For Immediate Release
July 21, 2010

Robin Richards Joins Cañada College as Vice President of Student Services

Richards has more than 20 years of experience working in the California Community College System as a researcher and student services administrator.

Robin Richards has joined Cañada College as the new Vice President of Student Services and brings with her more than 20 years of experience in the California Community College System.

Richards replaces Peter Barbatis who accepted a job with the Brooklyn, New York community college system last spring.

Richards will oversee all aspects of student services at Cañada College, including financial aid, academic counseling, student activities, and career services.

“I love the way community colleges can change and improve people’s lives by giving them the opportunity to realize their dreams,” she said. Richards cited the ability of community colleges to provide education to help students transfer to four-year universities, advance in their careers, or simply enrich their lives.

Richards comes to Cañada College from the College of the Siskiyous in Weed where she served as Vice President of Student of Services for the past 15 years. Prior to that, she was Director of Research & Planning at the Yosemite Community College District in Modesto.

Improving student success and persistence is a primary goal for all community colleges, including Cañada, and Richards said there are numerous effective practices that can be implemented to reach that goal. “Cañada has some of the strategies in place already and I will work with our staff to identify additional strategies that we can implement,” she said.

Richards said one of the primary reasons she was attracted to Cañada was the passion the school’s staff and faculty have to help students succeed. “The staff members are both competent and compassionate about helping students reach their goals and this creates an excellent working environment,” she said.

For more information, contact Robert Hood, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at hoodr@smccd.edu or 306-3340