In her three years as president of Santiago Canyon College, Jeannie Kim has taken the lead on a series of initiatives, with the goal of elevating the status of SCC from simply another community college to becoming a preferred choice for prospective students.
Hiring more full-time faculty, helping to bolster SCC’s apprenticeship programs and increase the transfer rate, and fostering a closer relationship with the city of Orange have been areas where Kim and her administration have made progress.
“When I first arrived at SCC, everybody said to me, ‘Nobody knows we exist,’ ” Kim said. “Everybody just sees us as the college on the hill. We had great programs, great faculty and an enormous apprenticeship program, but nobody knew. So, my primary job was to get out there and make sure everybody knew.”
And most recently, SCC’s first-ever bachelor’s degree program — a bachelor of science in digital infrastructure and location sciences — was granted conditional approval from the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.
A second proposed bachelor’s degree program, a bachelor’s degree in water science, is also making its way through the approval process.
“We were able to get the right players and the right conversations going,” Kim said. “And so, the desire to move forward from our faculty members … We were able to sort of stoke that fire, and they got it done. So, I think the encouragement that we were able to provide and some additional support got the applications over the finish line. It’s definitely a big win for us.”
The cost of a bachelor’s degree at SCC is an estimated $12,000, Kim said.
of Orange High School students who earned college credit while still in high school. (Photo courtesy of RSCCD Communications)
Once the bachelor’s degree program receives approval from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, the program will transition from conditional approval to full authorization, allowing Santiago Canyon College to formally launch the degree pathway.
In the approval letter to Kim from Sonya Christian, chancellor of the California Community Colleges system, Christian wrote:
“This achievement is a testament to your institution’s dedication, vision, and tireless efforts to expand educational opportunities that meet the evolving needs of your community. This marks a significant milestone in your ongoing commitment to academic excellence and workforce development.”
Santa Ana College, SCC’s sister college in the Rancho Santiago Community College District, offers three bachelor’s degree programs, the most among the state’s community colleges.
Under Kim’s leadership and the direction of RSCCD Chancellor Marvin Martinez, who was appointed by Christian to promote apprenticeship programs statewide, SCC established a separate apprenticeship division and hired a full-time apprenticeship counselor who is dedicated to working directly with students.
This initiative is part of the college’s broader effort to expand apprenticeship opportunities to include nontraditional fields such as early childhood education and health care.
Kim has also hired 26 full-time, tenure-track faculty and increased full-time classified positions.
Efforts to improve the educational opportunities offered at SCC are being recognized.
Niche.com, a website that provides in-depth profiles, rankings and reviews for K-12 schools and colleges, ranked SCC No.7 out of the 90 Best Community Colleges in California for 2026.
SCC was also named No.3 of the 34 Best Community Colleges in the Los Angeles region and the No.1 Community College in Orange County.
Niche ranked SCC No.31 of 406 in the Hispanic Serving Institutions category.
To be considered, a college or university needs to have a Hispanic undergraduate enrollment of at least 25%.
“We are not an HSI because we enroll a lot of these students, even though that’s the metric,” Kim said. “What our success metric needs to be in terms of being a Hispanic Serving Institution is how many of these students go on to four-year colleges and universities, how many of these students get jobs that are going to last and be able to handle the various changes that occur because they have the critical thinking and analytical skills that they need in order for them to be able to continue in the job market.”
SCC is also seeing an increase in transfer rates, especially to universities within the CSU and UC systems, the president said.
“We are one of the top institutions to transfer to the CSU system and also have some of the highest numbers transferring to UC Irvine,” Kim said. “We have a huge contingent that’s at UCLA right now.”
SCC has also received high marks for its support of military veterans, earning multiple designations as a Military Friendly Institution by Viqtory, the trademarked standard that measures an organization’s commitment to creating opportunities for the military community.
SCC earned a Top 10 Gold / Spouse Friendly distinction from Viqtory for the 2024-2025 academic year in metrics such as graduation rate, retention rate, GPA and emergency funding, placing the school’s veterans support program among the top 10 nationally.
SCC has also launched several support services in recent years.
In 2024, SCC launched TimelyCare, a telehealth platform offering free, 24/7 virtual access to mental health counseling and general health consultations for all credit and noncredit students, providing support beyond traditional on-campus health services.
“These are areas that are important to her, (Kim)” said Christopher Sweeten, vice president of student services at SCC. “She wants our faculty, classified professionals and managers to be recognized for the work that they’re providing directly … she wants the community to be well aware of what is transpiring here at the college.”
Kim has also made it a priority to strengthen SCC’s relationship with the city, meeting periodically with the mayor and ensuring that SCC has a presence at events such as the annual street fair.
She invites city officials to events on campus and has helped to establish an internship program for students to perform internships with the city.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship,” Orange Mayor Dan Slater said. “She’s a great cheerleader for the college, and excited about what the possibilities are and what she’s already accomplished.”
Within months of being hired as SCC’s president, Kim also purchased a home in Orange.
“I want to be a part of this community, to be part of the fabric of this community,” she said. And so, I have that vested interest, and people know that.”
The community should be proud of the “college up on that hill,” Kim said.
“I think what I am most proud of is the fact that we are deliberately creating pathways for students that are viable, that are living-wage driven, they’re high-demand, high-earning potential, positions and jobs now and into the future. and making sure that they have all the supports necessary in order to be successful in whatever, either in their transfer or into the career that they desire.”