(It’s Time to) Rename Cabrillo College

(This site is not affiliated with Cabrillo College.)

bust of Juan Cabrillo in the Cabrillo College library

Trustees to Vote on the Name Change on Mon., Aug. 7!

Attend in Person or Online

Come to the trustees meeting; it's open to all.
Monday, August 7, 2023, 6:15 pm, Aptos campus horticulture building.

Public comments are at the start of the meeting.
Any member of the public may speak for up to three minutes.

To join Zoom meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85815753040 Meeting ID: 858 1575 3040

To submit a written comment prior to the meeting:
email Ronnette Smithcamp at: rosmithc@cabrillo.edu

For more information, see:
http://go.boarddocs.com/ca/cabrillo/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=CLAUFQ7B7B0C

Where Things Currently Stand

Previously, the trustees had said they would approve the new name for the college at their August 7, 2023 meeting, choosing from the five names put forward by the task force: Aptos College, Cajastaca College (pronounced CAY-YA-STOCKAH), Costa Vista College, Santa Cruz Coast College, and Seacliff College. But on August 3 the name change subcommittee recommended that the decision be delayed, at least until November 6. So at the August 7 meeting the trustees may vote to defer the selection of a new name. Stay tuned …

See: Everything you need to know about Cabrillo College’s Monday vote to delay name change until at least November (Lookout Santa Cruz, 8/7/23)

Statements, Resolutions, & Petitions

Changing the Name of Our Institution resolution (7/20/20) [PDF]
Cabrillo Hispanic Affairs Council (CHAC) Support of Name Change (9/13/20) [PDF]
Joint Statement of the Faculty Senate & Cabrillo College Federation of Teachers (4/26/22) [PDF]
STEM Letter in Support of Our School's Name Change
Report of the Cabrillo College Name Exploration Subcommittee (PDF), which calls on the college to change its name.

Past Cabrillo Name Exploration Subcommittee Events

Cabrillo Name Exploration Events flyer (in English & Spanish) [PDF]
Dr. Iris Engstrand — Who was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo? (3/18/21)
- See the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8XUBS7oEsc
- Excerpts from the March 18, 2021 presentation
- Public Statement Responding to Name Exploration Speaker (3/22/21) [PDF]
Impacts of Colonization on Native Americans. (4/8/21) Opening: Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Mutsun-Ohlone/Chumash), CRO of Kanyon Konsulting LLC, Bay Area-Ohlone Territory; Speaker: Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy (Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk), Professor and Chair of Native American Studies, CSU Humbolt; Speaker: Dr. Martin Rizzo-Martinez, CA State Park Historian, Santa Cruz District
- See the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od1A_Xl-7Pw
Sandy Lydon, Retired Cabrillo College History Professor — How and Why Cabrillo College Got its Name. (4/15/21)
- See the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdqEVeeGI_w
Student Debate: Should Cabrillo College Change its Name? (4/22/21)
- See the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2UoKYLSskM
- Student Perspectives: Should Cabrillo College Change Its Name? (student essays)
President’s Essay & Art Competition Entry Awards (PEACE Awards) (4/29/21)
- See the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnZV8jjrTHk
Dr. Andres Resendez, UC Davis — The Other Slavery: The Impact of Early European Colonizaton on North American Tribes. (5/4/21)
- See the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzk6YQit11U

Cabrillo College Links

Name Exploration Subcommittee Website
Guiding Principles for Considering a Name Change for Cabrillo College (developed December 2020)
Ground Rules (developed December 2020)
Library’s Cabrillo Name Exploration Page
President's Essay and Art Competition Entries submission form (PEACE Award, $500 prize, due 4/15/21)

