In an unusual meeting Wednesday that saw both lighthearted laughter and deeply concerning anecdotes, the Academic Senate focused its discussions on developing the identity of Santa Barbara City College.

For the past four months, faculty and an appointed review committee have been working on drafting a vision statement for the college. When the statement is finalized, they hope that it will serve as the school’s roadmap for years to come.

“We had a new president come in and, during one of his initial welcome [presentations] to the faculty, he talked about vision and what kind of college we want to be,” said Executive Vice President Dr. Jarrell. “That started the discussion about producing a vision statement.”

The college released a draft on the statement in November after gathering a great deal of input from students and faculty during the fall semester reading, “to develop and empower a socially conscious community where knowledge and respect transform individuals and the world.”

Some academic senators noted that the statement wasn’t entirely clear and decided to impose an age-old principle; less is more. Anna Parmely, representing the math division at the meeting, suggested that they change the vision statement to “Empowering through education.”

The simple three-word phrase gained a majority of support in the senate, winning approval by a vote of 20-3.

The senate’s recommendations will be taken into consideration by a review committee. If everything goes according to plan, a final version of the statement will be approved in the next two months.