Section 6: General Information
Section 6: General Information
Page Contents:
- Kern Community College District Board of Trustees
- College Catalog
- College Website
- College Committees
- College Class Schedule
- Professional Development Expectations
- Final Note
Kern Community College Board of Trustees
The Kern Community College District service area is divided into five segments for elected representation. Of the seven members of the KCCD Board of Trustees, two each represent central Bakersfield and southwest Bakersfield. One each represents Porterville, Ridgecrest and northeastern Kern County. The Board of Trustees meetings follow a pre-determined schedule. The minutes are available on the KCCD website.
All Kern Community College District Board materials and minutes can be found at BoardDocs.
College Catalog
A current copy of the Bakersfield College Catalog, as well as previous academic years, can be found on the Bakersfield College website.
College Website
The Bakersfield College website and the portal InsideBC contains a wealth of information from student services, faculty services, and message from the President, links to the KCCD site, department website links, faculty directories, and so much more. Please take some time to explore these valuable resources.
To access your InsideBC page, go to the Bakersfield College website. At the top of the page, click on the InsideBC link. Use the same log in information that you use to access your desktop computer.
College Committees
Bakersfield College has many governing committees (e.g., Professional Development Committee and Curriculum Committee) which are integral to the operation of the College. It is through these committees that the College mission and vision are enacted. The more faculty who are involved, the greater the faculty voice and input on important issues.
As a member of the Bakersfield College community, full-time faculty are expected to serve on committees and/or participate in other faculty governance activities. Being involved is a great way to meet colleagues and to serve your department and campus. Information on each committee including their purpose and composition is on each committee web page.
Bakersfield College Committees Webpage
College Class Schedule
A complete schedule of classes for the current semester is available online on the BC website. There is a link to “still open classes” that may help you advise students on other sections, if you are not able to accommodate them in your class. The most accurate version of the schedule at any point in time is found on Banner Web.
Professional Development Expectations
Professional development is highly encouraged for all faculty members. Faculty can attend on campus workshops or off campus training. Occasionally funding is available from specialized funds (basic skills initiative or VTEA, for example), but you would need to secure a funding decision prior to attending the event. If you have questions about funding, talk with your Area Administrator. If the event requires that you miss class, you need to secure prior approval from your Area Administrator to see if “professional leave” will be granted for your absence. A Travel Conference Form must be completed prior to the event, even if no classes will be missed and no reimbursement is expected. Discuss your request with your Area Administrator to be certain all approvals and forms are provided.
Flex Obligations
The flexible calendar is the result of an attempt to reform the college calendar without reducing the work year. Time that would have been spent in classroom instruction under the traditional 175-day calendar is devoted to professional development and improvement of instruction. Flex provides a way for the State to fund activities designed to improve the quality of performance at both the individual and the institutional levels. Though the state allows 15 contract days for Flex activities, Bakersfield College has opted to utilize 3 Flex days.
Flex obligations are professional development activities that occur outside of the regularly scheduled teaching day. Full-time faculty members are required to complete a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours of Flex training each year. If you are an Adjunct faculty teaching at least 3 units for a regular semester length course, you are required to have a maximum of two (2) hours Flex-credit for each semester taught. These hours are reported to the State to assure compliance. Failure to complete necessary hours may result in loss of pay or notice on faculty evaluations. End of semester/year Flex reports may be accessed through the Bakersfield College Website and are submitted directly to the Area Administrator.
Accessing Flex Reporting Forms
You can find the current Flex form on the Bakersfield College Website in the Professional Development section.
Final Note
This Faculty Handbook is intended to provide the Bakersfield College Faculty with guidelines that will facilitate an efficient work and instructional environment. Please be sure to consult the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) for changes and negotiations updates. If you have any questions, talk with your Chair and area Administrator.
