Kern CCD Launches Search for Permanent Chancellor

The Kern Community College District has opened its formal search for the next chancellor of its 3-college district serving 40,000 students over a 24,800 square mile service area.

Kern CCD is proud of the work accomplished to date to meet the needs of our diverse student population.  Our student achievements and success are noted through our increased graduation rates and certificate completions.  In the 2022-2023 academic year, the Kern Community College District awarded 8,900 degrees and certificates to 4,520 students across all three colleges. Approximately 69.4 percent of those award recipients were Hispanic/Latino, and 44.3 percent were first-generation college students.

Our colleges have consistently been recognized for their achievements in serving our students.  In the last year alone, all three colleges have received awards on a state and national level.  Whether it is in recognition of achievements serving our students or receiving funding awards to expand our student support and academic programs, Kern CCD continues to thrive.

Porterville College was recognized for Excellence in Placements for two years in a row including recognition for supporting 100% of their students in transfer-level English enrollments, supporting 100% of their students in transfer-level math enrollments.  Porterville College received equity designations as well for ensuring 100% of their Latinx students enroll directly into transfer-level math and English.

Cerro Coso Community College has a team of 6 faculty who have been accepted into the Open for Antiracism (OFAR) Cohort 2023-24. This was competitive application for teams wishing to make their teaching more antiracist and is a partnership program of the RP Group. Cerro Coso was also one of 20 colleges selected to receive one time funding to establish the Native American Student Support and Success Program.

Bakersfield College was named Equity Champion for Black and Latinx students by the Campaign for College Opportunity.  BC was selected as a recipient of the Takeoff: Institutional Innovations for College Men of Color grant by the USC Race and Equity Center and was one of 20 colleges selected to receive one time funding to establish the Native American Student Support and Success Program.

With such a robust and distinguished list of accomplishments, it warrants the need to ensure that our next chancellor continues the legacy of excellence.  It is for that reason that Kern CCD has partnered with Academic Search to ensure that our process and search for the next leader of our system is transparent and abides by the standards established by our Board of Trustees.

The search process began on May 11, 2023, at Kern CCD’s regular board meeting and has continued to be part of the agenda at the regular meetings.  Kern CCD has welcomed community feedback in informal meetings as well as during the open public comment at regular meetings.  This process has been thoughtful to ensure that representatives of the Search Committee reflect a broad spectrum of diverse stakeholders including community, industry, student representation, and faculty and classified employee groups.

There are a total of 17 representatives on the Search Committee.  The Committee includes a representative from the Board of Trustees, a student representative, one representative from each campus Academic Senate, a faculty union representative, one classified union representative from each campus and the district office, one management representative from each campus and the district office, and three active community representatives from each college foundation.

The Search Committee will now be tasked with ensuring a process that is consistent and transparent.  The committee will 1) review the applications submitted for Chancellor, 2) select the applicants for initial interviews to be conducted by the 17-member Search Committee, and 3) recommend a slate of finalists to be interviewed by the Board of Trustees for final selection and offer of employment. 

Kern CCD is proud of this process and the diversity composition of the final Search Committee. Community Colleges serve 100% of all eligible students and the Kern CCD Board of Trustees values the need to ensure this process and those engaged are reflective of our entire student population and the communities we serve. 

Search Committee meetings are posted on the Kern CCD website. Prior to each closed session Search Committee meeting, the public will have the opportunity to comment on matters pertinent to the Search Committee work.