Santa Ana College Name Changed to Rancho Santiago

The governing board of Santa Ana College voted Tuesday to change the name of the 70-year-old institution to Rancho Santiago College.

The 6-1 vote came after an audience of 35 persons spoke unanimously in opposition. The opponents, including Santa Ana College head football coach David Ogas, argued that changing the college’s name would hurt enrollment, athletic recruitment, the college’s sense of tradition and the prospects of all prior graduates seeking jobs.

The six board members favoring the change said the name has been an issue since 1971, when the district, formally known as Rancho Santiago Community College District, spread out to take in other communities, including the cities of Orange and Villa Park. “This issue has been with us since the creation of the district, “ said Trustee John Dowden.

“We should have faced this issue in 1971,” said Trustee Rudy Montejano. “There comes a time that you have to bite the bullet.”

Montejano and Trustee Hector Godinez contended that without a better name for a college that includes more than Santa Ana, the board might risk moves by other communities, such as Garden Grove and Orange, to split off and form their own institutions.

“I don’t want to turn this into a minority campus,” Godinez said.

The issue came to a head because a third campus will open next fall in the city of Orange, trustees said. Board President Shirley Ralston said that Orange city officials are in favor of a new college name.

The Rancho Santiago Community College District includes the cities of Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim Hills and part of Garden Grove. The college already has a campus in Garden Grove.

Opposing Argument

Opponents told trustees that it would be easier and better to say “Santa Ana College--Orange Campus,” and “Santa Ana College--Garden Grove Campus” rather than renaming the institution as a whole.

Ogas said that tradition and sense of community will suffer. “In the last week or so, I’ve spoken to 10-15 different alumni,” he said, and “they told me they liked to consider themselves graduates of Santa Ana College--not Rancho Santiago College.”

Athletic recruitment will suffer because high school graduates will not be familiar with Rancho Santiago College, Ogas argued.

David Troublefield, student government president and a student trustee, said students are overwhelmingly opposed. A student poll taken this week showed 374 opposing the name change and only five favoring it, Troublefield said.

Referendum Urged

Ken LaSalle, 19, a journalism student from Santa Ana, urged the board to seek a campuswide referendum. LaSalle said the Student Senate had voted 11 to 1 in opposition to the name change. “Let’s talk; let’s listen; let’s not change the name,” LaSalle said.

The only board member voting against the name change was Michael Ortell. “I think we all want Santa Ana College to remain the flagship of this district,” he said. “I don’t think you do that by stripping it of its name. If the Orange campus becomes more than it is today, we’ll just call it Orange College.” But the other trustees said that the community college district is committed to a policy of having one college with several campuses, instead of having several independent colleges within a district, which is the policy of such districts as the Coast and North Orange County community college districts.

Although the audience was small, it was vocal and militant in its opposition, enthusiastically applauding all who spoke against the change. No member of the audiencespoke in favor.

Changeover Process

Board President Ralston said that she personally knew of many supporters for the name change “but as is usual in many hearings, people who are in support couldn’t find the time to be here.” The trustees said the name change will gradually be phased in on official stationery and signs so as to minimize the expense. Montejano stressed that the change would only come as existing items need replacing. No dollar figure for the name change was discussed, and Donna Hatchett, campus public information officer, said no estimate of the cost was immediately available.

Under the name change, the following are now the official titles of various campuses of the institution: “Rancho Santiago College--Santa Ana Campus,” “Rancho Santiago College--Orange Campus,” “Rancho Santiago College--Garden Grove Campus,” “Rancho Santiago College--Centennial Education Center” and “Rancho Santiago College--Orange Adult Learning Center.”