility Transportation Program, Margaret’s legacy is rooted in her deep care for student well-being and equity.

We also honored Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life Katya Armistead, an alumna who dedicated 35 years of service to her alma mater. Katya’s impact – stretching from her early days in Admissions to her tenure as Dean of Student Life – has been profound. Her work in fostering inclusive campus culture and her mentorship of student leaders have left an indelible mark on generations of Gauchos.

Finally, we marked the retirement of Chancellor Henry T. Yang. For over three decades, Chancellor Yang’s vision propelled UCSB into the top tier of global research universities. His dedication to "rebenching" ensured equitable funding for our campus, while his commitment to sustainability and diversity created a vibrant, future-facing environment. We are deeply grateful for the foundation these leaders built.

Despite these transitions, the work of Student Affairs has never been more vibrant. Over the last year, our staff and programs have shown incredible ingenuity in supporting student success. We have seen expanded outreach through our Basic Needs initiatives, innovative professional development for our student staff, and a continued focus on mental health and campus climate. To the staff of Student Affairs: thank you for your tireless advocacy and for the heart you bring to your work every day.

Looking ahead to the 2025-26 academic year, I am filled with excitement. We are entering a new chapter for the university, one that offers us the opportunity to build on our values of teamwork, effectiveness, and inclusion. We remain focused on streamlining our processes and integrating new tools to better serve our diverse student body.

I would like to extend a special thank you to our assessment team. Their diligent efforts in gathering the data and stories within this report allow us to reflect on our progress and hold ourselves accountable to the students we serve.

As we move forward together, I am confident that our division will continue to be a cornerstone of the UCSB experience, preparing the next generation of leaders for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Go Gauchos!

Sincerely,
 

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Mike Miller Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
University of California, Santa Barbara

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For Rosa Martinez, Director of the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UC Santa Barbara, college access isn't just a mission—it's a lifelong commitment. With over 20 years in the program, Martinez leads UCSB's efforts to close equity gaps and empower California's underserved students with a clear-eyed dedication rooted in both experience and empathy.

EAOP is one of the UC system's longest-running pre-college programs, founded in 1976 alongside MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement). While MESA zeroed in on STEM opportunities, EAOP cast a broader net, targeting students from underrepresented backgrounds to increase their eligibility and preparedness for higher education. Today, UCSB's EAOP supports 13 partner schools across the region, offering layered, year-round programming that has evolved far beyond the traditional college awareness workshop.

Martinez recalls being an EAOP student herself in the Central Valley: "We'd see our coordinator once a month—maybe a workshop, a quick check-in. It was really just, 'Hey, you can go to college. Here’s how.'" That minimalist approach has given way to something far more dynamic and comprehensive at UCSB's  EAOP.

Through the leadership of the previous director, UCSB's EAOP team embedded full-time staff at each partner school, offering services not only to select cohorts of college-bound students but to entire grade levels. With customized academic advising, application support, and college readiness academies, the program scaffolds knowledge year by year. "We track every student we serve," she notes, "so we can show outcomes and adjust our approach when necessary."

Still, these efforts come at a cost. EAOP programs across California faced a 50% funding cut in the early 2000s, prompting UCSB EAOP to innovate to a cost-sharing model with schools and districts. The evolution of this funding structure allowed the program to sustain the number of schools we work with. That model— fully implemented over 15 years—has become the backbone of the current service structure. But today's economic landscape poses new threats to the fiscal model.

"Our core funding would limit EAOP UCSB to sustain only five to six staff members," Martinez explains. "Without those district contracts, we couldn't maintain the current level of services we provide to thousands of students." 

Indeed, the numbers tell a compelling story. In the most recent UC admissions cycle, seven out of the ten EAOP partner high schools not only increased the number of UC admits— but also set all-time admit records. 

Our College Site Coordinators have done an outstanding job at getting students to not only be competitive applicants, but also be admitted. Yet, this is only part of the picture.  As a program, the next focus will be on helping more students successfully matriculate into a university.  Martinez admits that "the next frontier is enrollment. We need to understand why only a fraction of admitted students end up enrolling at a university."

