The Renegade Institute for Liberty promotes diversity of thought and intellectual literacy through the free and open discourse of American ideals, including civil, economic, and religious freedom.

About the Renegade Institute for Liberty

The Renegade Institute for Liberty is a coalition of Bakersfield College faculty dedicated to the pursuit of free speech, open inquiry, critical thinking to advance American ideals within the broader Western tradition of meritocracy, individual agency, civic virtue, liberty of conscience and free markets. These ideologies underpin the American Experiment, long serving as the nation’s primary bulwark against the political and ideological tyranny of both individuals and of the masses. As an advocate for intellectual literacy and diversity, the Renegade Institute for Liberty reaffirms civil, religious, and economic freedom upon which the academe and the nation must stand or fall. Through intellectual exploration and reason, the Institute works to preserve each of the above virtues as necessary for a free people and to advance the cause of liberty in America.

Functioning as a resource to students, faculty, and community members dedicated to the expansion of liberty in Kern County and America, the faculty associated with the Renegade Institute host and help promote a variety of campus activities, including but not limited to guest speakers, debates, colloquia, seminars, conferences, book clubs, brownbag discussions, film screenings, and student awards.

"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society, but the people themselves: and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their controul with a wholsome discretion, the remedy is, not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. this is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power."
~Thomas Jefferson to William Charles Jarvis, 28 September 1820

Donate to the Cause

Support intellectual diversity by donating to the Renegade Institute for Liberty at Bakersfield College. Your investment will directly fund programing including nationally recognized speakers, conferences, brown bag discussions, and more. Please help promote traditional American ideals at Bakersfield College and throughout Kern County with your tax-deductible donation today!

Donate Online through Bakersfield College Foundation. Select "Other" in the dropdown menu for your response to "You may specify the fund your donation is applied to:" Please type "Institute for Liberty" in the "If other, please specify:" field. BC employees may submit a payroll deduction form to the BC Foundation.

Committed Faculty

1. Daymon Johnson, Professor of History (faculty lead), dayjohns@bakersfieldcollege.edu
2. Tim Bohan, Professor of Education tbohan@bakersfieldcollege.edu
3. Ximena Da Silva Tavares, Professor of Chemistry ximena.dasilvatavares@bakersfieldcollege.edu
4. Jason Dixon, Professor of Engineering Technology jadixon@bakersfieldcollege.edu
5. Michael Einhaus, emeritus Professor of Philosophy
6. Justin Flint, Professor of Automotive Technology justin.flint@bakersfieldcollege.edu
7. Matthew Garrett, Professor of History and Ethnic Studies, Matthew.Garrett@bakersfieldcollege.edu
8. Jennifer Garrett, Professor of Music jennifer.garrett@bakersfieldcollege.edu
9. John Giertz, Professor of Communication jgiertz@bakersfieldcollege.edu
10. John Hart, Professor of English for Multilingual Students jhart@bakersfieldcollege.edu
11. Michelle Hart, Pofessor of Education michelle.hart@bakersfieldcollege.edu
12. Michael Harvath, Professor of Economics mharvath@bakersfieldcollege.edu
13. Joshua Lewis, Professor of Mathmatics jolewis@bakersfieldcollege.edu
14. Chad Newton, Professor of Biology cnewton@bakersfieldcollege.edu
15. Kimberly Newton, Professor of Biology kimberly.newton@bakersfieldcollege.edu
16. Teresa McAllister, Professor of Education teresa.mcallister@bakersfieldcollege.edu
17. Erin Miller, Professor of History emiller@bakersfieldcollege.edu
18. David Neville, Professor of Foreign Languages dneville@bakersfieldcollege.edu
19. Timothy Plett, Professor of Physics timothy.plett@bakersfieldcollege.edu
20. Klint Rigby, Professor of Industrial Technology, krigby@bakersfieldcollege.edu
21. Joe Saldivar, Professor of Biology jsaldivar@bakersfieldcollege.edu
22. Scott Wayland, emeritus Professor of English
23. Kenward Vaughan, emeritus Professor of Chemistry