Last weekend, I traveled to UCLA to speak as a panelist at the California Learning Lab Inspire Convening. The incredible Lande Ajose was our moderator, and I joined Michael Drake, John Perez and Romey Sabalius to discuss “who’s really in charge in higher education.” We talked about the stakeholders and governance structure involved in higher education, and what roadblocks faculty and administrators sometimes face in advancing innovation.

It is always such a treat to get get together with colleagues from across the state to share our experiences

And here’s a photo of the fantastic BC team that attended the convening (as well as John Matsui from UC Berkeley).

Good morning, friends.
It is October 22, 2022.
The sun shines bright over Kern CCD.

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Porterville College

Art students help celebrate Undocumented Student Action Week with sidewalk art

Porterville College celebrates Undocumented Student Action Week (USAW) each year on the third week of October with events and activities for our Dreamer Students. 

This year, PC joined the California Community College Chancellor’s office from October 17-21 in presenting a series of webinars and on-campus activities designed to raise awareness about the challenges faced by undocumented students and discuss solutions that help them achieve their educational goals.

On the PC campus, many art students took to the sidewalks of the Quad to create artwork featuring butterflies in support of this USAW. Butterflies have become the symbol of USAW and “Dreamer” students.  

The monarch butterfly is significant to the Dreamer because it represents the beauty of immigration.

In effect, the monarch butterfly is known for its migratory patterns; they move from Mexico to U.S and vice versa, depending on the season.

According to the web page, Make the Road Nevada, the monarch butterfly is the perfect symbol for immigrants. “Since being adopted by 11 million undocumented immigrants, the symbol’s meaning has changed to symbolize the resilience and hope in the immigrant community”.

PC Staffers Celebrate Transfer week with their alumni colors

Each third week in October, PC also celebrates National Student Transfer Week. Many PC staff also took part in colors day, wearing the school colors of their respective alma matters. As transfer champions, it’s vitally important that we build awareness of common transfer barriers and the diverse student needs and identities within our transfer populations.

Remember, even though we all went through different pathways to get here, we are all one PC!    

Overcoming Food Insecurity at PC

Porterville College, and in particular the PC Financial Aid Department has been working to solve food insecurity issues among students by instituting several ongoing efforts to curb this problem facing more students every day.

Every month, we partner with CalFresh to provide food to students and the community in “drive-up” events at Jamison Stadium. We also regularly distribute lunches and other meals on campus to students from the Pirates Cove or the Campus Quad. The Pirate Pantry is open at regular times for students to come in and “shop” for food and other staple items in a discreet environment.  And recently, we have started providing between-class snacks for students with “pop-up fueling stations” scheduled at various times each month.     

For more information, visit https://www.portervillecollege.edu/basic-needs

For a complete schedule of Pirate Pantry hours, visit https://www.portervillecollege.edu/financial-aid/food-pantry

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Cerro Coso Community College

CCCC Sponsor at Aerospace Valley Air Show

More than 15,000 peopled attended the Aerospace Valley Air Show, Open House, and STEM Expo at Edwards Air Force Base on October 14-16.

Cerro Coso’s Career Technical Education and Outreach Programs were a sponsor of the event that opened Friday evening just for students showcasing exciting STEM demonstration and impressive air displays.  Saturday and Sunday the event was open to the general public. 

The college promoted STEM, CTE, and dual enrollment programs while also providing information on military and veterans services.

Shout out to all volunteers: Katie Bachman, Denise Allen, Lisa Stephens, Kristin Hanle, Jessica Kawelmacher, Nicole Harper, and the wonderful support of the M&O team.

“A HUGE shout out to Denise Allen for orchestrating the planning for this event,” said CTE Dean Nicole Griffin.  “We couldn’t have pulled it off so seamlessly without her detailed planning, organization, and communication.”

High School Students Turn Out for Career Exploration Day

Cerro Coso’s Ridgecrest campus was even busier than usual on Wednesday, October 19th as the college welcomed 250 high school students from 8 different high schools to Career Exploration Day.

