Hispanic Serving Institution

What does it mean to be a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)?

There are currently 600 HSI colleges and universities, 172 are in California.

What does being an HSI mean for Bakersfield College? 

Bakersfield College is a designated HSI, with 75% of our student body identifying as Hispanic. Bakersfield College is the largest HSI in the State of California and fifth largest in the United States. Yet, at Bakersfield College, a designation based on enrollment demographics is not enough. We pride ourselves on our actions showing the service we provide to our Hispanic students. To us, designation as a HSI is a mandate. We are called to embrace the identity of being Hispanic serving. HSI designation allows us to lean into the values and mission of Bakersfield College and celebrate what it means to better serve all students.

We hope students at Bakersfield College know that our HSI status means they can be confident that they are surrounded by a community of faculty, classified professionals, and administrators that share and/or understand their experiences. 

See below to explore how Bakersfield College is serving our Hispanic students:

• Chicano Pre-Commencement Ceremony:
  • The Chicano/Latino Pre-Commencement Celebration is an annual tradition that encourages students to participate in a celebration that provides a cultural, bilingual, and celebratory atmosphere for family and friends as we honor the achievements of the graduates and transfer students. The celebration gives our students an opportunity to acknowledge those who have been supportive of their educational endeavors. Finally, the celebration serves as an example for the younger generation and community that they, too, can achieve a college education.
• HSI, Title V - Health Sciences  
  • Bakersfield College leveraged the $3 million grant to bolster existing efforts designed to address shortages in the health care workforce made more visible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By expanding the college's footprint of health sciences pathways through Early College, transfer pathway agreements, and strong partnerships with health care providers and community organizations, BC systematically strengthened Kern's education-to-workforce pipeline while improving health outcomes for local residents.
• HSI, Title V Early College
  • Comunidades de Conexiones: Strengthening Bakersfield College’s Hispanic-Serving Early College Pathways Program is a project that focuses on fostering early and sustained connection to college beginning as early as the 7th grade through structured pathways, summer academies, culturally responsive onboarding, and family engagement. This approach integrates cohort-based advising, peer mentorship, equity-minded faculty development, and holistic academic and basic needs support to improve persistence and degree completion. Additionally, the program strengthens data capacity and infrastructure to ensure scalability, close equity achievement gaps, and align with California’s performance-based funding model. Overall, the initiative advances Bakersfield College’s commitment to “servingness” by intentionally designing systems that promote belonging, success, and long-term educational mobility for Hispanic students
• HSI, Title III STEM
  • Bakersfield College was awarded $5 million for the Step Up to STEM: Start Strong, Stay Strong, Finish Strong project from the United States Department of Education as part of their Hispanic Serving Institutions - Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Articulation program. The five-year funding agreement supported activities to enhance STEM student success, supporting Hispanic and Latinx students from lower-income backgrounds and those that have first generation college-student status.
  • The Title III STEP UP to STEM HSI-STEM Grant supported 5 STEM students and 5 STEM Staff from Bakersfield College to attend the annual HACU 2024 Conference in Aurora, Colorado on Nov. 1-3rd, 2024. The Annual conference provides a unique forum for the sharing of information and ideas for the best and most promising practices in the education of Hispanics. The students participated in the “¡Adelante! Leadership Institute”, a student track involving a three-day career leadership and development networking symposium designed to build the career and leadership skills of undergraduate students.
  • New STEM Guest Speaker Series called “First Generation Latinx Journeys in STEM” in Fall 2024. The first guest speaker was Stefanie Brizuela, a First-Generation Queer Latina and Second-Year Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Doctoral Program at UCLA, who spoke about the roadblocks and situations she faced along her journey as a first-generation Latina in STEM. Video of Stefanie Brizuela.
• Padrinos
  • Padrinos de Bakersfield College is a group of Bakersfield College staff working alongside Latinx students for success, mentorship and support opportunities. They host events to help fundraise for student scholarship, such as Pan Dulce & Cafecito.
• César E. Chávez Leadership Certificate of Completion – for students and faculty 
