The Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program provides post-baccalaureate STEM students
interested in teaching at a 2-year college with an opportunity to participate in a
mentorship collaboration with a Bakersfield College faculty. In addition, candidates
will gain exposure to the community college culture, including best practices for
teaching and supporting the diverse group of students enrolled at a rural California
Community College.
Background
Bakersfield College is part of Aspire's Regional Collaboratives (RC), a network of
geographically related 2- and 4-year institutions. Currently, there are ASPIRE regional
collaboratives in California, Iowa, and Texas, and an additional three will be added
by 2022, expanding reach and impact across the United States.
In this model, institutions work together to share and develop programs and experiences
that work towards two primary goals:
Increase the number and diversity of the pool of graduate students and qualified professionals
pursuing a teaching career in STEM at 2-year colleges;
Expand and strengthen the skills of future, early-career, and current STEM faculty
to teach the diverse student populations.
Leaders from each RC meet regularly and are supported by a national backbone structure
and national disciplinary organizations, developing shared goals and metrics, sharing
resources, and collaborating on strategies for successful implementation and evaluation
of regional initiatives that include internship/practicum experiences, workshops,
and training, open house and informational meetings, and marketing and communication
improvement efforts.
As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Bakersfield College served 70% of students
identified as Hispanic in the 2022-2023 Academic Year. Yet, data from Fall of 2023
also show that faculty at Bakersfield College are not representative of the student
demographic. Data comparing student demographics compared to faculty racial makeup
(both adjunct and full time) show that white faculty are overrepresented while Underrepresented
Minorities (URM) groups are underrepresented, as shown in the graph below.
Faculty/Student Dempgraphics by Race: Fall 2023
Ethnicity
Tenured/Tenure Track
Adjunct/Part-Time
Students
African-American
5%
7%
4%
Asian
6%
5%
2%
Hispanic
25%
29%
70%
Multi-Ethnicity
4%
3%
3%
White Non-Hispamic
59%
54%
17%
Institutions that serve a large demographic of URM students, like BC, have a responsibility
to hire faculty and staff that mirror their student population because institutions
with faculty of color typically serve students of color with a deeper sense of belonging,
which leads to higher test scores, and higher persistence rates.
Faculty Diversification Fellowship
To meet workforce demands and the needs of the student population, Bakersfield College
requires a qualified diverse faculty group. The college has a growing number of students
of color and it is imperative for the college to implement practices that will aid
in the recruiting and retention of those students, and faculty of color is vital to
the success of underrepresented minorities.
Therefore, the Faculty Diversification Fellowship provides post-baccalaureate STEM
students interested in teaching at a 2-year college with an opportunity to participate
in a mentorship collaboration with a Bakersfield College faculty. In addition, candidates
will gain exposure to the community college culture, including best practices for
teaching and supporting the diverse group of students enrolled at a rural California
Community College.
The Faculty Fellowship Program allows the college to recruit and train qualified candidates
in an effective and fiscally responsible manner. More importantly though, it is a
contribution to the community to hire candidates from the San Joaquin Valley, and
the surrounding areas, to teach for Bakersfield College.
Program Model
The mentorship and development of faculty of color is equally important as the development
of our students of color. It is not enough to diversify the hiring process, it is
vital to also foster and cultivate newly hired URM faculty. Therefore the Faculty
Diversification Program provides candidates with both exposure to the classroom, as
well as mentorship from an established faculty member. Additionally, once candidates
are recruited and trained through this program, exemplary candidates can be recruited
to assist with campus-wide efforts such as rural initiatives, the rising scholars
program, early college, dual enrollment, and others.
Onboarding Professional Development
Mentorship and Shadowing
Pedagogy/Adragogy Enhancement
Fieldwork/Course Load
This is a 1-year intensive program that provides fellows with a mentor to gain in-classroom
teaching experience. Selected fellows move on to teach their own course load in the
second half of the program.
Regional Collaborative
Bakersfield College is part of the Aspire Network Regional Collaborative (RC), which
focuses on preparing STEM graduate students to transition into teaching positions
in community colleges. The Regional Collaborative (RC) will be composed of 4-year
partners, which includes both public research-based and comprehensive institutions.
