Addendum with evidence (8.2 MB) - Accreditation - Bakersfield ...

With these recent research papers, California public policy makers might advocate for elimination of
lower unit certificates. The College will review the viability of lower unit certificates.
The College had a cooperative federal grant with CSU Bakersfield in the recent past that was
used to bring in speakers and send some faculty to conferences to begin “tilling the soil” and
building interest in different approaches to STEM instruction. Currently the College has a Hispanic
Serving Institution grant ($5 million), which will be used to enhance the STEM curriculum area, and
address the needs of the student population that is under prepared.
The College is considering changes to career and technical education programs that would
lead to immediate entry-level employment. For example, an effort will be made to place programs
into related knowledge groups and thereby build upon the pathways concept that the public school
district has adopted and is being advocated in federal circles. These efforts will be undertaken in
conjunction with articulation discussions between the College and public school districts, and will
build on existing articulation agreements.
In the current fiscal environment the College will commit to redoubling its efforts to ensure
that programs are sustainable, i.e. economically viable and responsive to employers needs. One
strategy toward that end is to anchor the instruction in industry-endorsed standards and third-party
certification of learning outcome accomplishments. Where appropriate, programs will be articulated
with local four-year universities.
96