Financial barriers remain a formidable obstacle for the majority of the students we work with. "If students don't have the means to cover their university expenses, they're not going anywhere." In some cases, the costs of attendance exceed the family's annual income. So, Financial Aid is critical to students matriculating into the university of their choice. 

Ongoing challenges with last year's rollout of the "better" FAFSA and this year's growing concerns among mixed-status and undocumented families have made financial aid advising a high-stakes, high-touch endeavor for our dedicated College Site Coordinators.  "We don't tell students and parents what to do. Instead we assist them with the mechanics of completing the form and sharing fact-based information so that they can make an informed decision."

That student-first orientation defines EAOP's ethos. While it is a plus when students choose to matriculate to the UC system, the goal is broader: to guide students toward any post-secondary path UC, CSU, community college, or out of state colleges. "This isn't about creating UC customers. This is about California investing in its talent and its future."

A critical part of that investment lies in the people EAOP hires and trains, our College Site and Academic Services Coordinators. EAOP staff are more than advisors—they're curriculum designers, workshop presenters, community builders, and most importantly role models.  

Many come to the role aspiring to be educators or counselors, and they leave with the skills to do both. "We train them to work under pressure, to pivot, to create, to inspire" Martinez says. "Some of our program's biggest innovations have been initiated by our College Site Coordinators." 

One such initiative— EAOP's summer College Readiness Academy—was born out of a staff member’s summer observations of a large number of students dropping by with the same types of questions throughout the day.   So, they proposed to coordinate informal workshops and small budget for snacks and supplies. That grassroots idea evolved into a structured, site-based college boot camp model, now a summer mainstay across EAOP's partner schools for close to fifteen years.

"The creativity of our staff is what gets us through tough times," Martinez reflects. "And as leaders, it's our responsibility to support them—to give them room to design, test, and grow."

As she looks to the future, Martinez is clear-eyed about the challenges that economic uncertainty and political shifts have on the K-20 education landscape. She's equally resolute on EAOP’s role in the ongoing need to build sustainable pathways to higher education for high school students.  "We have to be flexible. We have to listen. We have to evolve. Because what we’re doing—it matters. For our students, for our communities, and for California."

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*For this profile, ChatGPT was used to generate a summary of a transcript from an interview. The prompt used was to generate a summary of main points from the interview transcript for a professional profile. The output from this prompt was used to organize the text above. The summary was reviewed and edited and reworked for accuracy and relevance by the author and interviewees.

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Promise Scholar program stands as a beacon of opportunity, empowering high-achieving students who often face significant socioeconomic and systemic barriers to higher education. The Promise Scholar program extends a multi-year financial aid package to the highest-need students, providing a guaranteed, predictable financial aid plan for four years (freshmen) or two years (transfer students). In 2015, then-Financial Aid Director Mike Miller invited eligible new students to apply, hoping to enroll 25 students. In the first year, 124 students accepted the new aid package, showing the overwhelming demand for this type of program. However, funding alone did not provide these students with the support network they needed to excel at UCSB, and Dr. Miller quickly realized that he needed to implement the second part of the initial plan: wrap-around support services. He hired Dr. Holly Roose to lead the program in 2016. 

The current program's comprehensive approach, extending beyond mere financial aid, is instrumental in equipping students to not only survive, but thrive, in a demanding university environment, transforming their personal trajectories and contributing richly to the UCSB community.

One of the primary barriers Promise Scholars overcome is financial strain. For many, the dream of a university education can seem unattainable due to the prohibitive costs of tuition, housing, books, and daily living expenses. The Promise Scholar program directly addresses this by providing predictable and substantial financial resources, which often include grants and scholarships that significantly reduce or even eliminate the burden of educational costs. This financial stability allows students to focus on their studies rather than being preoccupied with securing employment to cover expenses, a common challenge for low-income students. Furthermore, the program helps cover various education-related expenses, from technology needs to medical expenses, ensuring that unforeseen costs do not derail their academic progress. 