With only a few years left of high school, it’s time for these students to get serious about college and start making plans for their future. This highly successful event is designed to give participants a firsthand look at why Cerro Coso should be their first choice. High school students explored all the college has to offer and were exposed to the wide range of careers available to graduates locally.

The day began in the gymnasium with a warm welcome from Cerro Coso President Dr. Sean Hancock and Outreach Director Katie Bachman, followed by a lively visit to college department booths, tours, food, and drawings.

In addition to receiving valuable information on how to prepare for college, students were given the opportunity to spend time interacting with CCCC’s expert faculty and staff, and asked career questions from area employers.

Cerro Coso students provided tours of the campus and answered questions about their personal college experiences.

The Career Fair portion of the event was opened to Cerro Coso students and the public to provide an opportunity for both high school and college students to meet with representatives from a variety of employers and learn about the different careers and vocations available locally.

“A huge thank you to Katie Bachman for her tireless coordination and to EVERYONE who participated and supported Career Day,” stated Vice President of Student Services Heather Ostash.

The sky is the limit at Cerro Coso.  Take flight.  Spring 2023 registration begins in November.  Contact a college counselor today at 760-384-6219.

Coyote Sets Course Record at Mt. Sac CC Invitational

Coyote Christian Schultz set a phenomenal 19.16 course record at the Mts. Sac Cross Country Invitational on October 14^th in Walnut, California. 

He shattered El Camino College‘s David Cardona’s 2010 record of 19:52 by 34 seconds.  

An outstanding performance by Schultz puts Cerro Coso’s new cross-country program on the competitive map. 

Congratulations Christian. 

New Solar Tables Allow Students to Chill and Charge

Members of the Cerro Coso community now have a new place to take a seat and recharge – literally.  Maintenance and Operations is busy installing new solar charged picnic tables around the Ridgecrest and Bishop campuses.  The new tables are a perfect fit for any college student – or anyone who is passionate about sustainability.  The tables are more than just a great place for students and staff to meet.  They also serve as charging stations and Wi-Fi hotspots, made from architectural-grade, eco-friendly materials. The tables feature two wireless charging pads, a multiple type A and type c USB plugs and 110V outlets for charging phones, tables, and laptops.  CCCC investing in our future.

Update from CCCC Safety and Security

The Safety and Security Department at Cerro Coso has been busy with several efforts to increase overall effectiveness. 

They are just wrapping up the first phase of the employee focused Active Shooter/ Assailant training which included 4 Zoom sessions over a 2-week period.  The next phase of the training will begin in November as an in-person and in workspaces event to assess RUN, HIDE, FIGHT strategies.

Additionally, they are working with the Faculty Flex Committee to explore the potential benefits of creating a core safety and security training element to the faculty flex training schedules in the fall.  This effort is in the same thread as their commitment to providing requested security training as an aspect of professional development. 

Safety and Security Manager Kevin King (far right in photo) recently met with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) on the Cerro Coso IWV campus to discuss the potential of hosting relevant briefing and training events.  They will be looking to host the first of these events at the Spring Faculty Flex.

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Bakersfield College

BC Receives Title V Grant for Early College Pathways

BC’s Title V grant proposal has been 1 of approximately 79 funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Hispanic Serving Institution (DHSI) Program. Serving over 10,500 high school students per year, Bakersfield College has the largest Early College program in the state, 77% of which are Hispanic/Latino. Among these 10,500 students, approximately 1,200 high school students participate in pathways that will allow them to complete an associates degree from Bakersfield College by the time they graduate from high school. This grant award will enable Bakersfield College to increase participation, retention, success, and completion rates for high school students who enter Early College pathways in the 9th grade.

