Bakersfield College | Equity in Action | April 23, 2015
Live streaming | 9:00am - 3:45pm
Bakersfield College is pleased to host a conference on Thursday, April 23, 2015, focused on principles and best practices of student equity, academic excellence, diversity and inclusion. The conference provides a collaborative and unique opportunity for faculty, staff, administrators and the community to put equity into action.
The conference agenda includes deliberate engagement and courageous conversations exploring the definition, application and practice of equity, both individually and collectively. With an emphasis on student success, we will identify how participants and stakeholders can collaborate as a community around excellence, equity, and diversity, which in turn supports inclusion and institutional transformation at all service levels to close achievement gaps among historically disadvantaged and disproportionately impacted students.
For more information, please visit https://www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/conference/equity-in-action
| Time | Description |
| 9:00- 9:15 am |
Opening and Welcome Odella Johnson, Interim Director, Equity & Inclusion |
| 9:15- 10:30 am |
Keynote Address: Dr. Dan Arvizu Topic: Equity and Opportunity in Today's Knowledge Economy Synopsis: The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge divide is both a source and a symptom of the equity gap. This talk explores today's changing workforce landscape and the increasing value of STEM knowledge and skills to a wide range of jobs, including jobs not traditionally understood as STEM. It highlights the opportunities open to those with STEM skills and explores the respective roles of government, education institutions, and industry in enabling and strengthening these career opportunities for all individuals in the United States. In particular, it explores the vital role community colleges and the National Science Foundation can play in redressing the STEM equity gap for communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM. |
| 10:45 am - noon |
Keynote Address: Dr. J. Goosby Smith Topic: Community Colleges and Inclusion Synopsis: As the higher education landscape becomes more competitive, diverse, and complex issues of both diversity and inclusion become even more critical in their importance, Smith will present an evidence-based model of inclusion along with ways that community colleges are uniquely poised to contribute even more meaningfully to society by creating inclusive campus climates and classrooms. |
| 1:00 - 2:15 pm |
Session 1: Faculty/Staff Panel - Providing Culturally Sensitive Instruction and Services to Students Odella Johnson, Facilitator Anna Poetker, Patrick O'Neill, Richard McCrow, Victoria Coffee and David Moton, Panelists Community College faculty and staff are situated to serve a student population that, some report, will be 95% students of color by 2020. In order to facilitate student success, we as leaders have an unique opportunity to individually and collectively identify and share effective practices and/or processes to create an equitable learning experience that is culturally aware, sensitive, and inclusive. Our panel presenters will focus on sharing effective practices for service and instructional areas. Location: Levan Center |
| 2:30 - 3:45 pm |
Student Panel & Application Discussion: The Story of Our Students Synopsis: Five BC students from various walks of life will share their personal stories of getting to where they are today. In the format of PechaKucha presentation, the students will first share how their upbringing mixed with their identities and their educational careers at BC to help carry them to a brighter future. Audience members will then have an opportunity to ask the students questions regarding their perspectives on diversity and inclusion on the BC campus. |