The old and new Delano campuses have been 10 to 20 miles apart from one another, but now all teachings will be at the Delano Science and Technology building along with 10 new buildings.
The Delano Campus Center building has been the base of operation for the Delano campus since 1972. The DST building was built miles away and offered students more classes but a longer trip. In November, all classes and materials were transferred to the DST with the exception of the child development. But now all teachings will be in one area.
According to Bonnie C. Suderman, dean of learning measures and IT, students can now get a full college education because the campus has expanded a little. “We are offering more night classes and Saturday classes,” said Suderman. “We have some of the latest technology in the district.”
In the DST area, 10 new multi-use buildings have been built. About six of them are used for admission and records, counseling, assessment and a bookstore. Along this new site, a separate restroom building has been added, which is located just east of the buildings. A new library has been approved and will begin construction in the future.
The Delano campus has expanded along with Delano. “Delano is the second largest city in Kern County,” said John Drow, administrator for Bakersfield College and the Delano campus. “The community is very educationally oriented, and the Delano campus is growing.”
Since the movement began, there have been no signs of confusion by students. “At the beginning of the year, they told us we were going to move,” said Denise Rodriguez, landscape architecture major. Since some students usually travel to the old campus and new campus, the confusion stayed minimal.
“The confusion is a small disadvantage for the meantime,” said Reggie Visico, English major.
“I’m here all day. It’s much more comfortable,” said Jesus Valencia, liberal studies major. “We are all going to be happy and less stressed. Now we can take class after class because it’s not time consuming.”
“It’s going to help me a lot because it’s much nearer. It was really hard when gas was more expensive,” said Sindy Medina.
Each new classroom has a seating of about 40, a big screen television, a projector and full computer equipment.
“Our (BC) IT program put a lot of hours putting this computer equipment,” said Suderman. “They have done an excellent job making them run.”
According to Suderman, the Delano campus has been working along with the Robert F. Kennedy High School to purchase the land around the area.
Because of this help, the Delano campus can now offer more classes to students.
“In the spring, we are going to use the high school’s auditorium and have four classes going on at the same time,” said Suderman. The high school is also allowing the Delano campus to have physical education classes taught on their campus.
Along these new buildings, the new technology offered includes an updated version of the interactive television program, a new media center, a computer-aided program lab, a new journalism program and updated science equipment. “We have state-of-the-art chemistry equipment,” said Drow. In the future, the new library will include more classrooms for students. “The new buildings are better equipped; the old campus is really outdated,” said Rodriguez.
“The BC labs are obsolete. I’ve seen the equipment never used,” said Visico. “This new equipment will make students happier. We are keeping up.”
On Dec. 5, the administration will hold an open house for the community at the new Delano campus.
According to Richard McCrow in order to get more funds from the state, the Delano campus must have an attendance of more than 1,000 students for the Spring semester.
“The push is pretty significant,” said McCrow. “It’s pretty significant to increase in the last five years.”
The old Delano center is now leased out to a private school but still belongs to the main campus.