Counseling and Advising Services
Challenging situations arise for all college students. The following information is designed to help students explore possible support resources on- and off-campus to maximize their educational success at Bakersfield College. For more off-campus resources, see Community Resources.
Academic/On-Campus Services
The Counseling and Advising Center is located on the first floor of the Center for Student Success (CSS) building.
- Office Hours (Summer 2025)
- Monday - Thursday
7:30AM - 5:30PM - Friday
CLOSED
- Monday - Thursday
Students arriving by 5:00PM Monday through Thursday will be seen. Students arriving
by 11:30 AM on Fridays will be seen.
(These times may vary due to student volume.)
Counseling and Advising Appointments
The BC Counseling and Advising Center offers both in-person and virtual appointments with a Pathways Counselor to discuss, develop, and finalize a Comprehensive Student Education Plan.
During summer, counseling appointments are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday (campus is closed on Friday). Students may also schedule an appointment in Starfish with their assigned Pathway Counselor.
Appointments may include a range of topics such as:
- major change
- academic probation clearance
- academic appeals
- dismissal/disqualification counseling and restoration
- education plans for Financial Aid appeals
- unofficial transcripts evaluation
- pre-requisite validation
- graduation review/planning
- transfer planning
- academic standing
- policies
- and more!
Counseling appointments are not available during peak periods.
- One week prior to registration and the first week of registration
- One week prior to the start of each semester and the first week of each semester
Appointment Policy
The BC Counseling and Advising Center is committed to serving all students. To do so effectively, our appointment policy is designed to ensure efficient scheduling and student accountability for the 30-minute counseling session.
Check-In Time: Students are permitted to check in for their scheduled appointment up to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time, and no sooner.
Late Check-Ins: Students are permitted a 5-minute grace period. If your check-in time is past 5-minutes late, the appointment will be canceled and a new scheduled appointment must be scheduled.
No-Show Policy: If three consecutive appointments are missed without prior cancellation, no additional scheduled appointments are permitted during the semester. All additional meetings will be on a 10-minute drop-in basis only.
Disabled Student Programs & Services
Disabled students should visit the Bakersfield College Disabled Student Programs & Services (DSPS) to connect with services and a DSPS Counselor.
Delano Community Campus
Counseling and advising services are available at the Delano Community Campus, 1450 Timmons, Delano CA. Call (661) 720-2000 for availability.
Student Development Courses
| Course | Title | Course Details |
|---|---|---|
| STDV B1 | Educational Planning | 1 unit Description: The course introduces college survival skills and issues, including college expectations, a students responsibility for education, college resources, and academic policies. This course is designed to assist students in discussing strategies for choosing a major and/or career and to help them in making educational plans based on their individual career goal. AA/AS Associate's Degree applicable. Hours: 18 lecture Transferable: CSU and UC |
| STDV B2 | Lifelong Learning and Career Planning | 2 units Description: This survey course is designed to increase academic motivation and career success throughout a persons lifespan. In particular, students will learn to examine how an individual's psychological, social, and environmental factors impact academic, career, and personal life choices. Through this exploration, students will apply these topics as they relate to their personal and professional self-development and to the discovery of many new options for improving all aspects of their lives. The historical view of careers, current career trends, and employment outlook will be studied. Various methods of researching academic and career opportunities will be explored to assist students. Hours: 36 lecture Transferable: CSU and UC |
| STDV B6 | Tools for College Success | 3 units Integrates personal growth, learning techniques, academic and career success, problem solving, critical, and creative thinking. The course focuses on the following topics: self-evaluation and assessment, goal setting, career decision making, educational planning, time and financial management techniques, instructor-student relationships, cultural diversity, stress management, campus resources, learning styles and strategies including lecture note-taking, test taking, memory and concentration. Hours: 54 lecture Transferable: CSU and UC; CSU GE E; BC GE E |
Crisis Counseling
A 24 hour hotline for a mental health crisis.
Students that are in crisis may stop by the BC Student Health and Wellness Center in AS 102, located in the Student Services Building and ask to see a Crisis Counselor. This service is available Monday - Thursday from 8:00AM - 5:00PM, or Friday from 8:00AM - 11:30AM. Students in crisis outside of the college hours can refer to the Crisis Hotline and/or community resources below.
- Alliance Against Family Violence: (661) 322-0931 (no charge)
- BC Health and Wellness Center: (661) 395-4336
- Crisis Hotline — Kern County Mental Health: (661) 334-8000 (no charge)
- CSUB Counselor Training Clinic: (661) 664-3402 (Fee based on income)