In addition, an Advisory Board, which will be composed of key industry stakeholders
in the Greater Bakersfield Area, will also be invited to participate in some capacity.
Further, the RC follows a Collective Impact (CI) model between two and four-year institutions
in the Central Valley region as described below.
Institutional Partners
Bakersfield College (lead)
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Bakersfield
The University of California, Merced (co-lead)
Collective Impact Criteria
Common Agenda
Shared Measurements
Mutually Reinforcing Activities
Continuous Communication
Backbone Support
Key Players
Co-Leads
Institutional Administrators
STEM Faculty
Education Faculty
Rural Initiatives Team (BC)
Common Agenda
Co-Leads
Outline the goals of the Regional Collaborative
Institutional Administrators
Establish and document needs for the Faculty Fellowship Program
STEM Faculty
Identify gaps in STEM faculty recruitment
Education Faculty
Focus on joint curriculum for the program
Rural Initiatives Team (BC)
Identify placement of Fellows in high-need areas
Shared Measurements
Co-Leads
Collect data on faculty diversity in STEM areas
Institutional Administrators
Utilize disaggregated data collected to establish goals for recruitment and placement
of Fellows
STEM Faculty
Establish goals for the Bakersfield College faculty mentorship portion
Education Faculty
Create curricular goals for the program
Rural Initiatives Team (BC)
Set goals for addressing placement gaps in rural sites
Mutually Reinforcing Activities
Co-Leads
Establish and plan RC meetings and oversee the work in alignment with established
goals
Institutional Administrators
Ensure resources are available to successfully maintain the RC goals
STEM Faculty
Utilize RC partnerships to address areas of need (e.g. Math faculty recruitment; Recruit
faculty (2-year) to participate as mentors in the program
Education Faculty
Push curricular plan through governance boards for approval
Rural Initiatives Team (BC)
Work with STEM faculty in identifying mentoring faculty that can help candidates transition
to their assigned site
Continuous Communication
Develop and adopt a communication plan at the first Regional Collaborative Meeting
Co-Leads
Institutional Administrators
STEM Faculty
Education Faculty
Rural Initiatives Team (BC)
Continuous Communication
Utilize funding source's timeline for support and accountability;
Rely on Project BEST's model for the planning and development of the mentorship program;
Utilize the Achieve the Dream (ATD) platform to provide professional development opportunities
for Faculty Fellowship Program candidates
Co-Leads
Institutional Administrators
STEM Faculty
Education Faculty
Rural Initiatives Team (BC)
Eligibility
Candidates should be legally authorized to work in the USA;
Candidates must be enrolled in the last semester of a qualified STEM graduate program,
be a recent graduate of the program, a Ph.D. candidate pursuing a STEM path, or have
attained postdoctoral standing in a qualified STEM field;
Candidates considered for this fellowship should not have had any college teaching
experience beyond graduate teaching assistant positions within their programs.
Program Learning Outcomes
The Bakersfield College Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program:
Focuses on preparing fellows, from underrepresented minority x(URMx) groups, in the
professional, pedagogical, and socio-cultural skills for community college faculty
positions.
Increases the diversity of California Community College faculty by preparing URM candidates
to effectively navigate the faculty application and interview process.
Increases the retention, progression, and success rates of URM students by increasing
the number of faculty that properly represent student demographics.
Commitments and Expectations of Fellows
Applicants must commit to the full length of the program (1 Academic Year).
Applicants are expected to complete the classroom and seminar hour requirement to
complete the program and qualify for compensation.
Applicants must commit to the Mission, Vision, and Goals of the college and support
the advancement of student success by providing an inclusive classroom experience
for students from various backgrounds and life experiences.
Classroom Expectations
Program Fellows will:
Work closely with Faculty-of-record on the lesson planning, evaluation, and assessment.
Become familiar with classroom technology such as Canvas, Starfish, Banner, etc.
Provide individual and group instructional services in a subject area.
Assist or tutor an individual or small groups of students in a specific subject area.
Prepare students to test in a variety of subjects; distribute and grade tests according
to established procedures; record test scores; review tests with students; assist
instructors with the administration of assessment and placement tests.
