SMC Appoints Dr. Tania Acosta New VP of Student Success

SMC Appoints Dr. Tania Acosta New VP of Student Success

As Chief Student Services Officer, She Will Provide Strategic Oversight for an Array of Student Services and Enrollment Functions

SANTA MONICA, CA—Following unanimous approval by the Santa Monica College (SMC) Board of Trustees at their meeting held Tuesday night, Dec. 2, 2025, SMC announces the appointment of Dr. Tania Acosta as its new Vice President of Student Success, effective Jan.2, 2026. Dr. Acosta was selected after a nationwide search guided by consultation firm PPL, Inc.

A seasoned administrator and first-generation high school and college graduate, Dr Acosta brings more than 24 years’ experience in key senior-level positions at the multi-campus, Hispanic-Serving Institution of Miami Dade College, including those of Interim Campus President, Dean of Student Services, Director of Campus Administration, Emergency Management Incident Commander, Chief Information Officer, Facilities Coordinator, and also as adjunct faculty.

As SMC’s Vice President of Student Success, Dr. Acosta will serve as the Chief Student Services Officer and as a member of the College’s senior leadership team. She will provide strategic oversight and operational direction for a comprehensive, complex array of student services and enrollment functions, including but not limited to, Counseling and Retention, Student Success Initiatives, Student Life, Special Programs, Student Outreach and Onboarding, Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, Student Health and Wellness, Marketing, and Campus Police, and other duties as assigned. Additionally, she will provide leadership in advancing institutional goals related to equity, student access, retention, student support, and degree completion.

“It is significant to note that Dr. Tania Acosta’s student-centered, innovative, and equity-driven leadership has enriched an institution that, like Santa Monica College, is a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution and also serves a diverse, global student body,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery. “Her perspectives and richly varied experience will be invaluable as we strengthen the ways in which SMC serves students today and as we reimagine how best to meet student, community, and industry needs in an ever-changing world.”

"I am incredibly honored to be joining the Santa Monica College community. My goal is to build upon Santa Monica's existing legacy by collaborating with students, faculty, and staff to remove barriers while ensuring a supportive and equitable environment for every student's personal journey,” said Dr. Tania Acosta. “I am particularly excited to champion initiatives that will ensure not just matriculation, but that all our students thrive and graduate with confidence.”

Dr. Acosta’s vast experience involves key roles and responsibilities specifically relating to student enrollment management, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, community resource development, employee compensation, deferred maintenance, emergency management, fiscal accountability & austerity measures, employee leadership training and development. Her background includes training and experience dealing with mental health, and suicide prevention. She currently chairs the campus Behavior Intervention Team (BIT), has National Incident Management System (NIMS) certification, and served as Campus Incident Commander for more than a decade. Furthermore, she served as a member of the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinated Community Response Team. 

In the community, she served as a member of the Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce, and is a current member of the Board of the Economic Development Council (EDC) of South Miami-Dade. The EDC serves a community of over 600,000 residents, 140,000 workers, and 20,000 businesses in South Miami-Dade. In her capacity as a board member, Dr. Acosta has oversight of the strategic economic development plan dedicated to the sustainability, resiliency and vitality of the unique communities served by the EDC.

Dr. Acosta earned a Baccalaureate degree in Public Administration from Florida International University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from American Intercontinental University, and a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership/Organizational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University. She is a graduate of The Chair Academy’s Global Leadership Advanced Academy; a graduate of the Dade Community Foundation’s Miami Fellows Initiative Class V; and a graduate Fellow of the Dr. Ted Martinez Jr. National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC) Leadership Program.

Outside of the office, Dr. Acosta enjoys both the physical challenge and mental clarity of cycling, whether indoors on her Peloton or outdoors on an e-bike.

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About Santa Monica College: 

Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). For 34 consecutive years, SMC has been California’s leading transfer college to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and other University of California campuses. The college also tops in transfers to the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University and is the top feeder west of the Mississippi to the Ivy League Columbia University. As the leading job trainer in Los Angeles’s Westside, the college offers robust career education opportunities, with over 110 degrees and certificates in traditional and emerging fields. SMC provides news and cultural enrichment through its NPR radio station KCRW (89.9 FM), the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, and lifelong learning through distinctive programs such as its Emeritus Program for older adults.