  • Bakersfield College offers the only César Chávez Leadership Certificate in the United States. The program is designed to introduce students to leadership through the study of the leadership style of César Chávez, California's farmworker movement, and various historical landmarks in the Bakersfield College service region. This program is designed to promote student learning through public history engagement related to local historical landmarks associated with César Chávez and the farm worker movement. The program is also designed to accelerate historical thinking for student participants, as well as promote civic and humanities engagement and the studying historic leadership in the area of labor and civil rights for migrant farm workers. 
• Mariachi Ritmo de Mexico Student Club – led by Cynthia and Dr. Oropeza follow up
  • The mission of Mariachi Ritmo de Mexico is to promote and preserve the culture, art, and history of various regions of Mexico through the art of mariachi music at Bakersfield College. We welcome cultural diversity and promote cultural competency to the community.
• AB 540/Undocumented Student Success and Support Program 
  • The Bakersfield College AB540/ Undocumented Students Program provides counseling and academic support for students who are eligible under the AB540 in-state tuition exemption. The goal of the program is to help eligible students meet their educational objectives, whether they seek occupational certificates, associate degrees, or transfer to four-year institutions.
• Latinos Unidos Por Education (L.U.P.E.)
  • Latinos Unidos Por Educación (LUPE) is a student organization for first generation college students attending Bakersfield College. The student organization welcomes participation from AB 540, Undocumented/DACA/Undocumented/Permanent Residents/US Citizen students on campus- ALL are welcome. LUPE greatly enhances students’ confidence to succeed and complete their career, vocational and/or transfer goals by implementing proven best practices that champion student success, equity, and accessibility. LUPE promotes civil engagement, activism for social issues impacting the immigrant and Latino/a community and develops partnerships with community leaders and organizations.
• Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) and Bakersfield College Credit for Prior Learning
  • The Kern Community College District launched a new initiative allowing students enrolled at the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) Skill Center in Bakersfield to earn college credits that transfer to Bakersfield College. Under the program, students who complete the MAOF bookkeeping/payroll accounting certificate can receive up to 16.5 units of Bakersfield College credit, along with non-credit certificates in QuickBooks and basic office and computer skills. Students who finish the clerical office worker certificate may be awarded up to 18 units of college credit and additional non-credit certificates. 
• Hispanic Heritage Month and the Norman Levan Center: The Levan Center continues its tradition of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in September and October by featuring scholars and artists whose work focuses on the role or impact of Hispanics locally, nationally or internationally. All events are open to the public.
• Hispanic and Native American Peoples Culture Awards and the Norman Levan Center: Each spring, the Norman Levan Center awards at least three scholarships of $1,500 to BC students. The award is part of a scholarship contest in which any BC student is able to submit work that demonstrates an academic interest in Hispanic or Native American Peoples and Culture. The submission may take the form of: a research paper (e.g., in history, economics, philosophy, the sciences, nursing, and beyond); a literary or film analysis; original music or a performance; visual or multimedia artwork; etc. All academic fields are invited to submit: theoretical and applied, scholarly and creative. A committee of faculty review the submissions and select at least three winners. The honorees are then not only recognized with a scholarship, they are invited to participate in a Hispanic and Native American Colloquium where they present their original works. The colloquium is open to the public to attend.

Acknowledgement 

Bakersfield College is proud to share that it has been selected as a 2023 Champion of Higher Education by the Campaign for College Opportunity, receiving a prestigious recognition, the 2023 Equity Champion of Higher Education for Latinx Students. This accolade is a testament to Bakersfield College’s unwavering commitment to providing quality education and breaking down barriers in higher education. Furthermore, the 2023 Equity Champion of Higher Education for Latinx Students award underscores Bakersfield College’s dedication to closing racial and ethnic equity gaps. Bakersfield College is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that empowers Hispanic students to thrive academically and personally. Bakersfield College has implemented a range of initiatives and support services that have contributed to narrowing these disparities, ultimately promoting a more diverse and equitable higher education landscape.