Advise students on ways to improve academic performance and related topics related
to achievement.
Compensation
Fellows admitted into the program are expected to complete 4 hours of classroom time
per week for 16 weeks, for a total of 64 hours (fall term).
In addition, fellows are required to attend the 2, 6-hour FLEX sessions in the fall
term (12 hours) and a Fall Faculty Colloquium (8 hours) .
Adjunct load in spring term (for a max load at approximately $3,500.00)
The total compensation for each fellow is approximately $6,080.00 (amount varies)
Dr. Maria Wright (PI) Bakersfield College
Dr. Maria Wright serves as the lead Faculty Coordinator for the Aspire Faculty Diversification
Fellowship Program. Prior to taking on this role, Dr. Wright served as the Director
for Academic Support Services for a number of years, helping centralize efforts to
provide wrap-around support for students. This effort focused on enhancing the out-of-class
academic experience for BC students. Dr. Wright has also served as the Advising Lead
for the School of Business at a four-year institution and as an Educational Advisor
at Bakersfield College.
Dr. Wright earned her doctoral degree from California State University, Fresno in
Educational Leadership, her master's degree in Educational Administration from California
State University, Bakersfield, and her bachelor's degree in Political Science from
California State University, Long Beach.
As a first-generation graduate, Dr. Wright is passionate about increasing equity,
inclusion, and diversity in higher education institutions. She is eager to help fellows
in this program gain teaching experience in the community college setting.
Success Rates
Nearly 90% of program participants have successfully received offers for full-time/tenure
track or part-time faculty positions in higher education. Are you ready to commence
your journey as a faculty member in the community college?
Application Process
For program consideration, applicants must submit the following documents as part
of their online application:
A letter of interest specifying why you are interested in teaching students at Bakersfield
College. The letter should also discuss how your educational experiences have prepared
them to teach at a community college with a diverse student body, like Bakersfield
College.
An updated curriculum vitae with at least three professional references with contact
information listed. One of the references needs to be from a current or former supervisor.
College/university transcript (unofficial transcripts will be accepted), including
all college units attempted.
One signed letter of recommendation written within the last six months specifically
for the Bakersfield College Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program from an individual
who has provided post-secondary academic instruction to the applicant.
Erica Mullins served as a Faculty Fellow in the first cohort of the Aspire Alliance
Central California Regional Collaborative. Erica is originally from the Los Angeles
area, she moved to Kern County in early 2002. She is a first-generation college graduate
on both sides of her family and is the great-granddaughter of Mexican American immigrants
on her father’s side.
After moving to Bakersfield, she enrolled at Bakersfield College to fulfill transfer
requirements then completed her Bachelor of Science in Business before moving on to
a Master of Science in Biology from California State University, Bakersfield in 2016.
Erica received her second master’s degree, this time in Environmental Studies at UC
Santa Cruz, in December 2020.
During the 20-21 academic year, she was also a member of the 3CSN STEM Instructors
Learning Community, where she was enrolled in the year-long course: “Apprenticing
Students into STEM Thinking.” Since then, Erica has been invited to participate in
the facilitators' training for that program, which she began this summer. She also
completed the Humanizing STEM Academy with Michelle Pacansky-Brock over the summer
break.
In preparation for the 2021-22 academic year, Erica applied for several Tenure-Track
Faculty positions in colleges in the Central Valley region. Erica received a couple
of offers and has accepted a position at her alma mater, California State University,
Bakersfield. Please join us in congratulating Erica on her academic and professional
accomplishments.
Selena Suarez
Selena Suarez was born and raised in Delano, California, a small agricultural city
known for its farm-working community made up of mostly Hispanic and Filipino immigrants.
She is a first-generation college graduate. She graduated from California State University
Bakersfield in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Selena taught 6th grade
at Wonderful College Prep Academy during the 2018-2019 school year, and 7th grade
math at Rio Bravo-Greeley from 2019-2020.
Selena then chose to pursue higher education, and went on to receive her Master of
Science in Mathematics from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2022. As
a graduate student, Selena did research on matrices and how they can be used to track
the spread of COVID-19. She published her work in the spring of 2022. While in graduate
school, Selena applied to the Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program, and was
accepted in the fall of 2021.
