The San Diego City College Arts and Humanities Building, which is being renamed the “Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., Arts and Humanities Building.”
City College Arts and Humanities building to be named in honor of Chancellor Carroll
June 10, 2021 |
The SDCCD Board of Trustees has voted to name San Diego City College’s iconic Arts and Humanities building in honor of retiring Chancellor Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., in recognition of her distinguished service over her 17-year tenure.
The Board approved the naming during its June 10 meeting, Chancellor Carroll’s last before she retires on June 30. The $94.6-million building, located on City College’s downtown San Diego campus, will now be called the “Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., Arts and Humanities Building.” This action was recommended by the Chancellor’s Cabinet, which includes the four college presidents, and was approved by the City College Governance Council.
The 128,000-square-foot Arts and Humanities building which opened in 2014 was built using Proposition N bond funds Chancellor Carroll fought hard to secure voter support for in 2006. It is one of 43 new buildings and 18 building renovations completed as part of the $1.555 billion Propositions S and N bond campaigns across the district’s four colleges.
Selection of City College’s Arts and Humanities building is also fitting given Chancellor Carroll’s lifelong commitment to the Classics and support for the Humanities. These efforts culminated in her appointment in 2011 by President Barack Obama, and confirmation by the U.S. Senate, to serve on the National Council on the Humanities, which oversees the National Endowment for the Humanities. More recently, she has led a partnership with UC San Diego to create the Preparing Accomplished Transfers to the Humanities (PATH) initiative boosting the number of community college students transferring to baccalaureate and Ph.D. programs in the humanities. The PATH initiative was funded by two grants totaling over $5 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“The Classics are an important part of my life because it is a field that is interdisciplinary and provides lessons that are applicable across the ages,” said Chancellor Carroll, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Humanities before securing a master’s degree and Ph.D. in the Classics (Ancient Greek and Latin). “I am honored to have a personal connection with such a handsome building that serves as a hub in educating students of all ages in the visual and performing arts, world cultures, languages, and much more.”
In addition to naming the Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., Arts and Humanities Building, the SDCCD Board also voted on June 10 to grant Dr. Carroll the title of Chancellor Emerita. The Board cited Chancellor Carroll’s record of service as chief executive officer at the region’s largest system of higher education; successfully chairing the statewide advocacy effort in 2014 in passing Senate Bill 850 to establish a community college baccalaureate pilot program, including a baccalaureate program at Mesa College; launching the tuition-free San Diego Promise, which has helped more than 6,400 students attend college; successfully advocating for equalizing the funding rates for California community college districts, which has continued to be considered in the current funding model for all 73 districts; and her leadership in the Propositions S and N bond programs which have physically transformed the district.
“Chancellor Carroll leaves a legacy of outstanding leadership at the SDCCD, which has provided significant contributions to literally hundreds of thousands of students over the years and naming the building in her honor acknowledges her impact and commitment to educating current and future generations of students,” said SDCCD Board of Trustees President Maria Nieto Senour.