Beyond financial hurdles, Promise Scholars frequently confront academic and social barriers often encountered by first-generation college students. With most Promise Scholars living far away from their families and support networks, navigating university systems, understanding academic expectations, or accessing campus resources become increasingly difficult. This program actively counteracts this by offering a robust "wrap-around" support system, including 27/4 access to Dr. Roose and the Promise Scholar group chat, and a dedicated space in the Student Resource Building (SRB) that opened in Winter 2025. This also includes personalized academic counseling through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which provides one-on-one advising, workshops on time management and study habits, and referrals to other campus support services. Courses like INT 95A, B, and C (The Modern Research University, Introduction to Undergraduate Research, and The Second Year Experience), designed specifically for Promise Scholars, help them acclimate to the research university environment and explore diverse academic opportunities.

The transition to college can also bring feelings of isolation or "imposter syndrome," where students question their belonging despite their achievements. Promise Scholars overcome this barrier through intentional community building and mentorship. The program fosters a sense of shared identity and connection among scholars, allowing them to find community with peers who understand similar challenges. Second, third, and fourth year students are encouraged to give back to the community through peer mentoring at the Freshman Summer Start Program (FSSP), tutoring, and conducting outreach to local high schools. 

Opportunities to engage in undergraduate research or study abroad provide valuable academic experience and mentorship from faculty, helping to build confidence and prepare them for future academic or professional pursuits. The Promise Fellowship Program further extends this support, creating a pipeline for graduate studies, directly addressing historic underrepresentation of minoritized students in advanced degrees. Throughout the year, networking events with industry professionals help students build connections in their chosen field, find mentors, and receive career advice. 

Currently the program has approximately 1,250 students enrolled. In 2024 the program grew significantly and added 750 new students. In 2025, more than 1,000 new students will join the program. 

Now that the program has reached its tenth year, Dr. Roose isn’t content to continue with business as usual. The academic and personal successes of Promise Scholar graduates highlight the continued need for the program. With over $5 million raised and over 700 students graduated since 2015, Dr. Roose is excited to welcome more students to the program every year. The next phase of the Promise Scholars Program seeks to expand the wrap-around services to support every undergraduate student on campus. 

In essence, UCSB Promise Scholars are not merely recipients of financial aid; they are a testament to the power of holistic support in fostering academic success and personal growth. By systematically dismantling financial, academic, and social barriers through comprehensive resources, mentorship, and community, the Promise Scholars program empowers these deserving students to overcome significant obstacles, thrive at UCSB, and emerge as impactful leaders and contributors to society. Their journey exemplifies resilience, transforming individual aspirations into collective achievements that enrich the entire university landscape. These scholars embody remarkable resilience and determination.

When four experienced directors across Student Affairs came together to rethink how administrative services were structured, they weren't just tackling inefficiencies — they were addressing a deeper truth: behind every functioning department is a team that needs support, structure, and, critically, backup.

"We were working in silos, doing similar work in totally different ways," says Leilani Borrego, one of the directors leading the effort. "And when someone was out sick or left their role, we had no way to step in without scrambling. We needed to build something better — for ourselves and for the departments we support."

That "something better" became SABA: the Student Affairs Business and Administration group. Formed to unify HR, payroll, and financial processing functions across Student Affairs, SABA is more than a reorganization — it’s a blueprint for how collaborative infrastructure can support institutional excellence.

Breaking Down Silos

Historically, administrative support in Student Affairs operated through fragmented units — Enrollment Services had its team, Student Academic Support Services(SASS) had theirs, and Student Life had its own structures. Staff often operated alone or within narrow clusters, lacking the resources or cross-training needed to fill in for each other. The result? Variability in service, vulnerability in staffing, and burnout when workloads spiked.

"We weren't asking for help because we were all trying to manage our own departments," explains Shana Moran-Lanier. "But the truth is, when any one of us needed backup, the differences in how we processed things made it nearly impossible to step in quickly."

