Establishing a Chicano Studies Department can’t be done by edict, according to Dr. Sandra Serrano, Bakersfield College president.

“I have no authority nor does the (Board of Trustees) or the chancellor have any authority to establish a department by edict,” Serrano said during a recent interview with The Rip.

She discussed the controversy over establishing a Chicano Studies Department as well as her personal feelings about being a Latina president caught in the middle of the issue.

“The students told me because of the fact that I am Latina, they expect more of me,” she said as she took a long pause. She explained that she has studied Chicano dance and theater and taken a number of Chicano studies courses. “It is an awkward position when someone feels that you might be able to do something because of one’s culture, ethnic background, gender or relationship.

“Being a Latina is important to me. I know our culture, I appreciate our culture,” she continued. “It does make it difficult, but I also know I cannot make promises for which I have no authority, and that first and foremost I have to meet the needs of the students and be a person of integrity.”

Serrano emphasized that she has worked on many Latino-related issues to help Hispanics understand the legal process.

“So has it been difficult to be painted as this monster? Yes,” she said.

She recalled advice she received years ago from the president of California State University, Fullerton. The president reminded her not to go into administration unless she was prepared for criticism.

“She said do not even consider becoming a president of a college unless you are willing to be in the public, be scrutinized by the public, because you’re going to be living in a glass house,” she said.

While Serrano has been criticized by M.E.Ch.A. for not creating a Chicano Studies Department, she explained that no president or board can establish any new college department. Such actions must come from the faculty, because teachers create classes and must approve new departments.

Contrary to M.E.Ch.A.’s position, Serrano believes the college has made progress in evaluating the need for Chicano studies classes. For example, a survey was conducted in spring 2001 asking students what kind of Chicano studies classes they would be interested in.

Those survey results were received and presented to the budget and program committee review last spring, she said.

“We are both looking at access and student success, and what we are finding is that our enrollment of Latino students mirrors our community demographics, but what doesn’t mirror our college statistics is Latino students’ success. They have a higher level of not doing well in academic programs.”

This semester, a program was established to support Latino students in a career in sciences, engineering or computer studies.

“We have an interest as well as a commitment from the Puente program that we could become a Puente site, which utilizes English courses as a means to integrate Chicano literature, mentors and community partners to support Latino students in succeeding in English,” she said.

Serrano expressed her disappointment over last month’s student walkout.

“I thought that it was important for the students to remain in class, as I had shared with both Patrick McKendry, president of BC’s M.E.Ch.A. chapter, and staff,” she said. “As I indicated to them, I really requested that they had not called for a walkout because I felt that was contrary to our goals.

“Our goal is to have Latino students succeed and that requires being in class and I really saw a walkout as being a measure to gain the attention of the administration in order to influence an outcome to their request, and the attention has already been there,” she said.