The programs are currently available at 7 locations: Wonderful College Prep Academy- Delano and Lost Hills campuses, Wasco High School, Arvin High School, Kern High School District- Career & Technical Education Center and BC Southwest Center, McFarland High School Early College, and Shafter High School. On average, 92% of the students on these associate degree completion pathways are Hispanic/Latino.

BC Recognized as 2022 Champion of Higher Education

BC has been named a 2022 Champion of Higher Education for Excellence in Transfer, and 2022 Equity Champion of Higher Education for our work in breaking barriers in transfer and  advancing racial equity in education. BC is one of the leading institutions in the state for Associate Degree for Transfer implementation, giving students a pathway to realizing their college dreams.

BC STEM Students Attend Aerospace Valley Air Show

BC STEM/Industrial Automation students attended the 2022 Aerospace Valley Air Show at Edwards Airforce Base, where they met various employers and explored industries directly related to their fields of study. They had a little fun introducing the crowds to Spot and Pepper, the two robots who joined the students on their air show adventures.

African American Health Science Luncheon

On October 11, 2022, Bakersfield College’s Health Science Pathway Team hosted a luncheon for current and prospective African American students to explore health science programs and resources on campus. Steven Watkins, Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Services, and Carla Gard, Dean of Allied Health, led the day with inspiration and introductions to some of BC’s dedicated leaders:

• Reggie Bolton– Dean of Kinesiology & Athletics (Physical Therapist Assistant included)
• Dr. Charles Daramola-Director of Public Health
• Dr. Tatevik Broutian-Human Biology Faculty
• Dr. Melissa Buggs-Nursing Faculty
• Ronnie Robinson & David Salazar -Radiologic Technology Students
• Crystal Rodriguez-Health Information Technology Faculty
• Jennifer Achan-Executive Director of Financial Aid

What a great day of information and networking!

Renegade Football Claims Victory over College of the Canyons

The Bakersfield College football team played against the College of the Canyons Thursday October 13th and not only won their second straight road contest, but ended an eight-game losing streak with a ten-point victory, 17-7. The Renegades hope to continue this victory trend as they play against the Ventura Pirates at this weekend’s Homecoming game!

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In the News

BC rolls out 3-class certificate series on renewable energy

I enjoyed John Cox’s article in The Bakersfield Californian about BC’s new, free certificate series on renewable energy.

“Renewable energy has become a big focus at BC and its parent organization, the Kern Community College District, since the formalization of its unique partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.”

And for those interested in the courses, visit https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/marketing/promotion/modern-energy-certificate-of-completion.

BC shares Measure J progress report, thank-you with Renegade Promenade

Perry Smith wrote about last weekend’s Renegade Promenade event in this article for The Bakersfield Californian.

“We wanted to hold this event because it’s been a long time since the community’s been up to BC with the pandemic and such,” said Cheryl Scott, executive director of the Bakersfield College Foundation, which assists the college by seeking community engagement and support. “And it would not be recognized by people who have not been on campus in the past couple of years.”

Fun Photos & Spotted on Social Media

Cerro Coso Community College celebrated Boss’s Day on October 17. Staff members showered the President’s, Marketing, and Finance and Administrative Offices with fun posters, breakfast, decorations, and gifts.     

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Kylie Campbell shared this post from the Kern Equity Symposium:

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Cerro Coso Community College students in the EOPS program took a trip to El Pueblo, Olvera Street, and visited several museums in October. It was a fun filled day of good food, dancing, shopping of course educational visiting the cultural museums for students in the EOPS/Access Program at Cerro Coso.     

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Here’s one of the photos PC President Claudia Habib shared from last weekend’s Porterville College Foundation swap meet:

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And check out these adorable pictures of Nicole Parra‘s dog, Bailey:

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That’s a wrap for now.
See you next Saturday!

The future is bright at KernCCD.

-sonya
a joyful and grateful Chancellor

#KernCCDDaringMightyThings

Tagged: #KernCCDDaringMightyThings, Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso College, Kern Community College District, Porterville College, Sonya Christian