News, Articles, Broadcasts

College Trustee Agenda Items

7/20/20 meeting
- “Amidst the growing calls for social and racial justice in the US, Cabrillo College has faced internal criticism for continuing to be named after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo … Faculty member John Govsky has called on the Board at two separate meetings to establish a task force to consider renaming the college, allowing it to remove the stain of European colonialism and indigenous population subjugation in favor of a more appropriate college name. The Board is asked tonight to consider two possible options for studying the question of whether the college should be renamed. …”
- Public comments [PDF]
8/3/20 meeting
- “At the July 20, 2020 Board Retreat, the Trustees discussed the formation of a subcommittee to study whether to keep or replace the name of Cabrillo College. Tonight, Board Members are asked to approve the members of that subcommittee.”
9/14/20 meeting
- “… the Board is asked to endorse the creation of a Renaming Task Force that will help the subcommittee solicit widespread community stakeholder input; help the subcommittee develop community education and engagement strategies; and examine the costs and resource implications of changing the college's name …”
11/2/20 meeting
- “The Subcommittee anticipates that it may take up to a year to complete its work. A monthly progress report will be shared with the Board of Trustees. Additionally, Subcommittee members are discussing how to assure transparency of the process and keep the public informed of progress. The aim of the Subcommittee is to present a recommendation to the Governing Board by the end of 2021.”
12/7/20 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… the Advisory Task Force drafted principles and values that will guide Cabrillo College’s exploration of a possible name change.”
1/11/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… the Task Force compiled an extensive list of groups on campus, retirees, as well community organizations who may be interested in the name and who should be informed of how to participate in the exploration process. The Task Force is currently identifying strategies to engage members of these groups in a range of educational activities regarding the history of the college namesake and inviting input on the naming question in a structured format … The question about how much it would cost to change the name of the college is next on the Task Force agenda …”
2/1/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… While estimating the unique costs associated with campus as well as road signs is fairly straightforward, understanding the operational costs related to changing contracts, business cards, stationary, logos, etc. as well as the intangible benefits or losses that might accrue to the college’s reputation, financial contributions, faculty hires, or student engagement as a result of changing or not changing the name is less clear. Members of the subcommittee are conferring with colleagues at other institutions who have experienced changing the name of buildings at their institutions to understand how they approached the cost/benefit of name change. …”
3/1/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… Based on discussion with the Advisory Task Force, a series of educational lectures and discussions are scheduled to begin in mid-March. Presentations will be recorded and posted to the website for future viewing, including the possibility of simultaneous translation to assure broad access … To address questions about the potential cost of changing the name of the college, Paul Harvell and Matt Wetstein developed a primer based on fundamental economic concepts to guide the cost discussion. …”
4/5/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… March 18 Education Event. Dr. Iris Engstrand, Emeritus Professor of History from the University of San Diego kicked off the series with a presentation on the college namesake, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Nearly 200 participants joined the zoom session, which was simultaneously translated, recorded and available on YouTube. Reaction to the presentation was intense. Many viewers registered outrage at the speaker’s remarks. …”
5/10/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… The Subcommittee launched the first of a series of education and engagement programs on March 18, 2021 to engage campus stakeholders and the larger community in shared learning and dialogue. On May 4, 2021 we completed the last of six Zoom Webinar presentations … To ensure input from both campus stakeholders and the larger community, the Subcommittee plans to host a series of listening sessions with students, staff, faculty and administrators, Foundation board members/donors and with the larger community. The timing and details of these sessions have not yet been established, but it is anticipated they will be held in late summer or early fall. …”
6/14/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… Given the changes underway with the re-opening of public meetings, we will probably convene sessions in both live and virtual formats to accommodate different comfort levels and availability. We will continue planning this month and invite Marketing and Communication Department Director and the Dean of Research, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness to join in the design, promotion, execution, and assessment of the listening sessions. Advisory Task Force members will have the opportunity to review and comment on the plans before launch. …”
7/23/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… The Subcommittee met on July 15 to discuss the target audiences, venues, dates, facilitation, and the promotion of listening/town hall sessions to be held in fall 2021. … We envision 90-minute listening sessions for specific groups such as faculty/staff, retirees; students; Foundation Board members/donors; K-12 education leaders; business community members; Amah Mutsun tribe members; and other social/civic organizations. Plans to host three live sessions at libraries in Felton (north county), Capitola (mid county) and Watsonville (south county) have yet to be confirmed due to changes underway with the re-opening of public meeting sites. While we can convene live sessions on campus for campus community and Foundation Board and donors, we may need to hold other public meetings via a virtual or hybrid format. … We expect to bring a recommendation to the full board of trustees sometime in early 2022. …”
9/13/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… The virtual dialogues with the campus community and retirees will begin September 10. Additional sessions with the external community, Foundation Board members/donors, and Amah Mutsan Tribal Band leaders will continue through October. … Terrance Willett, the Dean of Research, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness, is working with Matt Wetstein on developing a survey to assess community sentiment on the name change question. A draft of the survey will be presented at the Sept. 10 Advisory Task Force meeting. …”
10/4/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… Matt and [Christina] met with Valentin Lopez, Amah Mutsan Tribal Band Chairman, to discuss his interest in co-designing a dialogue with Tribal Band members and to explore the most appropriate way to create a Land Acknowledgement statement for Cabrillo College. Val has graciously agreed to help us convene a session with the Tribal Band members to help us craft a Land Acknowledgement statement. Based on guidance from Val, Matt drafted a proposed policy and procedure document that would establish the Land Acknowledgement in the College governance process. …”
11/8/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… While we have received three hundred Name Exploration Opinion Survey responses, we plan to promote the survey to the broader community, especially junior high and high school students who may be considering attending Cabrillo College in the future. We will be working with the Marketing and Communication Department to generate an invitation to school officials and community organizations to help get the word out. The survey will be available on the Name Exploration website through November 2021. … The Subcommittee welcomed Krystal Buenrostro as a new member representing student government. A new, re-entry student, Krystal is active in the local community and the Student Senate. …”
12/13/21 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… The Name Exploration Subcommittee hosted a Community Dialogue with CCEU members on November 23. More than 60 staff members attended. … The session highlighted workload issues that might result if the Board decides to change the name of the college … This past week the Board of Trustees received a letter initiated by Women in Science and Engineering Club and Latinx United at Cabrillo for Engineering and Science. More than 180 STEM students, faculty, and staff signed the letter supporting a name change. …”
2/7/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… Review of respondent demographics revealed the absence of input from youth who may consider attending Cabrillo College in the future. Additional input from Cabrillo students is also needed. Accordingly, members agreed to focus future outreach efforts on the K-12 community and Cabrillo student body … the Subcommittee agreed to revise the original plan to report to the Board of Trustees in Spring 2022. Instead, the Subcommittee will proceed with information gathering and analysis in summer. We anticipate presenting the report and a recommendation to the Board in the fall of 2022.”
3/14/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… The Subcommittee is eager to hear from faculty, staff, students, and the larger community about the name change question. Members of the campus and the larger community are encouraged to complete the Name Exploration Opinion Survey.”
4/4/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… We continue to receive responses to the Name Exploration Survey. To date, 813 individuals have submitted responses. Of this number 225 came from Cabrillo students and 125 came from Cabrillo employees. Community members submitted the rest. Matt Wetstein and Terrence Willett have analyzed the 813 responses in preparation for a presentation at the April 14 RP Group Conference. …”
5/2/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “The public continues to view the YouTube recordings of the six educational sessions presented in Spring 2021. To date, close to 3,700 individuals have tuned into the recording. Emails and letters from campus groups continue to be submitted for consideration. … On April 21, the Subcommittee presented the results of the opinion survey and responded to questions regarding the name exploration timeline to the ASCC Student Senate. … We have outlined the contents of a report on the Name Change Exploration process and anticipate presenting the report and a recommendation to the Board for consideration in the fall of 2022.”
8/1/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “The Name Exploration Subcommittee met on May 10, 2022, to discuss the timeline for presenting a final report to the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees. Due to end of the academic year calendar, workload issues, planned vacations and family issues, the subcommittee members agreed to focus the summer months on developing the report and a recommendation for presentation to the Board of Trustees. …”
9/12/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… Subcommittee members confirmed the process and timeline for completing the final report to the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees. Given the expected length of the document, members agreed to send the Board of Trustees a CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT of the final report one week prior to the November 14 meeting to allow sufficient time for review. …”
10/3/22 Name Exploration Subcommittee report [PDF]
- “… The Name Exploration Subcommittee met on September 1st and September 7th to review the DRAFT of the final report and begin deliberation on the recommendation that will presented to the Board of Trustees on November 14, 2022. The subcommittee sent an update to the Name Exploration Advisory Task Force and invited them to attend the November 14 Board of Trustee meeting where the final report and recommendation will be presented.…”