During the fellowship program, Selena worked closely with math professors at Bakersfield
College. This provided an opportunity to observe professors and work one one-on-one
with students in a college classroom. Towards the end of the fellowship program, Selena
applied as an adjunct mathematics professor and was granted the opportunity in the
spring of 2022. She is currently an adjunct mathematics professor actively pursuing
a full-time faculty position at Bakersfield College.
Cassandra Greene
Cassandra Greene was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. She graduated from
California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) with a Bachelor of Science degree
in Biology in 2018, becoming a first-generation graduate. After graduating, Cassandra
worked as a substitute teacher for grades K-12 while also taking a course to eventually
earn her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification.
In Fall 2019, she enrolled in the master’s program at CSUB and received her Master
of Science degree in Biology in 2021. For most of her schooling, Cassandra was pre-med,
aspiring to attend Medical School. During the second semester of her master’s program,
she became a teaching assistant for CSUB and remained one for the remainder of her
program. She soon learned that she loved teaching, and that was her true calling.
In the Fall semester of 2021, she applied and was accepted into the Faculty Diversification
Fellowship Program. Within the program, fellows were assigned a faculty mentor within
their teaching subject. As she surveyed the Anatomy and Physiology II course her mentor
instructed, she learned the proper way to address students, different methods of relaying
material, and the best practices for becoming a distinguished faculty member of Bakersfield
College. The program also required the course “Teaching in a California Community
College,” which involved analyzing current literature, theory, and practices for teaching
at a California Community College. The course strengthened her understanding of how
to support diversity and encourage inclusivity within the classroom.
At the end of the program, Cassandra applied for an adjunct position in the Biology
Department at Bakersfield College and was hired for the Spring 2022 semester. At the
end of her first semester as an adjunct, she applied for a full-time tenure track
position in the Biology Department at Bakersfield College and was awarded the position.
She began her first semester as an Assistant Professor for Anatomy and Physiology
II in Fall 2022. She continues to strive to be a professor that offers an inclusive
and welcoming classroom. She is currently a part of the STEM Kickstarter Program that
aims to offer a practice on STEM teaching and learning to improve outcomes for Latinx
students. She is appreciative of all the help that she has received to obtain her
current position and will continue to look for programs and opportunities to help
further improve her teaching.
Jerome Lagaya
Jerome Lagaya is a Deaf Filipino born in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. He attended
the Philippine School for the Deaf (PSD) in Pasay City, Philippines. Later, he moved
to Bakersfield, CA, where he began his junior year at Highland High School. After
finishing high school, he enrolled at Bakersfield College and graduated in April 2014
with an Associate of Arts degree.
Jerome transferred to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 2015, where
he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Deaf Studies in 2017. While at CSUN, he volunteered
to work with ASL instructors and also helped teach ASL courses at Bakersfield College.
In 2018, he became an adjunct ASL instructor at Bakersfield College.
Jerome studied Sign Language Education at Gallaudet University and earned his Master
of Arts degree in 2020. After completing a temporary full-time faculty contract at
Bakersfield College, Jerome was accepted into the Faculty Diversification Fellowship
Program. He continued to work closely with the ASL faculty and the ASL Club at Bakersfield
College, and in the fall of 2023, he will begin a full-time faculty position at the
college in the ASL Program.
Kim Arellano Carmona
Kim Arellano Carmona is a first-generation community college graduate from the Los
Angeles area. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Public
Health from California State University, Northridge. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate
at the University of California, Merced, specializing in public health. Her published
research focuses on Latino health and health disparities.
While Kim is committed to excelling in her research, her passion lies in teaching.
She is eager to continue to share her passion for public health with her students
and inspire them to pursue their academic and professional goals.
As a Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program alumna, Kim is well-prepared for continued
academic success. Kim received several tenure-track faculty job offers and has ultimately
accepted a position at Bakersfield College. In Fall 2023, Kim will join the Department
of Behavioral Sciences as an Associate Professor of Public Health Science, coinciding
with the completion of her Ph.D.
Erica Mullins
Selena Suarez
Cassandra Greene
Jerome Lagaya
Kim Arellano Carmona