Navigating Bakersfield College: A Guide to College Council and Advising Resources
Bakersfield College is committed to providing its students with a supportive and enriching learning environment. A key component of this commitment is the College Council, a vital part of the college's participatory governance structure. This article explores the role of the College Council, its committees, and the advising resources available to students, including insights from leading experts in higher education.
Understanding the College Council
The College Council at Bakersfield College operates within a framework of participatory governance. This framework, prescribed in Title 5, ensures that various stakeholders, including staff and students, have a voice in shaping the college's policies and direction. The council plays a crucial role in advising the College President on a variety of academic and professional matters facing the institution.
Committees: The Engines of Participatory Governance
The College Council is supported by a number of committees, each focusing on a specific area of college operations. These committees are the workhorses of the participatory governance system, actively engaging in the review, discussion, and recommendation of policies and initiatives. Here's a glimpse into some of the key committees:
- Guided Pathways System Redesign Team: This team is at the forefront of implementing the Guided Pathways System redesign, a comprehensive effort to improve student success by providing clear pathways to academic and career goals.
- Levan Center Committee: This committee advises, reviews, and suggests programs and activities for the Levan Center, a hub for cultural and intellectual engagement on campus.
- Assessment Plan and Program Review Committee: This committee guides departments in developing their assessment plans and program reviews, ensuring the quality and effectiveness of academic programs.
- Health and Safety Committee: This critical committee identifies and addresses health and safety concerns on campus, promoting a safe and secure environment for all.
- Financial Aid Committee: This committee reviews applications and recommends awards to the Financial Aid Office, helping students access the resources they need to afford college.
- BCSGA Elections Committee: This committee ensures fair and efficient elections for the Bakersfield College Student Government Association (BCSGA), empowering students to participate in college governance.
- Diversity Committee: This committee educates and orients the college on diversity issues, fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus climate.
- Future Learning Environments Committee: This committee explores and plans for future learning environments, considering evolving technologies and pedagogical approaches.
- Departments, Teaching and Learning Processes Committee: This committee focuses on improving departments, teaching and learning processes.
Each committee is tasked with producing a tangible product, representing the outcome of their deliberations and recommendations. These recommendations are then shared with the College President and the Academic Senate for further consideration and action. The College Council also monitors progress toward achieving the goals and objectives outlined by the committees.
The Importance of Effective Advising
Effective advising is crucial for student success. Recognizing this, Bakersfield College provides a range of advising resources to help students navigate their academic journey and achieve their goals.
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Learning Lab's Network of Advisors
To further enhance advising resources, Learning Lab announced a new cohort of advisors. These advisors bring a wealth of experience from the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California systems, as well as higher education in general. Their expertise spans the science of human learning, higher-education administration, institutional change, racial and gender equity, and the potential of 21st-century education technology.
The advisors include:
- Estela Bensimon: Dean’s Professor in Educational Equity & University Professor, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. Dr. Bensimon is known for her creation of the term “equity-minded,” and her work focuses on helping higher education leaders, faculty, organizations, and staff feel empowered to make effective changes leading to improved outcomes for racially minoritized students.
- Jonathan Brack: Director of Collaborative Impact Programs, Foundation for California Community Colleges. Brack leads the Foundation’s efforts to incubate, scale, and sustain creative endeavors to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all Californians.
- Sonya Christian: President, Bakersfield College. Dr. Christian has led Bakersfield College through a phase of expanded opportunities for students and is an advocate for continued education across social and economic boundaries.
- Michael Dennin: Dean of Undergraduate Education, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine. Dr. Dennin has been active in translating educational research to practical applications within the university.
- James T. Minor: Assistant Vice Chancellor & Senior Strategist, CSU Office of the Chancellor. Dr. Minor provides leadership to advance the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025, which focuses on dramatically increasing student success and eliminating equity gaps.
- Wayne Skipper: Co-Founder, Light At Play. Wayne is an engineer and artist with over 30 years of experience working in technology and is passionate about education and emerging technologies.
- Candace Thille: Senior Research Fellow, Stanford University, and Member, ETS Board of Trustees. Dr. Thille was the founding director of the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) at Carnegie Mellon University and at Stanford University.
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