indigineous people being killed by conquistadors

History Resources

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (Wikipedia)
- “… Cabrillo benefited from the encomienda system that enslaved the Native peoples of the Americas. In Honduras, for example, he broke up families, sending the men to the mines for gold and to the forest to harvest materials he needed for shipbuilding. The women and girls he gave over to his soldiers and sailors, presumably as slaves. …”
Explorer Cabrillo made his name with bold, bloody exploits (SFGate, 10/17/14)
- “… Cabrillo caulked his ships with pitch made from fat cut out of the bodies of Indians who had been killed in war. …”
The Project Gutenberg EBook of De Soto, Coronado, Cabrillo (David Lavender, 2017)
- “… his Indian laborers grew food for slaves he had put to work in placer mines on his lands and in the shipyards he supervised on Guatemala’s Pacific coast. …”
Juan Rodrîguez Cabrillo (Historical Society of Southern California)
- “… he took part in several military campaigns in Central America, including Guatemala, where, through the allocation of land and the use of Indian slave labor to mine gold, he became one of the region's richest men. …”
Encomienda Politics in Early Colonial Guatemala, 1524–1544 (Wendy Kramer, 1994) [PDF]

Proposed Land Acknowledgement Board Policy

At the November 8 meeting of the Cabrillo College trustees, Valentin Lopez, Chair, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, madee a presentation on the significance of a land acknowledgement statement.
- See What it means to give a "land acknowledgement" (Wisdom from Valentin Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band)
- See the Proposed Land Acknowledgement Board Policy [PDF]
- See the Proposed Land Acknowledgement Administrative Procedure [PDF]