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PARENTS
Throughout the past 30 years, Santa Barbara City College's Study Abroad program has developed an outstanding reputation, achieving state and national recognition for its excellence and quality. Since our first credit summer program in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1973, more than 4000 SBCC students have participated in study abroad programs in approximately 15 different countries, including Mexico, Spain, Greece, Italy, England, France, Costa Rica, the former Soviet Union, New Zealand, China and Vietnam.
Santa Barbara City College was one of the first community colleges in California to develop comprehensive semester abroad programs. In 1985, SBCC was the first community college to offer a semester-length program in China providing students with the opportunity to witness first hand the democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square which led to the governmental crackdown on Chinese students. In 1989, Santa Barbara City College was the first community college to offer a full-length credit semester program in the Ukraine (formerly part of the Soviet Union) where students were able to observe the nationalist and political independence movements which proceeded the breakup of the Soviet Union. More recent program offerings include a semester-length Spanish language and culture program in Granada, Spain as well as a summer Italian language program in Viareggio, Italy and a photography program in Cuba. The program scope and variety is a reflection of SBCC's commitment to internationalize the curriculum and the recognition of the value of international experience and expertise as components of a modern education.
Program Safety Update:
The recent conflict with Iraq has raised many questions in the minds of our students who are currently abroad as well as their family members and friends in the US. However, I want to reassure you that at this moment we do not have any reason to believe that our students abroad are in danger and that we fully intend to carry on with the program as planned. The safety and well being of our students is of utmost concern to us, and we will continually monitor the situation for our students currently abroad. In the event of an emergency, we have prepared detailed contingency plans should we need to take action as the situation unfolds.
For our upcoming summer and fall programs, we will continue to closely monitor travel advisories posted by the US State Department and other safety information as it becomes available. Should the US State Department issue a travel advisory advising American citizens not to travel to a country where SBCC is offering a study abroad program, we will immediately cancel the program and inform all students that the program has been canceled.
Following are a few pertinent resources that may be of assistance to you:
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