The shift to SABA was a conscious effort to change that. By bringing together those who handle administrative operations across the division into one cohesive team, the directors aimed to create shared standards, consistent training, and a support network that would ensure no department — and no staff member — would be left without backup.

From Generalists to Specialists

One of the most significant changes SABA introduced was the division of roles into two focused tracks: Financial Management and Processing, and HR and Payroll Processing. Previously, many administrative staff wore both hats, juggling policy, compliance, and workflows from two highly complex areas.

"It's incredibly difficult to stay up to date — let alone excel — when you're expected to be an expert in both HR and finance," says Nancy Dinh. "This change lets people go deeper into their area, build true expertise, and ultimately serve departments better."

This shift toward specialization means that when departments reach out, they're getting answers from someone who not only knows the material but has the time and focus to respond thoroughly. And if that person is unavailable? There’s now a trained backup ready to step in.

A Culture of Support

While improving services to departments was a core goal, equally important was creating a healthier, more sustainable work environment for staff.

"This was about preventing burnout," says Borrego. "We've lost people in the past because the workload was unsustainable, especially when no backup existed. Now, we can provide better support to our staff and help them feel part of a larger team — not isolated within a department."

That team environment has already begun to take root. "We’ve gone from being four directors who knew of each other, to leading a unified group where people share practices, support each other, and problem-solve together," adds Meagan Cunningham. "It's created a sense of family and shared mission."

Listening as a Leadership Strategy

Throughout the transition, the SABA team prioritized feedback — from their own administrative staff, from campus directors, and from executive leadership. Using surveys, town halls, retreats, and regular team meetings, they created multiple channels to assess concerns, communicate goals, and evolve the model in real time.

"It’s easy to move fast and lose people along the way," says Dinh. "But we knew that if this was going to work, we needed to build it together. That meant listening — even when the feedback was hard."

From stay interviews to transaction-level workload analyses, the team collected both quantitative and qualitative data to ensure their decisions were grounded in reality. Pulse checks, one-on-ones, and constant recalibration have become part of the operational rhythm.

"We're not building this for today," says Moran-Lanier. "We're building it for five, ten years down the line. And that means constantly asking, 'What’s working? What’s not? Where do we need to adjust?'"

What's Changing — and What Isn't

While structural and functional shifts are well underway, the directors emphasize that one thing has remained constant: their commitment to service.

"There's concern out there — that departments will lose 'their person,'" says Borrego. "But what we're actually offering is more — more consistency, more expertise, more support. You'll still have someone dedicated to your area, but now that person has a full team behind them."

Departments that once had uneven levels of service will now see more equitable support, and staff who previously lacked a peer network will now have colleagues to lean on. "It’s not about taking away — it's about reinforcing," adds Cunningham.

Measuring Progress

Looking ahead, the SABA team is focused on measuring success not just through outputs, but through wellbeing. Communication remains the core tool: regular meetings, pulse checks, workload tracking, and feedback loops with departments will all be used to assess and adjust.

As standardization workgroups roll out and more processes are unified, departments will also be asked for their feedback. "We want to be known not as a faceless central office," says Dinh, "but as a responsive, engaged team that understands what departments need and is equipped to deliver it."

The Spirit of SABA

At its core, the SABA transition is about resilience — making sure that when someone is out, when systems change, when workloads spike — there’s someone ready to step in.

"I think the spirit of SABA is about not letting anyone fall through the cracks," says Borrego. "That goes for departments and for our own staff. When people feel supported, they can do their best work."

In a time of institutional transition and leadership change, the SABA model offers more than operational efficiency — it offers a culture of mutual support, strategic foresight, and enduring service. It's not just a structural change. It's a stronger foundation for the future of Student Affairs.

*For this profile, ChatGPT was used to generate a summary of a transcript from an interview. The prompt used was to generate a summary of main points from the interview transcript for a professional profile. The output from this prompt was used to organize the text above. The summary was reviewed and edited and reworked for accuracy and relevance by the author and interviewees.